Clinical guidelines in 1994

Resources for auditSince 1991 and the development of government initiated consumerist trends in health care, the interest in audit activity among all health care professionals has risen sharply.This interest is evident through the growing volume of clinical audit activity and the emerging audit techniques which are now in place in many health care settings.Although this emerging interest should be actively encouraged and endorsed at every level, the disparity and inequity of funding arrangements for audit activity require urgent attention if audit is to become a reality across the professions.In the first edition of Networking Audit' the editor noted that audit is now moving forward at a significant pace, thanks to the significant allocations made by the Department of Health to regions.However, the actual significance of this allocation needs to be carefully considered.Until 1993, C11Om has been allocated to medical audit.This money is protected and "top sliced."In comparison, no similarly secured allocation has been made to clinical audit but instead each region is expected to make appropriate bids for audit money.Even with this allocation of resources to medical audit, Marsh states that "it has been difficult to identify ways in which the audit has led to better or more efficient care."2