Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how primary care groups (PCGs) were implementing clinical governance in their first year.
Methods: A structured review was carried out of clinical governance plans of 57 PCGs in London.
Results: There was considerable variation in content of the plans. Priority areas were generally based on national service frameworks and local health improvement plans. The most commonly included clinical topic was coronary heart disease. Plans tended to focus on quality improvement rather than on dealing with poor performance. There was generally little information on how quality would be monitored, the data required and methods to change clinical practice.
Conclusion: Clinical governance plans provide the main public record of PCGs' attempts to improve quality but there is considerable variation in the content of these reports. Plans should provide reliable and comparable data on progress in implementing quality improvement strategies and dealing with poor performance.