Introduction

This paper will briefly outline Harrison's contribution to venereology or genitourinary (GU) medicine, and show how his principles of good practice fulfil many of the principles of clinical governance. The paper will then outline some general principles of clinical governance and indicate how they relate to GU medicine.

Colonel LW Harrison, cb dso mbchb frcpe

Harrison's early career was in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Here, he undertook general duties (general practice), clinical venereology, and laboratory work in which he demonstrated a flair for research and development. In the first world war he showed enormous organisational and administrative ability by setting up a venereology service for the British Army in north west Europe based on a hospital with 3000 beds. By the end of the war he was adviser in venereology to the War Office.

He retired from the army in 1919 at the age of 43 years. The same year he was appointed adviser in venereology to the Ministry of Health and set up a model clinic at St Thomas's Hospital in London. His principles for the design of a clinic were:

1. Waiting periods were to be kept to a minimum

2. Patients should be examined in the greatest possible privacy and never in the presence of other patients

3. Ease of access of staff to patients

4. The distances covered by staff and the time occupied in obtaining drugs and instruments should be kept to a minimum.

These principles still apply. Waiting periods were minimised by keeping his clinic open for 12 hours a day on weekdays and for nearly as long on Saturdays and Sundays.

He had written guidelines for the content of case notes, including the source of infection, and guidelines for treatment. He reviewed the case notes of all patients for quality and the relation between the clinical features and laboratory results. He discussed any …