Self- audits why are they necessary?
Self-audits are a way of ensuring that your team have understood the process they undertake and if there are no non conformities the audit report will evidence their compliance and validate their training. The audit will also test your standard operating procedure; can it be followed? Does it need to be reviewed and possibly changed? Take feedback from the team and use their comments to drive improvements to your written procedures.
Self-audits may trigger knee-jerk reactions from staff who may feel a sense of failure if they have had many non -conformities, so this must be handled carefully. The self- audit is there to drive compliance and to nip the non-conformities in the bud before they become a major issue, they should be a part of every-day life, and deviations and CAPA resulting from audits, may be daunting but should be an opportunity to reflect and improve procedures and working practices, re-train, and move on in a more compliant manner. Do not leave it too long to carry out the action plan from the audit, set yourself realistic time lines and review your progress.
The more audits that are done and the more improvements you make to your procedures the less the MHRA inspector will find when he comes to audit you.
Written by Jackie Peck