Aim The objective of this study was to investigate the attitudes of community hospital staff towards clinical guidelines.

Method Twenty four staff members from 11 hospitals in one community trust were interviewed. The participants, primarily F and G grade nurses, but also some physiotherapists and occupational therapists, were asked about their use of, attitudes to and sources of clinical guidelines.

Results A simple gap analysis identified that participants were familiar with local clinical guidelines and generally felt positively about them, but had a few reservations. However, they were generally unaware of national guidelines.

Conclusion This study has identified the reality of implementing and raising awareness of clinical guidelines in practice.