Analysis of Change Management in the National Health Service (NHS)

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FACILITATING CHANGE IN
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Explain the key factors that drive change in health and social care services........................2
1.2 Assess the challenges that key factors of change brings to health and social care services..4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Devise a strategy and criteria for measuring recent changes in health and social care.........5
2.2 Measure the impact of recent changes on health and social care services against set criteria
.....................................................................................................................................................6
2.3 Evaluate the overall impact of recent changes in health and social care...............................7
2.4 Propose appropriate service responses to recent changes in health and social care services 8
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................9
3.1 Explain the key principles of change management...............................................................9
3.2 explain how changes in health and social care are planned.................................................11
3.3 assess how to monitor recent changes in health and social care services............................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................14

Introduction
The current topic is discussing with the aim of developing understanding of the factors of change
in health and social care services and the practice of evaluating and facilitating change. The case
study of the National Health Services (NHS) will be discussed that is the national healthcare
system in the England, United Kingdom. Different strategies and criteria will be discussed for
measuring recent change in the organization. The topic will also discuss impact of recent
changes on the health and social care services and the organization and appropriate response to
the change will be proposed. The topic will also develop understanding of the change
management principles and ways to monitor recent changes in the health and social care
organization.
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Task 1
1.1 Explain the key factors that drive change in health and social care services
As per the case study, there are various factors that are driving the NHS towards implementing
change for providing cost effective quality health and social care services. Following are
mentioned below some factors:
Economic factors: It is all about an economic condition of the country that drives the health and
social care organization to implement changes in the healthcare services. If the economic
condition of the people in the country in not good then the NHS needs to design and deliver
health and social care services accordingly to meet the needs of services users (Cameron et.al,
2014). NHS needs to decrease charges of its health and social care services for effective
operations of the organization and fulfilling needs of patients or people in the local communities.
Political factors: There are various factors such as political stability, government policies and
regulations that drive the NHS to implement change. According to the Care Quality Commission
(CQC), NHS needs to implement some changes in its operational policies and needs to operate
its health and social care activities as per the guidelines of the government authorities and the
Health Act, 1999.
Social factors: Demographic and cultural aspects in the society also may drive the NHS to
implement some changes in its health and social care services. NHS needs to manage and
improve its health and social care services as per the change in the population, lifestyle and other
human factors for meeting needs of people in the local community or patients and effective
operation of the organization (Ginter et.al, 2018). For example, increase in the cases of teenage
pregnancy will force the NHS to change and improve its health care activities to provide
effective treatments to the patients.
Technological factors: It all about changes in the technological environment such transportation,
communication, etc, that would drive the NHS to change its current technology and tools of
healthcare services. NHS needs to upgrade its medical equipments or bring new equipments and
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medical tools for providing quality health and social care services and effective treatments to
patients (Snape et.al, 2014).
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1.2 Assess the challenges that key factors of change brings to health and social care services
NHS will have to face huge challenges if the key factors of the change will bring to the health
and social care services. It has above mentioned that there are various economical, political,
social and technological factors that may drive the NHS to bring change in the health and social
care services and activities. There are mentioned below some challenges that may face by the
NHS due to key factors of change:
Human and financial resources: If the NHS is implementing the technological change by
adopting advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT) then it may be possible
that care workers will unable to take out time for training to use new technology and medical
equipments. And also, if the NHS has lack of financial resources then it would not able to bring
new medical equipments and tools for providing quality health and social care services
(Cameron et.al, 2014).
Change resistance: NHS may face challenges related to the change resistance from care
workers, healthcare professionals as well as services users. If the organization has change its
medical equipments, surgical tools, etc. then it may be possible that healthcare professionals and
care workers find them unable to use those equipments and tools to cure patients from diseases.
Maintaining quality: It is not hundred percent sure that changes bring in the operational
activities, policies and healthcare equipments would provide quality health and social care
services to patients (Ginter et.al, 2018). For instance, if the NHS has decreases its charges of
health and social care services and providing cost effective services to patients then it may be
possible to adversely impact in quality of the healthcare services.
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Task 2
2.1 Devise a strategy and criteria for measuring recent changes in health and social care
The NHS needs to develop and use some strategies and criteria for measuring recent changes in
the health and social care sector. The management team in the NHS can appoint supervisors for
monitoring and measuring change in the health and social care services in the organization.
Moreover, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other government authorities can also
regulate and monitor that the NHS operation of the healthcare services are performing as per
quality standard or not (Batterham et.al, 2016). Government body can conduct regular
inspections in the NHS for monitoring that changes are implemented and performing in quality
and right manner or not.
Further, different criteria can be developed on the national level like meeting up the quality
protocol for effectively measuring and monitoring the change performance in the health care
organization. The management team in the NHS and government authorities can also measure
the effectiveness of the recent change by regularly inspecting overall improvement in the patient
health condition. The management team and government authorities can collect feedbacks from
patients or services users about the effective performance of health and social care services after
implementing recent changes (Bowling, 2014). Feedbacks from services users will help the
management team in the NHS to find out loopholes in the quality of the health and social care
services so that necessary actions can be taken to improve quality as per quality standards.
The management in the NHS can also measure the effectiveness of recent changes by identifying
improved recruitment process and job satisfaction of employees. Also, effectiveness of change
can be identified by measuring benefits from change, improve in operational activities and
increase in satisfaction of services users.
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2.2 Measure the impact of recent changes on health and social care services against set criteria
There are different types of changes taking place in the NHS related to the health and social care
services. The changes are related to the operational activities, rules and regulations and
technological changes. The management team in the NHS can measure impact of recent changes
on the health and social care services against set criteria by focusing on different types of
aspects. The management team can measure the impact of change on the patients or services
users by identifying their satisfaction and response towards the change (Drotar, 2014). Positive
impact on the patients or services users can be measured by analysing and identifying numbers
of referral done by the services users or patients towards the organization. Management team can
collect feedbacks from the services users about the cost effectiveness and quality of the health
and social care services.
The management team in the NHS can collect feedbacks from services users, care workers and
healthcare professionals about the impact of the recent change. If the management team has
received the positive response from all the stakeholders of the organization about the recent
change that means the change has incorporated in the efficient manners. On the other hand, if the
management team has received negative feedbacks and response from the stakeholders then there
will be needed to modify the change to improve the quality of health and social care services and
satisfy needs of all stakeholders associated with the organization (Brett et.al, 2014).
Impact of the change can also be measured by identifying the rates of employee (care workers)
turnover or new recruitment in the organization. If the more care workers are leaving or
resigning from their job after implementing the change then the changes have not implemented
successfully. And if exiting care workers and healthcare professionals are satisfied with the
recent change and people are taking interest to join the organization that means change has
implemented in best and efficient manner.
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2.3 Evaluate the overall impact of recent changes in health and social care
The overall impact of the recent changes in the NHS can be evaluated by identifying positive as
well as negative impacts on the health and social care services. If the care workers and healthcare
professionals are not facing any difficulty to provide quality healthcare services to patients after
implementing technological change in the organization then there will be positive impact of the
change (Thomson et.al, 2014). Maximum customer satisfaction and their referral also proved that
change has implemented in the efficient manner. If the management in the NHS has found that
there is decrease in the quality of healthcare services, services users satisfaction, productivity and
profitability of the organization that mean change is not implemented in efficient manners and
hence negatively impacting the growth of the organization .
After implementing the change in the organization, if it has analyzed that organization is publicly
more popular and is establishing good market position day-after-day by generating high and
revenue and services users satisfaction that will prove that change has implemented successfully.
Overall impact of the change can also be measured by analyzing cost effective delivery of
healthcare services without compromising on the quality of the services. Positive implementation
of change in the NHS will also attract more investors to invest in the organization for generating
high return on the investment (Brett et.al, 2014). And also mouth publicity by the services users
or patients will enhance the market image of the NHS and hence long term growth of the
organization in the health and social care sector.
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2.4 Propose appropriate service responses to recent changes in health and social care services
Health and social care organization like NHS has mainly focuses to change in its leadership
styles to facilitate change efficiently. The management team in the NHS can respond towards the
changes by changing leadership styles, encouraging maximum employee participation in the
decision making, services users’ involvement and modification in the organizational policies and
procedures. For getting positive response from care workers and healthcare professionals,
management team in the NHS needs to develop policies and procedures employee friendly (Nica,
2015). Management team needs to provide training to care workers as per effective training
provision for improving skills and abilities of healthcare professionals and care workers to use
communication and other medical equipments. Management also needs to provide flexible
working hours to care workers as per their requirement that leads to increase in satisfaction of
care workers and hence increase in quality of health and social care services.
The management team can also create a care workers representative that will act as a link
between the management and care workers. Creation of a care workers representative will help
the management in the NHS to resolve various issues among workers by proposing effective
solutions. Fulfilment of workers needs will build faith and strong relationship between the
organization and care workers and hence enhance their interest towards adopting change
efficiently. The management team can adopt democratic leadership styles that will motivate
workers to give their valuable suggestions in improving and managing quality of the health and
social care services (Barr and Dowding, 2015).
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Task 3
3.1 Explain the key principles of change management
Change management can be defined as methods of modifying the administration, operational
activities and employees as well as team performance for effectively managing and
implementing the change in the organization. Following are given below some key principles of
the change management that NHS can be followed for facilitating the change in efficient
manners:
a) The management in the NHS can establish effective communication systems or channels
for facilitating change in best possible manners. Management must establish the two
ways communication process that will build healthy relationship between the
management team and care workers. Also management team must share or communicate
important information to care workers and receive their feedbacks on the regular basis
that will motivate them and enhance their interest towards adopting change efficiently
(Liebler and McConnell, 2016).
b) The management team needs to set well defined gaols, vision and develop values and
actions that will be followed for effective management of the change in the organization.
The management team needs to design the change process on the basis of realistic aspects
in the organization and needs to follow the previously used successful processes.
Management team in the NHS needs to identify the capability of the organization to
implement the change that includes financial, human resource and technical capabilities.
c) Maximum involvement of the care workers and healthcare professionals is the key
principle to effectively manage the change in the organization. Management needs to
establish the effective authority responsibility relationships among healthcare
professionals and care workers and needs to encourage the workers participation in the
decision-making process for getting their valuable suggestions in implementing and
managing the change (Ginter et.al, 2018).
d) Management in the NHS needs to assign roles and responsibilities to care workers as per
their skills and abilities. Effective distribution of health and social care work among care
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workers and healthcare professionals will generate positive outcome and hence positive
impact of the change.
e) Management needs to review the impact of change by collecting feedbacks from the
healthcare professionals, care workers as well as services users. Feedbacks from services
users and care workers will help the management in the NHS to identify any loopholes in
the health and social care services so that necessary improvement can be made to enhance
the quality of healthcare services and generate positive outcome of the change.
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