An independent panel of experts last year declared the NHS to be the best healthcare system in the world. So why, as highlighted in a report published last year by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the National Children’s Bureau (www.tinyurl.com/nejf77s), does the UK have more child deaths than most of our Western European counterparts?

In the second of two articles, the authors explore further the use of clinical practice benchmarking. In particular, practice related to improving nutritional care for patients, caring for patients with mental health needs and safely transferring critically ill patients is examined. The authors conclude by summarising the value of clinical practice benchmarking and how it made a difference to practice in their trust. The first article appeared in Nursing Standard last week.

In the first of two articles, the authors describe how an internal clinical practice benchmarking group was established in Preston to compare and share examples of best practice. The aim was to ensure consistent high standards of care practice across the trust. Activity related to discharge planning and visiting is used here to illustrate the effectiveness of clinical practice benchmarking as a continuous quality improvement tool. The second article will appear in Nursing Standard on May 3.