Facilitating Change in Health and Social Care Services

Facilitating Change

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Key factors driving change within HSC services.................................................................1
1.2 Challenges that key factors of change bring to HSC services..............................................3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Criteria and strategy to measure recent changes in HSC......................................................3
2.2 Measurement of impact of recent changes on HSC services against set criteria..................4
2.3 Evaluation of overall impact of recent changes in HSC.......................................................5
2.4 Proposing appropriate service responses to recent changes in HSC services.......................5
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Key principles of change management.................................................................................6
3.2 Ways of planning changes in HSC........................................................................................7
3.3 Ways for monitoring recent changes within HSC services...................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Change is an inevitable part of each and every organisation. In this regard, Health and
Social Care is a sector which undergoes frequent and rapid changes. These changes take place in
context of the business environment within which a healthcare centre operates (Rolls and et. al.,
2016). Such alterations owe to the changes taking place within the political, legal and
demographical state of a nation. The present assignment is based upon facilitating changes
within the HSC sector taking example of RUH (Royal United Hospital) bath of NHS. Also, it
includes factors that drive such alterations along with the challenges brought by them. Further, it
consists of criteria as well as strategy to measure changes together with the measurement of
impact in contrast to set criteria. Lastly, it illustrates the principles of change management, ways
to plan such changes and the ways to monitor such alterations.
LO 1
1.1 Key factors driving change within HSC services
Change can be said to be the response to an essential opportunity or threat paving the way
of health related facilities. Health and social care services are constantly subject to a number of
changes that take place in the business environment such as political, cultural, demographic,
legal and technological. This sector is immensely affected by such alterations as new ideas are
proposed and taken into use to ensure provision of care in the best possible manner (Holmes and
et. al., 2017). The latest and unique ideas that have been prevailing within the HSC sector are
restrictions on public expenditure, partnerships, technological advancements, collaborative
workings. All of these have a significant influence upon the staff, organisation and users of
services. In this regard, the factors that drive change within this sector of corporate world are
described below:-
INTERNAL DRIVERS
Such drivers are the internal factors of change whose origin is traced to management
perceptions, ideologies, beliefs, practices and actions. Manager within every entity constantly
monitors and evaluates the events or situations taking place within the organisation that gives
rise to the need of bringing about change. Such events can include ineffectiveness, inefficiency,
and level of customer satisfaction, organisational strengths and weaknesses (Nygårdh, Ahlström
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and Wann‐Hansson, 2016). These can significantly act as drivers of change within health and
social care sector.
EXTERNAL DRIVERS
Legal and Political Factors: The laws and legislations passed by government and legal
bodies act as drivers for facilitating change within HSC. In this regard, Modernisation Agenda
fosters organisation to bring about changes. This consists of the plans made by government of
UK to modernise the social care as laid out in the White Paper of 1998 named “Modernising
Social Services.” The key messages devised by such plans were to promote independence
through social services. Also, it proposed that services should foster convenience, enable
delivery with larger consistency and be emphasized upon specific needs of users. Also, the
existing legislations such as NHS and Community Care Act (1990), Health and Social Care Act
(2001) and Health Act (1999). Further, the funding issues also at times drive changes within the
medical sector (Dupuis and et. al., 2016).
Demographical and Cultural Factors: The socio-cultural and demographic factors of
population also act as drivers for change within the HSC organisations. Such factors comprise of
lifestyles and needs of users, their perceptions and ideologies. Also, it includes the ethnic
community needs of minority groups of people. In addition to this, ageing population also tends
to have different healthcare needs and demands than younger generations which drives health
centres to bring about changes with a motive of meeting the demands of users. Further, the
broadcast media such as news, radio and increasing awareness among public also strives
enterprises to come up with positive changes within the organisational premises so as to render
improved services to people.
Technological Factors: The advancements that are rapidly and constantly taking place
within the world of healthcare serve as drivers for change within the medical sector. In this
regard, new technologies such as Assistive Technology for the convenience and comfort of
disabled people have gained massive awareness (Wylie and et. al., 2016). Further other
technological advancements are electronic record keeping and electronic communication. All of
such innovative and technological initiatives foster HSC organisations to come up with the
changes.
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