§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the effectiveness of medical auditing. [15941]
§ Mr. MilburnClinical audit is central to the framework for promoting clinical effectiveness. It offers a practical way for all local clinicians to review their own practice and thereby improve the quality of care given to patients. In order to promote clinical effectiveness, health authorities are responsible for ensuring that sufficient resources are made available for clinical audit and that they are used in the most effective way.
The quality and effectiveness of National Health Service services will be a paramount objective of our plans to replace the competitive, contract driven and bureaucratic internal market, which we will set out in a White Paper later this year.