Health Department

Dear Colleague

Clinical Governance Arrangements

Amendment to MEL(1998)75 and MEL(2000)29
This letter announces amendments to NHS MEL(1998)75 and NHS MEL(2000)29. These changes are due to changes to the number of non-executive trustees on NHS Trust Boards and also a change in terminology. The changes are detailed in the National Health Service Trusts (Membership and Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (the "Regulations").

Amendments
1. All references to the 'Trust board' in NHS MEL(1998)75 and NHS MEL(2000)29 should be taken as references to the 'Trust management team'.

• This change reflects the definitions included in Part I of the Regulations.
  

2. In NHS MEL (1998) 75, paragraph 19 on NHS Trust Clinical Governance Committees is to be deleted and replaced by the following:

"In addition to the structures it develops to deliver clinical governance, each Trust management team will establish a Clinical Governance Committee. It will be responsible for oversight of the clinical governance of the Trust so as to assure the management team that the arrangements are working and to bring to the attention of the full management team regular reports on the operation of the system and specific reports on any problems that emerge. The status of the Committee should be commensurate with that of the (financial) Audit Committee. The Committee should report direct to the management team; and it should be chaired by a non-executive Trustee. The Committee shall include at least one non-executive member of the Trust management team and may include persons, including members of NHS Boards or Special Health Boards, who are co-opted, and may consist wholly or partly of members of the Trust management team, with the following exceptions: the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Nursing Director will not be members of the Committee but they should attend meetings as required. The Committee should develop mechanisms for engaging effectively with representatives of patients and clinical staff."

• This amendment is also made necessary by the changes included in Part IV of the Regulations.

Action
Chief Executives of NHS Trusts are asked to note the contents of this letter and take appropriate action.

9th October 2001

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Addresses

For action
Chief Executives NHS Trusts

For information
Chief Executives, NHS Boards
Chief Executives, Special Health
Boards
Chief Executive, Common Services
Agency for NHSScotland
Chief Officers, Local Health Councils
Director, Scottish Association of
Health Councils

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Enquiries to:

Steven Fenocchi
St Andrew's House
EDINBURGH EH1 3DG

Tel: 0131-244 2110
Fax: 0131-244 2989

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Yours sincerely