Collaborating for quality: the need to strengthen accountability

Outlines an underlying set of themes within clinical governance in order to ascertain what is required to make clinical governance work. Establishes the central role of interprofessional collaboration in achieving policy aims. Discusses the role that new accountabilities may play in supporting the development of clinical governance in secondary care and the need to consider networks of accountability as an effective way of underpinning collaborative effort. Argues that a strong backbone of accountabilities will help generate the culture of collaborative working that is necessary to achieve clinical governance objectives. (Original abstract - amended)