care. Where additional resources are required to support implementation of the guideline these
should be sought through the HSE National Service Plan.
It is recommended that:
1.11.2 HSE senior managers
• Assign personnel with responsibility, accountability and autonomy to implement the
guideline, education programme and structured audit.
• Provide managers with support to implement the guideline.
• Ensure local policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines (PPPGs) are in place in each
acute hospital to support implementation.
• Monitor the implementation of the guideline to support ongoing evaluation and remedial
action.
• Link the implementation group/committee with corporate responsibility.
• Ensure adequate resources are available to implement the guideline.
1.11.3 Hospital senior managers
• Provide a local governance structure to support the implementation and ongoing evaluation
of the guideline.
• Ensure clinical and educational staff are supported to implement the guideline.
• Ensure development of local policies, guidance to support implementation and associated
audit and evaluation.
1.11.4 Heads of department
• Ensure all relevant staff members are aware of this National Clinical Guideline.
• Monitor local implementation of the guideline and its outcomes.
• Ensure staff are supported to undertake the associated education programme as
appropriate.
1.11.5 All healthcare staff
All healthcare staff are responsible and accountable, within their professional scope of
practice, for adhering to this National Clinical Guideline and for maintaining competence in
communication (clinical handover) of patient care. All healthcare staff must be aware of the
role of appropriate delegation in using this guideline.
1.11.6 Education providers
Education providers with responsibility to provide preparatory professional education, continuing
education and professional development for all healthcare professionals are responsible for
incorporating communication (clinical handover) practice within curricula.
1.12 Audit criteria
To ensure that this guideline positively impacts on patient care, it is important that implementation
is audited. Audit is recommended to support continuous quality improvement in relation to the
implementation of the National Clinical Guideline.
Audit tool templates have been developed to assist the audit of communication (clinical
handover) practice (Appendix 11). Audit tools can be customised to locally adapted ISBAR3
clinical handover tools with support from local audit personnel.