Clinical Handover Audit

This audit measures handover practice against recognised frameworks and identifies opportunities to standardise information transfer between teams.

• Trainee doctors and Consultants
• Nursing and AHP handover leads
• Acute Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care teams
• Governance and Patient Safety teams

• Measure structure, completeness and safety of handover
• Identify gaps in escalation and ownership
• Support standardisation against recognised frameworks
• Provide governance and training evidence

• Handover type and setting
• Use of structured framework (SBAR, etc.)
• Documentation of unwell patients
• Responsible clinician identified

• Live dashboard
• Audit report (Word)
• Executive summary (Word)
• Excel workbook
• PowerPoint presentation
• Conference poster
• ARCP evidence summary

• Designed to use anonymised or pseudonymised audit identifiers.
• This tool supports, but does not replace, clinical judgement.
• Local policy, formulary and specialist advice should be followed.
• Organisations remain responsible for local governance arrangements.

Supporting guidance from the Lazomis QI Resource Library. Authoritative clinical standards referenced by this project remain separate.

• Patient SafetyReducing Handover Failures for Safer Patient CareEffective clinical handover is critical for patient safety, yet failures remain a significant contributor to adverse events. This guide explores the common pitfalls and offers practical, evidence-based strategies to improve handover processes across healthcare settings.
• Clinical GovernanceClinical Governance Explained: A Framework for Quality and Safety in the NHSThis article defines clinical governance, outlines its key pillars, and explains why a robust framework is crucial for maintaining and improving patient safety and quality of care within the NHS.
• Patient SafetyDesigning Safer Clinical Processes: A Guide for Healthcare TeamsThis guide outlines practical approaches to designing safer clinical processes within the NHS, incorporating principles of human factors, error prevention, and system resilience. It aims to equip healthcare teams with the knowledge to identify risks and implement robust safety measures.
• Patient SafetyDiagnostic Delay: Understanding and Mitigating a Critical Patient Safety RiskDiagnostic delay is a significant patient safety concern across all healthcare settings. This guide explains why timely diagnosis is crucial, details the common factors contributing to delays, and provides actionable strategies for healthcare professionals and teams to mitigate these risks.