The Impact of Staff Absenteeism on Service Users: The Case of Charlotte House

This research project aims to examine the impact of staff absenteeism on service users in Charlotte House. It reviews existing studies related to staff absenteeism and service users within the UK Health and Social Care industry. The findings highlight the negative effects of staff absenteeism on patient safety and health condition. The study suggests recommendations to improve staff performance and enhance the quality of service provided to patients.

The impact of staff absenteeism on service users: The case of Charlotte House
By

INTRODUCTION
• This research project has aimed to examine the impact of
staff absenteeism on service users.
• Structure, process and outcomes are key indicators of
care quality (Oliveira et al. 2015)
• Staff absenteeism is one of the key components of human
resource management and it affects the quality of service
provided to the patients.

Aims and Objectives
• To identify and examine the impact of the staff
absenteeism on service users in Charlotte House
• To review existing studies related to staff absenteeism and
service users within UK Health and Social Care industry.
• To suggest the recommendations that can improve the
performance of staff members in Charlotte House

Research Questions And
Rationale
• What are the major effects
of the staff absenteeism on
service users in Charlotte
House?
• The research has chosen this particular topic
as staff absenteeism is a major issue in care
giving organizations in United Kingdom and
Charlotte House is one of the best examples of
this issue.
• The day to day operation of the organization is
getting hampered which has negative impact
on the service quality.
• The impact of these phenomenon is not limited
to the service users but also the other staffs.
• The on-duty carers have to take up more
responsibility which results in increase in
stress, dissatisfaction and mistakes.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition
• According to Baxter et al. (2015)
staff absenteeism is a habitual
practice that influences the staff to
take a leave in random basis.
• In this regard, Hallman et al. (2014)
argued that the habitual non-
presence of the staff during the time
of doing job is labelled as staff
absenteeism.
Concept of staff
absenteeism in
healthcare
• According to the research of Van Buynder
et al. (2015) it can be argued that the
relationship between the staff
absenteeism in hospitals is related to
their organizational commitment.
• Mercer et al. (2014) articulated that
typical classification of the staff
absenteeism in healthcare facilities can
be seen in intensive care units, medical or
surgical departments and specialization.

Problems of Staff absenteeism
on patients
• There are several impacts based on the empirical evidences formulate that the role of the
staff absenteeism leads to patient safety and lack of patient health condition.
• As per the research of Pieterse and Lodge (2015) vulnerability to the safety of the patient
is a significant result due to the staff absenteeism.
• As the medical facilities suffer from lack of trained medical staffs therefore it is not
possible for the organization to overcome the absenteeism of the staff within a short period
of time (Duclay et al. 2015)
• Besides this, Oliveira et al. (2015) also pointed out that in a medical facility is the part of
the job of medical staffs to get adequate attention to each individual patient
• King Long and Lisy (2014) advocated that in the advanced medical facilities the patients
enjoy a number of healthcare development programs. It is essential for the hospitals to
ensure the progress in patient’s health condition

Contd.
• Through the research of Haines et al. (2015) it can be
opined that the role of the healthcare development
programs is highly effective for better treatment of the
patients.
• As a result of that the role of the medical staffs is highly
important in order to establish a better communication
and let the patient family informed about the health
condition of the patient. Henceforth, absenteeism of
medical staffs leads to the communication gap between
the patient’s family and the hospital management.

Conceptual Framework
Staff
absenteeis
m
Patient safety
Timely medicine
Healthcare
development
program
Communication
Patient health quality
Insecure health
condition
Affecting
Service
users
Discouragement

Research Methodology
• Mixed Method Analysis
• Pragmatism
• Deductive and inductive approach
• Sequential explanatory
• Primary data collection using survey and interviews
• Sample size for quantitative analysis=40, Sample size for qualitative=3
• Simple random sampling and convenience sampling
• Cross sectional study (Collis and Hussey 2013)

Data findings

Qualitative analysis
• The findings of the qualitative data are quite similar to the data analysed in
the quantitative analysis.
• Patients conditions deteriorate due to staff absenteeism as they organization
is not able to provide the customized service they require.
• The patients making progress face a setback due to the irregularities in the
therapy.
• Staff absenteeism has been considered as the prime issue for these impacts.
• Moreover, the patients making progress are affected by irregularities such
lack of timely medication and therapeutic programs.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• Charlotte house has been unable
to operate effectively and
completely provide personalised
service to all the patients.
• Staff absenteeism causes
hindrances in patient progress
which in turn affects service
quality and satisfaction of
patient’s family.
• Charlotte house should increase the
compensation package of the staffs to
retain them
• Charlotte house should develop training
and development programs for the new
care givers so that they can handle
stress situations and critical patients
• Charlotte house should increase the
number of care givers so that they have
plenty of staffs to handle situations on
habitual absenteeism which requires
mass hiring of staffs.

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