Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

This report focuses on understanding different perspectives of quality, strategies for achieving quality, systems, policies, and procedures in health and social care (HSC), and evaluation of quality of services. It discusses stakeholder perspectives, role of external agencies in establishing standards, impact of poor service quality on stakeholders, effectiveness of systems, procedures and policies, factors influencing achievement of quality, and ways of improving quality of care.

Managing Quality in Health and Social
Care

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Task 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
Task 3..........................................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
In health and social care services [HSC] quality plays an integral role for satisfying the care
needs of service users. Herein, the care providers are needed to consider the fact that, each care
users has different set of care needs. In order to provide with quality care services, these distinct
care needs are needed to be catered.
Considering the above discussed fact, the focus of the given report would focus on understanding
different perspective of quality, strategies for achieving quality, systems, policies and procedures
in HSC and evaluation of quality of services.
Task 1
1.1 Stakeholder’s perspectives regarding quality
Each stakeholder related with health and social care services has their very own assessment and
opinion regarding the quality and standard that care providing organizations maintain.
Care user- Care user’s points of view of regarding the quality of delivered care services rely on
their individual values, experience they got from specific care services and mind frame. From the
perspective of care users, quality of care service is measured by the treatment they are provided,
care provider’s and hospital staff’s responsiveness, the way in which their dignity is respected in
the process of providing care services and the way in which their privacy and safety is
maintained (Mohammad Mosadeghrad, 2013). In case, the organization delivering care services,
abides by these standards, the care users considers the quality of care services delivered by the
hospital to be good. In context to the provided case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA),
it can be noticed that a significant number of care users were exposed to infections resulting in
increased number of cases of MRSA. This would result in the perspective of low quality of care
among service users.
Health care professionals- Another essential stakeholder is health care professionals that include
doctors and senior nurses. As per them, quality is the results of service user’s outcome from the
provided care services and positive effect of the delivered care treatment (Mosadeghrad, 2014).
There point of view about quality is gaining satisfactory care providing skills to give appropriate
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care services and treatment, taking right choices on behalf of their patients, accessibility of
instrument and every ways of delivering care. The fact that healthcare providers in Borough
Council of Tower Hamlets(LA) was failing in catering to the care needs of service users, would
result in their perspective that that provided quality of care is low, in the provided scenario.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) is another mentionable stakeholder whose point of view is
critical in regards to the care providing organization. Perspective of CQC on issues in care
providing organization can make significant difference in acquiring quality of care. The reason
being, they have the obligation of observing GP medical procedures, facilities in care providing
organization and all practices led by hospital (Patel, and Davies, 2010). They have to guarantee
about effectiveness, safety, and care service’s availability and deliver care service maintaining
high quality. In the given case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA), the fact that, safety
of care users have been compromised, would result in the perspective of CQC that the quality of
care service is low.
1.2 Role of external agencies in establishing standards for quality
External agencies have integral role to play so as to, deliver with quality care services and
establish standard of care for care providing organization.
National Institute for Clinical Excellence- This autonomous organization gives direction about
promoting good health, which treat and prevent issues with health. Health care specialist takes
professional support and training as per guidance of National Institute of Clinical Excellence for
providing with effective care services in different healthcare conditions. As contrast with CQC,
NICE guidance generally used to ascertain providing with quality care services and NICE
additionally ensure maintenance of value of money (Pandit and Cook, 2013). In context to the
provided case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA), it is with the help of abiding with
NICE guidelines, it can resolved the issues with quality care standards it is facing like, lack of
care user’s safety.
Care Quality Commission- CQC controls care services that are delivered by NHS, local
authorities, privately owned businesses and voluntary organizations. Its usual emphasis is on
providing quality and enhanced medicinal and health care services to each care users. CQC has
the ability to take action for the benefit of care users if quality of delivered care service is no
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appropriate (Care Quality Commission, 2010). The perspective of CQC promoted measures with
the help of putting care users on the focal point of consideration; they were in the support of
promoting autonomy and quality. Continuously endeavour to improve quality of delivered care
services to achieve standard. Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA) can also enhance its
quality of care services by abiding to CQC standards as it would help Borough Council of Tower
Hamlets(LA) in identifying the areas of care services in which it is lagging behind and develop
those areas.
Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency [MHRA]- Being a government agency,
MHRA has the responsibility of ascertaining care devices, medicines and work equipments are
of professional standards and of acceptable nature (Yetisen et al., 2014). Hence, abiding by this
standard would be beneficial for Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA) in mitigating the issue
of lack of safety while delivering care services.
1.3 Impact of poor service quality on stakeholders
In context to the provided case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA), it can be noticed that
there exists issue with the quality of delivered care services as it is not abiding by the standard
for quality care services. It can be established with the help of the fact that, standards like safety
is not abided that resulted in increased cases of MRSA. Such issues with services quality have
major impact on stakeholders.
Care users- The obvious impact on care users would be, adverse impact on their health. This
would result in reduced satisfaction among them from the received care services and care
providing organization. In regards to the future impact, the care providing organization would no
longer be preferred by care users, which is result in major financial loss for them (Mockford,
Staniszewska, Griffiths, and Herron-Marx, 2011).
CQC- On conducting audit of the care providing organization, it would be able to identify the
significant flaws in the service delivery of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA), which
would be conveyed through the CQC report. It would also provide the care providing
organization with warning to resolve the issue within a specific period of time. On failure to do
so, the organization would no longer be allowed to function. Moreover, negative CQC report
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would have adverse impact on the organizational reputation (Andel, Davidow, Hollander, and
Moreno, 2012).
Government- In this case wherein, Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA) is not able to
deliver with quality care services, on its identification and reporting, its major source of financial
support i.e. government and other private organizations would no longer fund the care providing
organization. Hence, it would become difficult for Borough Council of Tower Hamlets(LA) to
operate effectively.
Task 3
3.1 Effectiveness of systems, procedures and policies
In order to ascertain quality care services being delivered in the care providing organization,
systems, policies and procedures are needed to be abided.
Policies and procedures:
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA)- This is one of the mentionable set of policy
for any care providing organization for ascertaining quality service delivery. The act provides the
edifice of health and safety law. Under this act, employers and employees are provided with
duties to maintain a safe working place. Employers and care providing organization are needed
to formulate its organizational policy in accordance to the act for ascertaining safety. In this case,
Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA) by abiding to the act and developing policies
accordingly, can resolve the issue of lack of abidance to safety standards and develop a safety
environment of service delivery. This clearly establishes effectiveness of the policy in delivering
quality care services (Paterson, 2011).
Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015- It is with the help of this act, health and
social care providers is provided with the duty to improve and enhance safety and quality of
delivered care services. To be specific, it requires taking measures to minimize the instances of
harm experienced by care users on receiving care services. It also requires appropriate
information sharing in favour of direct care of individuals for ascertaining integrated care. The
effectiveness of this policy can be well-established with the help of the fact that, by abiding to
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the act, Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA) could take measures to minimize the issue of
lack of safety in care delivery. It could also reduce the harm imposed on the care users that
resulted in increased hospital admissions due to the MRSA infections because of lack of safety
standards (Curtis and Burns, 2015).
CQC inspection- It is a mentionable system in HSC setting, which performs the role of auditing
and help the care providing organization in identifying the area of service standard in which, it is
lacking. In the case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA) it was lack of safety standards
the resulted in increased infection of hospital admission due to the infection (Torjesen, 2013).
With the help of CQC inspection, the care providing organization can improve that area of
service delivery establishing its effectiveness.
3.2 Factors influencing achievement of quality in HSC
On analyzing the provided case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA), it can be noticed
that there are different other factors, which may result in influencing the achievement of quality
service delivery in HSC setting, which are as follows:
Funding- In order to deliver quality care services and make necessary improvement in the care
services, necessary funding is required. However, in the provided case of Borough Council of
Tower Hamlets (LA), it can be observed that incident took place during a period of economic
recession. As a result, of which, care providing organization was not receiving the required
funding from Local Authorities. This acts as a major influence in attaining quality in delivering
quality care service in HSC setting. The reason being, in the absence of required funding, it
becomes a major constrain in improving quality of care (Naidu, 2009).
Care user’s condition- In certain cases, care users have certain conditions that becomes difficult
to be catered with care services due to particular medical condition. Considering the case of
Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA), it can be noticed that certain care users were resistant
to antibiotics. Considering this fact, it can be stated that, due to particular medical condition of
care users, which is this case of resistance to antibiotics, it affects the service delivery of the
HSC setting as the specific condition adversely impact the desired outcome from the delivered
care services (Udo, Bagchi, and Kirs, 2010).
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Media- In the given case of Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA), it can be noticed that
there was significant amount of media attention to the particular incident. This also results in
impacting the service delivery. The reason is, during such times of medical crisis, if the media
creates hysteria among the audience, the care providers would not be able to work in partnership
effectively, while delivering care services. This has major impact on the quality of delivered acre
services, as, in order to bring such condition under check partnership working is required in HSC
setting.
3.3 Ways of improving quality of care
In order to improve the quality of care services delivered in Borough Council of Tower Hamlets
(LA), there are certain steps that can be taken, which are as follows:
Person centred care- In order to enhance the quality of care services delivered in Borough
Council of Tower Hamlets (LA), implementation of person centred care and associated approach
would be beneficial. The reason being each care user has different care needs. As observed in the
provided case, certain care users were resistant to antibiotics. Hence, for catering to the different
are needs, PCA would be helpful that would contribute in developing the quality of care services
(Ekman et al., 2011).
Continuous professional development [CPD]- The healthcare professionals are needed to
emphasize on CPD in order to develop the quality of care services. The underlying reason being,
there is constant development in the strategies and technologies of service delivery. The care
provider’s lack of awareness about this development would have negative impact of quality of
care services. Hence, emphasizing on CPD would help in developing the quality of care services
(Wilson et al., 2009).
Legislations and standards- Creating awareness about legislations and standards present in
HSC for ascertaining safety and delivering quality care services plays an integral role for quality
improvement in Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA). The reason being, it is only with the
help of awareness about the legislations and standards, care providers in Borough Council of
Tower Hamlets (LA) could resolve the prevalent issue with safety standards and resolve it by
abiding to the present standards.
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Feedbacks- For improving quality of delivered care services, receiving feedbacks is beneficial
as it would help the care providing organization in understanding the care needs of care users and
develop the care plan accordingly. It would also help in identifying the areas of care services
with which the care users are not satisfied. Hence, it would result, in improving the quality of
care services (Ivers et al., 2012).
Conclusion
Based on the above made discussion, it may be concluded that, for developing the quality of care
services, catering to diverse cater needs, abiding by policies, systems and legislation play integral
role. Apart from that, for developing the quality of care services feedbacks, and questionnaire
may be used by care providing organizations like Borough Council of Tower Hamlets (LA).
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References
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