Quality Standards in the Health Sector: Understanding, Monitoring, and Maintaining

This document covers the Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector, Unit 5. It discusses quality standards in the health sector, their monitoring, evaluation, and maintenance. It identifies factors affecting service provision, regulatory bodies, and workplace policies. It also explains the role of healthcare workers in maintaining standards and raising concerns. The document is relevant for healthcare professionals and students pursuing healthcare courses.

Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
Assessment
You should use this file to complete your Assessment.
 The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer
or a USB drive
 Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly
 When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference
 Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via
your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and
the Unit and Assessment number.
Please note that this Assessment document has 13 pages and is made up of 3 parts.
Name:
Part 1: Know the quality standards that apply to healthcare settings
This part will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 1: Know the quality standards that
apply to healthcare settings.
Learning objective Place in Assessment
1.1 Identify current quality standards applied within
healthcare settings
Question 1 Page 1
1.2 Outline the role of regulatory bodies in maintaining
quality standards
Question 2a&2b Page 2
1.3 Explain how workplace policies and procedures
contribute to maintaining quality standards
Question 3 Page 2
1.4 Give examples of the implications of not meeting
quality standards
Question 4 Page 2
1. In the table below, identify current quality standards that apply to your healthcare role
(or one you’re familiar with). You must provide at least one industry standard and one
organisational standard. [1.1]
The standards that are applicable for current healthcare role are as follows:
 Standard 1- Governance for Safety and Quality in Health Service Organisations
 Standard 2- Partnering with consumers
 Standard 3- Preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections
 Standard 4- Medication safety
 Standard 5- Patient identification and procedure matching
 Standard 6- Clinical Handover
 Standard 7- Blood and Blood Products
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
 Standard 8- Preventing and Managing pressure injuries
 Standard 9- Recognising and Responding to clinical deterioration in acute healthcare
 Standard 10- Preventing falls and harm from falls
The Care Quality Commission national standards are also relevant to the concept:
 Be well informed and respected about their care
 Receive treatment, care, and support that meets their requirements
 Be protected and safe when in care
 Be monitored by healthcare staff who adorn and manifest necessary skills
 Expect the care providers to evaluate the quality of services that are delivered
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
2a. Name at least two regulatory bodies relevant to healthcare settings. [1.2]
There are several regulatory bodies that are relevant to the healthcare settings such as:
Professional Standards Authority
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Department of Health (DH)
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
2b. Using the examples you came up with for 2a, outline how these regulatory bodies
contribute to maintaining quality standards. [1.2]
 Professional Standards Authority- It targets to attain the maximum standard
conceivable on behalf of healthcare facility consumers in the UK. It supervises
statutory organisations that control health and social care specialists and also
document their performance assessment to the parliament.
 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)- It regulates the
usage of drugs and medical devices with the use of science and research for detecting
areas that need improvement.
 Department of Health (DH)- It progresses healthcare service in a determination to aid
persons live an improved quality of life for a prolonged duration. It also safeguards
that each patient obtains the care and treatment they want in a innocuous and secure
setting.
3. Using the table below, explain how relevant workplace policies and procedures contribute
to maintaining quality standards. [1.3]
Policy / procedure Who is affected? How does it maintain
quality standards?
Employee health safety
measures Medical Staff Preventing and controlling
healthcare associated
infections
Clinical handover Medical Staff
Clinical handover refers to
the transfer of professional
responsibility and
accountability for some or all
aspects of care for a patient,
or group of patients, to
another person or
professional group on a
temporary or permanent
basis.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
4. In the scenarios below, quality standards are not being met. Choose one of the scenarios
and complete the table provided, giving examples of possible implications. [1.4]
 Cathy, a cleaner at a general hospital, has made a number of complaints to her
manager about the outdated and faulty equipment she is asked to use. Mops and
buckets don’t function properly, warning signs are hard to read and most of the
disinfectant stock is past its expiration date.
 Asu has recently started working at a local drop-in centre but has some concerns
about the breadth and quality of training that has been provided. Compared to his
previous role, he was given no formal training about sharps and administration of
injections and vaccinations. He is unable to find any resources relating to the topic at
the centre and other staff who he was spoken to also seem to lack the required
expertise.
 A busy reception area has introduced a new electronic system for booking
appointments. However, reception staff have only been provided with a quick ten
minute training session on the morning that the system went live and only half the
computers in the office currently have the software installed.
The scenario that is being discussed is that of the lack of training regarding administration of
sharps, vaccination and injection.
Which quality standards
haven’t been met?
How might this situation
affect the quality of service?
What are the possible
implications for service users
or staff?
Injections and vaccinations
healthcare policy
Injections of an ineffective
flu vaccine were one of the
main reasons for the sharp
rise in mortality last year,
according to data from the
British State Statistics
Committee. The problem was
in the formula of the vaccine,
which was ineffective against
the mutated virus.
Europe has built a clear
system of immunization.
Thus, millions of lives were
saved, cases of disability,
which are consequences of
serious infections, were
prevented.
The compilation of a list of
the necessary vaccinations in
each country of Europe
proceeded according to a trial
and error method. In the 70s
of the last century, due to the
deficiencies of pertussis
vaccine, certain states refused
to use it. These included
Sweden, Italy and Germany.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
This actually led to an
epidemic, which was the
impetus for the development
of a more advanced vaccine.
Each country has its own
prophylactic immunization
calendar, compiled on the
basis of the prevalence of
infectious diseases in a
particular region and with the
calculation of the risk of
infection at different ages.
In some European countries,
as well as in Great Britain,
the so-called “quintuple”
vaccination is offered - five
vaccinations at a time:
whooping cough, diphtheria,
tetanus, meningitis, polio.
Some countries add the sixth
- against hepatitis B, but
because of cases of
intolerance to this particular
vaccine and complications
(which are three times higher
than the possibility of
infecting a child), it is not
included in the list of major
vaccinations in England.
Now that you have completed part 1 of your Assessment, remember to save the work
you have done so far – you will need to send your work to your tutor for marking once
you have completed all 3 parts of this Assessment.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
Part 2: Know how quality standards are monitored, evaluated and maintained in the
health sector
This part will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 2: Know how quality standards are
monitored, evaluated and maintained in the health sector.
Learning objective Place in Assessment
2.1 Identify factors that can affect service provision in the
health sector
Question 1 Page 4
2.2 State the importance of monitoring and evaluating
service provision in the health sector
Question 2 Page 5
2.3 Describe the ways in which organisations can evaluate
service provision
Question 3a&3b Page 5
2.4 Describe how personal attitudes and behaviours can
impact on service quality
Question 4 Page 7
2.5 Summarise ways in which healthcare workers can
contribute to maintaining standards
Question 5 Page 8
2.6 Explain why it is important to see help and report issues
to others
Question 6a&6b Page 8
2.7 Explain how individuals can raise concerns Question 7 Page 9
2.8 Describe the key points of a complaints policy Question 8a&ab Page 9
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
1. It is important for healthcare organisations to always be looking for ways to improve their
services. Identify at least one factor that can affect service provision in the health sector for
each of the categories below. [2.1]
People
 Are all the healthcare staff sufficiently trained?
 Are there abundant healthcare members working as staff in the organisation?
 Are all the healthcare staff present in the right location, at the appropriate time?
Failure in training the staff in an appropriate manner, or failure in utilising the training
effectively, prevents a particular healthcare organisation in providing best quality and
safe healthcare to all service users. This can be accredited to the fact that the
healthcare staff members are not often sufficiently qualified in order to fulfil their job
role in an appropriate manner. It might also happen that the staff have not been
provided adequate training in the conduction of safety and health procedures. In all
such cases, an impact will be created on the service provision.
Equipment
 Are all the computer systems operating in a good working order?
 How well are all the medical equipment being preserved?
Faulty or out-of-date equipment can result in delays to healthcare service users. It can
also lead to failure of the staff in not finishing their jobs within stipulated time and in
an efficient manner.
Work practices
 What are the types of staff workload?
 What are the attitudes among staff members to work?
Service provision has also been found to be affected by the manner in which a
particular health organisation assembles or constructs the labour of all the staff. There
are a plethora of factors such as, poor shift planning which might result in the
healthcare staff being overworked. Additionally, the presence of a workplace with
inadequate hygiene rules might also be responsible for spreading germs.
Environment
 Are all the beds kept tidy and clean?
 Do all the patients have equal access to television?
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
 Are the signs and directions clear?
 Are there adequate parking spaces?
A health organisation’s corporeal environment is extremely significant when it comes
to safeguarding that the service users feel harmless and contented. Dull and unsafe
surroundings are not satisfactory and can create an enormous impact on the services.
2. In a few sentences, state the importance of evaluating and monitoring service provision in
the healthcare sector. Use your current place of work or one that you know well as an
example. [2.2]
It is vital that the healthcare organisations are continually observing service provision,
with the aim of evaluating the general efficiency and zones for improvement.
By assessing if the organisation is able to meet the guidelines and standards, it will be
able to obligate itself to incessant improvement. Developments in healthcare
organisations are so quick that there are different avenues for improving the provision
of service provided.
National context-
 Public and private mix
 Public and private sector relations
 Influence exerted by pharmaceutical organisations
 Distribution and availability of treatments and diagnostic services
 Regulatory environment
Provider knowledge and attitudes-
 Training- source, type and quality
 Opportunities for continuing clinical education
 Effect of drug industry
 Access to specific practice guidelines
Patient-Provider interaction
 Capability of the providers to select appropriate management
 Acceptability, availability, and affordability of treatments
Social and practice environment
 Provider payment system
 Practice ownership (private/ mixed/ public)
 Community/family/patient expectations and knowledge
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
3a. Healthcare organisations monitor and evaluate service provision.
Provide a short description of three common evaluation tasks that may be carried out in the
health sector.
Three common evaluation tasks that can be carried out in healthcare industry are as follows:
 Service user surveys- These are in the form of simple questionnaires and/or surveys
that are able to evaluate the satisfaction of the service users, followed by pinpointing
any problematic situations that are constantly falling short. Two major advantages are:
(i) it includes those people who will be impacted by any variations, and (ii) Rapid and
easy method to collect loads of data
 Staff surveys- The employees are typically asked about the areas where they feel that
improvement is required in the sevice. The employees are also asked to identify the
domains where they feel that inadequate efforts are being adopted by the healthcare
organisation to provide an optimal standard of care. Three advantages are: (i) the
employees are best placed in order to determine the shortcomings in care and service,
(ii) all the employees are encouraged to provide their ideas and present their opinions,
(iii) all the employees are provided with the provision of remaining anonymous.
 Forums and focus groups- Groups of service users or employees participate in
discussing several topics, while providing constructive feedback and suggestions
about the domains that require improvements. Two advantages are: (i) provides a
detailed account of responses, in comparison to questionnaires, (ii) encourages the
employees to provide their opinions and ideas
3b. Read the following two short case studies. How might you evaluate these services? What
questions would you ask and whom would you direct the questions to? [2.3]
Case study 1
A care home has a large sitting room with many loose cables from TVs, radios and hi-fis. The
carpet is becoming frayed, leaving service users open to slips, trips and falls. The residents
often spill their beverages and often the spillages are not cleaned up straight away. The care
home is very busy during the afternoon, and the sitting room can at times seem a little
cramped. Some of the residents’ visitors have made comments to the staff but as yet nothing
has been done. Some of the staff have identified the issues and have left feedback in a
suggestion for improvement box in the staff room. But what else could be done?
Evaluation tasks to be carried
out
What questions would
you ask when evaluating
this service?
Who would you direct your
questions to?
Directly asking the service users
about their opinion and
experience of the organisation
How do you think the
service can be improved?
What are the impacts of
Staff members
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
the risks?
Do you consider the
working environment as
safe?
Are you trained
adequately for preventing
risks?
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
Case study 2
A nursery school assistant is also a mum to twins who attend the same nursery she works at.
She has noticed that two other members of staff do not wash their hands after going to the
toilet, yet they still play with the children and prepare food for them to eat at lunch and break
times.
Evaluation tasks to be carried
out
What questions would
you ask when evaluating
this service?
Who would you direct your
questions to?
Service user surveys, focus
groups and staff surveys will
help in obtaining data on the
areas that need improvement
and those that lack proper
standard of care
Why the issues are not
addressed?
Who is responsible for to
fix all these services?
Administration should be
informed of all these issues
and directed to take action
against responsible
personnels.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
4. Describe how personal attitudes and behaviours in your healthcare role (or one that you
know well) impact on the quality of service in your organisation. [2.4]
Attitude / behaviour How does it impact on your role?
1. Active listening
2. Aggressive
3. Friendliness
4. Prejudice
1. Demonstrating active listening skills
displays a willingness to care for the
patients, and increases therapeutic
relationship
2. Aggressive behaviour from healthcare
administrative staff such as
receptionist creates a negative impact
on the consumers and deteriorates the
reputation of the organisation
3. Displaying friendly behaviour helps
in making the patients feel
comfortable, while sharing their
opinions and concerns, and also
enhances care process
4. Stigma and prejudice against the
patients creates psychosocial distress
in the latter and also acts as an
impediment in the process of care
delivery, besides degrading the
organisation reputation
5. Complete the table below by summarising, with short descriptions, the ways healthcare
workers could contribute to maintaining standards in each scenario. [2.5]
Scenario How standards could be maintained
A co-worker is unsure about how
to carry out a specific work task.
Informal discussions on a regular basis will increase
the scope for the co-worker to discuss the task and
identify the areas for potential improvement
Some hospital departments have Cross team improvement will encourage the adjoining
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
much longer waiting times than
other departments.
departments and teams to work in collaboration and
arrive at suggestions for reducing waiting times.
There has recently been a security
incident where a service user
managed to gain access to a store
room.
Quality improvement will help the store room service
to acquire information on improvement strategies that
should be implemented to increase security and prevent
unauthorised access.
A department has recently had a
number of complaints about the
helpfulness and professionalism of
staff.
Suggestion box will inspire patients, their family
members or involved parties to willingly offer
proposals or they will make recommendations if
requested for their response.
6a. Why might you need to seek help or report issues in a healthcare setting? You can use
examples from your own healthcare organisation (or one you’re familiar with). [2.6]
Help will be asked under the following scenarios:
 When there is lack of clarity regarding job roles and duties
 When there are differences in the tasks
 When gut instinct suggests poor performance
 While listening to complaints from others
 While dealing with changes
6b. Thinking about your answer to question 6a, explain why it is important to seek help and
report issues to others. [2.6]
It is imperative to seek help from others under the aforementioned scenarios since lack of
competence might threaten patient health and safety. Reflecting upon the competence will
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
allow to prevent adverse situations in the healthcare setting. It will clear job roles, improve
performance, resolve conflicts, and adapt to changing working environment.
7. Explain how individuals can raise concerns using your healthcare organisation (or one
you’re familiar with) as an example. [2.7]
While raising a concern, it is imperative to consider three major questions namely, (i) What is
the nature of concern?, (ii) Who or what is the concerned about?, and (iii) Is there an
immediate or direct risk of damage to other patients, employees, and the public?. Keeping a
record of the concern raised, and establishing contacts with the regulatory bodies such as,
BMA, GMC, CQC, and HCPC, while showing adherence to confidentiality procedures is
vital.
8a. Describe the purpose of a complaints policy in a healthcare organisation? [2.8]
The purpose of the policy is to determine the procedure for patient to submit complaints
against the hospital. its services and actions of the hospital, the procedure for the
consideration of such complaints, the procedure the hospital provides patients with responses
to complaints, as well as the procedure for consideration disputes.
8b. Using examples from the case study below, describe at least four key points of a
complaints policy. [2.8]
Case study
A service user at a GP’s surgery made a complaint about excessive waiting times for routine
check-ups and appointments. The complaint was made in writing and handed in to the
reception where it was then passed on to the GP in charge of the surgery at the end of that
working day. Within three working days, a letter was sent to the service user by the GP’s
secretary confirming that the complaint had been received and that it was currently being
looked into. As part of the investigation, a small committee was formed to look into possible
reasons why waiting times may be so lengthy and ways to combat this. Staff and service
users were canvassed for their opinions and the surgery’s processes were also evaluated. As a
result of the investigation it was decided that the surgery would remain open an hour later
three days a week so that appointments were more evenly spread through the week. The
service user who made the original complaint was informed about the investigation’s
outcome and the new arrangement was evaluated after three months to see if the problem had
been remedied.
Key point
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
People making reporting grievance are treated and attended to with politeness and
sympathy
All complaints are inspected methodically, punctually, willingly and justly
Any workforce members associated with the complaint is provided necessary help and
not left feeling secluded
Patients who register the complaint are not deprived or stigmatised due to the objection
Suitable actions envisioned to correct the reason of the complaint are recognised,
executed and assessed
The person who has made the grievance is kept well-versed of the advancement and
consequence of the complaint
Gaining information from complaints notifies service growth and expansion, in addition
to the individual and skilled improvement of the workforce
Now that you have completed part 2 of your Assessment, remember to save the work
you have done so far – you will need to send your work to your tutor for marking once
you have completed all 3 parts of this Assessment.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
Part 3: Know how to use resources efficiently to support quality standards
This part will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 3: Know how to use resources
efficiently to support quality standards.
Learning objective Place in Assessment
3.1 Describe the importance of using and maintaining
resources properly
Question 1 Page 11
3.2 State why it is necessary to report issues related to
resources
Question 2 Page 12
3.3 Identify how efficient use of resources contributes to the
quality of service
Question 3 Page 12
1. Why is it important to use and maintain resources properly when working in the health
sector?
Choose one scenario from this list below and write a short report on the consequences of
not using and maintaining the resources which apply to this situation efficiently. [3.1]
 You and your friend both work as care assistants. However, you have received
complaints from his patients that he is not focusing on his job.
 You know of someone who routinely fails to follow lock-up procedures correctly and
this has resulted in break-ins to medicines cupboards.
 An accident to a patient was not reported correctly and as a result the authorities do
not know of its occurrence.
The second scenario involving failure to maintain lock-up procedures has been selected
How might this situation
affect the quality of service?
What might the effects on
patients or users be?
Who should you have told about
the incident and how?
If the workers fail to secure
the safety of the premises,
and important confidential
material, there might be
unauthorised access to the
services and materials
Unauthorised access might
threaten the safety and
health of the patients and
access of confidential
information to third parties
will also violate patient
safety
This should be reported to the
manager through informal chat,
email, formal reports, meetings
and/or telephone calls.
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
2. Why is it necessary to report issues related to resources? [3.2]
 Speed of reporting- At times a there might be an issue with a particular resource or it
might break. There might be several works that are planned around the resource.
Hence, reporting it quickly is needed.
 Timing of reporting- Being knowledgeable that a particular resource that will take an
estimated two weeks for getting delivered and arrived is about to run out, and is not
extremely helpful.
 Keeping inventories- Inventories that contain information on the quantity and quality
of specific resources must be maintained up to date, in order to allow managers to
check them frequently.
 I ensures safety of the entire workforce
 It helps in development and progress of the Human Resources department
 It helps in ensuring personal ongoing development
 It helps in the development of a superior workforce
 It helps in the development of a culture that is employee-oriented and places an
emphasis on quality
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Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Working in the Health Sector
Unit 5: Understand quality standards in the health sector
3. Identify how the efficient use of resources contributes to the quality of service. Use
examples from your place of work (or one that you know well) to help answer this
question. [3.3]
The well-organized use of resources can have an impact on the quality of services as
follows:
 Reducing costs
 Meeting organisational and government targets
 Reducing waste generation
 Increasing efficiency
 Increasing opportunities for service users
Have you read through your work? Make sure you check your answers carefully before
submitting your Assessment.
Once you have completed all 3 parts of this Assessment, go to www.vision2learn.com.
Log in to the platform and send your Assessment to your tutor via your My Study page
for marking. Good luck!
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