A practical governance checklist for general practice

Policies form an important part of the governance framework within any GP practice. They provide guidance for staff, support safe working practices, and demonstrate how the organisation manages risk and regulatory responsibilities.

However, many practices struggle with knowing exactly which policies they should maintain. Some organisations accumulate hundreds of documents over time, while others worry they may be missing important areas.

In reality, most well-run practices maintain a core library of essential policies that support safe operations, workforce management, and regulatory compliance.

This guide outlines 50 commonly expected policies across key operational areas.

Safeguarding Policies

Safeguarding policies help ensure staff understand how to identify and respond to concerns involving vulnerable individuals.

  1. Safeguarding Adults Policy

  2. Safeguarding Children Policy

  3. Domestic Abuse Awareness Policy

  4. Prevent Duty / Radicalisation Policy

  5. Modern Slavery Awareness Policy

These policies should include clear reporting processes and identify safeguarding leads within the organisation.

Clinical Governance Policies

Clinical governance policies help maintain safe patient care and support learning from incidents.

  1. Significant Event / Incident Reporting Policy

  2. Complaints Handling Policy

  3. Duty of Candour Policy

  4. Clinical Audit Policy

  5. Patient Safety Alert Management Policy

  6. Medicines Management Policy

  7. Repeat Prescribing Policy

These policies help ensure the practice maintains oversight of safety, quality improvement, and patient communication.

Infection Prevention and Control

Infection control remains a critical area for patient and staff safety.

  1. Infection Prevention and Control Policy

  2. Hand Hygiene Policy

  3. Cleaning and Decontamination Policy

  4. Sharps Safety Policy

  5. Waste Disposal Policy

These policies often link with infection control audits and cleaning schedules.

Health and Safety Policies

Health and safety policies support safe working environments for both staff and patients.

  1. Health and Safety Policy

  2. Fire Safety Policy

  3. Lone Working Policy

  4. Risk Assessment Policy

  5. Accident and Incident Reporting Policy

  6. First Aid Policy

These policies help demonstrate that the practice manages workplace risks appropriately.

Workforce and HR Policies

Workforce policies provide guidance on employment practices and staff management.

  1. Recruitment and Selection Policy

  2. Induction Policy

  3. Training and Development Policy

  4. Staff Appraisal Policy

  5. Absence Management Policy

  6. Disciplinary Policy

  7. Grievance Policy

  8. Equality and Diversity Policy

  9. Flexible Working Policy

  10. Bullying and Harassment Policy

These policies help ensure fair and consistent management of staff within the organisation.

Information Governance Policies

Information governance policies protect patient data and ensure compliance with data protection legislation.

  1. Data Protection Policy

  2. Confidentiality Policy

  3. Records Management Policy

  4. Information Security Policy

  5. Data Breach Management Policy

  6. Subject Access Request Policy

These policies support compliance with UK GDPR and NHS information governance expectations.

Operational and Administrative Policies

Operational policies guide everyday administrative and organisational processes.

  1. Business Continuity Policy

  2. Emergency Preparedness Policy

  3. Document Management Policy

  4. Meeting Governance Policy

  5. Risk Register Management Policy

These policies help practices maintain operational resilience.

Patient Experience and Communication

Patient-focused policies ensure that services remain responsive and accessible.

  1. Patient Participation Policy

  2. Accessible Information Policy

  3. Chaperone Policy

  4. Zero Tolerance Policy

  5. Compliments and Feedback Policy

  6. Social Media and Communication Policy

These policies help practices manage patient relationships and communication standards.

Maintaining a Manageable Policy Library

While policies are important, the goal should not be to produce unnecessary documentation.

Instead, practices benefit from maintaining a clear, manageable policy library that reflects real operational processes.

Effective policy management typically includes:

  • assigning a policy owner

  • including review dates

  • using clear version control

  • storing documents in an organised structure

When policies are well organised and regularly reviewed, they become practical guidance rather than static documents.

Linking Policies to Everyday Practice

Policies are most useful when they reflect the real systems used within the practice.

For example:

  • safeguarding policies should align with staff training

  • infection control policies should link to audit programmes

  • incident policies should reflect how events are actually reported and reviewed

When policies connect directly with operational processes, they help reinforce consistent and safe working practices.

Building a Strong Governance Foundation

Maintaining a structured set of core policies helps practices demonstrate that they operate within clear governance frameworks.

More importantly, these policies support staff in understanding the systems designed to keep patients and colleagues safe.

By keeping policy libraries organised, regularly reviewed, and aligned with real practice processes, organisations can build strong foundations for safe and effective services.