Clinical governance

Bupa launched its clinical governance audit programme in 2011 to systematically monitor the various elements of clinical governance within Bupa businesses to help ensure that standards are being met and maintained. The quality assurance programme is in turn audited by Bupa's Internal Audit team.

As part of the clinical governance reporting framework, four core clinical quality indicators were developed at the end of 2010 to promote consistency in reporting across Bupa. The set of core indicators that span across all businesses are:

• Clinical complaints
• Serious adverse incidents
• Clinical incidents
• Patient experience

Reporting of clinical quality indicators serves two main purposes: to provide transparency of information; and to inform quality improvement initiatives.

Clinical governance framework

Our clinical governance framework includes a set of guidelines and principles on how clinical governance reporting across Bupa is to be undertaken based on six 'pillars'.

Health content governance

Bupa's global health content standards were introduced in August 2010 to ensure we are providing relevant, readable, reliable health information for our customers throughout the world. The standards require that our health content is legal, not misleading, substantiable, consistent, and has been approved by the medical director or appropriately trained medical delegate. Each business completes a self-assessment once a year and is fully audited every three years to ensure they are complying with the global standards.

Medical Advisory Panel

Clinical excellence is at the heart of Bupa's business and clinical oversight is provided by a group of clinical experts who sit on the Medical Advisory Panel. 

The stated purpose of the panel is to provide clinical governance to Bupa, specifically:    

"To advise the Bupa Board on issues facing the Group relating to professional standards, quality of care and clinical governance; the development of Bupa's medical policy; external oversight and assurance of Bupa's clinical governance arrangements; and the building of positive and productive relationships with the clinical professions"*

The panel is chaired by the Medical Non-Executive Board member and comprises of members of the Bupa Board of Directors including the Chief Executive and the Company Director, the Bupa Group Medical Director, independent registered medical practitioners practicing in fields not already represented on the Panel and an independent registered nurse.

Meetings are held at least three times a year, including a full annual review of Bupa's clinical governance and the endorsement of the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report each year.

Membership of the Panel

In addition to Bupa's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Paul Zollinger-Read, the panellists are:

Professor SirJohn Tooke MA, MSc, BM, BCh, DM, DSc(Oxon), FRCP, FRCPI, FRCGP(Hon), FAcadMed (Hon), FMedSci (Chairman)

Sir John is Vice Provost (Health) of University College Hospital's School of Life and Medical Sciences as well as head of the University's Medical School. Previously, he was dean of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, a joint initiative between the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter. 

Among his many roles, Sir John is President-elect of the Academy of Medical Sciences; a member of the National Institute for Health Research Advisory Board, the UK's National Health Service Evidence Advisory Board and the Health and Education National Strategic Exchange (HENSE). In 2006, Sir John led a high level group for the UK's Chief Medical Officer on Overcoming Barriers to Clinical Effectiveness and in 2008 he chaired the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers, leading to the publication of 'Aspiring to Excellence'. 

Rt Hon Virginia Bottomley DL

As well as serving as a non-Executive Director of Bupa, Baroness Bottomley chairs the Board and Chief Executive Practice of executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson. Virginia was a member of the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005 serving successively as Secretary of State for Health and National Heritage (now Culture, Media and Sport) under John Major. She was appointed a Life Peer in 2005. 

Lady Bottomley has a wealth of experience gained over 30 years with a number of organisations in the commercial, voluntary and public sectors. She continues to hold a number of wide-ranging roles, including as a Trustee of The Economist Newspaper, Chancellor of the University of Hull, Pro Chancellor of the University of Surrey and Governor of the London School of Economics. 

She is a member of the UK Advisory Council of the International Chamber of Commerce and the House of Lords.

Professor Mary Watkins PhD MN RN RMN

Mary has until recently been the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth and is a qualified general and mental health nurse. Following a career in the UK's National Health Service, Mary was appointed Head of the Institute of Health Studies at the University of Plymouthin 1996, before becoming dean of the faculty of Health and Social Work in 2003, Pro Vice-Chancellor Health in 2005 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in January 2007. She gained a PhD from King's College University, London in 1994. 

Ms Rita Clifton

Rita has been a non-Executive Director Bupa since 1 July 2010; she is Chairman, Populus Ltd and former Chairman and Chief Executive of Interbrand; Non-Executive Director Dixons Retail Plc (formerly DSG International plc); President of the Market Research Society; Trustee of WWF and visiting professor at Henley Business School; Chair of The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV);  Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts; former member of the Board of Advisers of the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge and of the Government's Sustainable Development Commission; member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of brand management and member of Duke of Edinburgh Award Business Advisory Panel; former Vice-Chairman and Executive Planning Director, Saatchi & Saatchi 1995-1997.

Bupa's Chief Executive, Stuart Fletcher, also represents Bupa's Board on the Panel.