ward to ward, ICU to ward). The GDG

ward to ward, ICU to ward). The GDG would like to acknowledge the support of Michelle O’Neill,
Health Economist, HIQA, in completing the BIA.
1.3 Aim of National Clinical Guideline
The aim of this National Clinical Guideline is to optimise the process of clinical handover and
improve patient safety by describing the elements that are essential for timely, accurate,
complete, unambiguous and focused clinical handover in acute and children’s hospital services
in Ireland, relating to the patient’s condition, both urgent and routine, to include the following:
• Professional consultations such as:
o Team to team;
o One profession to another;
o Laboratory to team;
o Radiology to team;
• Deterioration in a patient’s condition;
• Transitions of care such as:
o Clinical Handover of care at a change of shift;
o Clinical Handover to and from a different level of care in the same hospital for example
between a ward and ICU/CCU;
o Clinical Handover to and from a different level of care between acute hospitals for
example transfer of a patient for specialist care;
o Inter-departmental clinical handover e.g. operating theatre/emergency department
to ward;
o Communication with patients and/or their relatives including parents/guardians of
children as part of clinical handover, to ensure that a treatment plan is readily explained
and understood.
Note:
• Dealing with emergency/crisis situations will always take precedence. The facility to
undertake shift clinical handover should be provided for staff involved in the emergency/
crisis situation when the emergency/crisis situation has been dealt with.
1.3.1 Expected outcomes
All clinical handover between healthcare staff in acute and children’s hospital services will be
conducted using a structured communication tool, promoting standardisation of practice and
minimisation of variability, thus reducing risk for patients.
1.4 Scope of National Clinical Guideline, target population and target audience
The National Clinical Guideline for in-patients and patients attending acute and children’s
hospital services in Ireland is relevant and has been developed for all healthcare staff, doctors,
nurses, health and social care professionals, healthcare assistants and other staff involved in the
clinical care of patients in acute and children’s hospital services; and managers responsible
for the development, implementation, review and audit of communication/clinical handover
practice in individual hospitals or group of hospitals. The National Clinical Guideline also applies
to education and training support staff involved in the organisation and delivery of the relevant
education programme.
The public and patients will also find this guideline of interest as it outlines the general and
specific measures for clear and focused communication of information relating to the patient’s
condition, both urgent and routine and how these can and should be incorporated into quality
measures to safeguard the quality of patient care.