Report: Managing Quality in Health and Social Care - ST Thomas & Guy

This report provides a detailed analysis of quality management within the health and social care (HSC) sector, using ST Thomas and Guy Hospital as a case study. It begins by defining stakeholders and their perspectives on quality, exploring the roles of external agencies like the Healthcare Inspector and the Care Quality Commission in setting and monitoring standards. The report then examines the impact of poor service quality on stakeholders and the standards of health and social care management, including approaches to implementing quality systems like Total Quality Management (TQM) and Benchmarking. It also discusses barriers to achieving quality and the effectiveness of systems, policies, and procedures. The report concludes with an evaluation of methods for assessing HSC service quality and the significance of involving service users in the evaluation process, offering insights into how HSC services can improve quality and achieve long-term success.

Managing Quality in Health
and Social Care

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Stakeholders' perspective on quality......................................................................................1
1.2 Role of external agencies in setting standards.......................................................................2
1.3 Impact of poor quality of services on stakeholders...............................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Standards of health and social care management..................................................................4
2.2 Approaches of implementing quality systems.......................................................................5
2.3 Barriers that might prevent achieving quality in HSC ..........................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Effectiveness of system, policies and procedures..................................................................6
3.2 Factors that influence the achievement of quality.................................................................7
3.3 Ways in which health and social care service could improve its quality...............................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Methods for evaluating health and social care service quality..............................................9
4.2 Affect that involving users of services in process of evaluation .......................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Quality management is one of the important tasks of every health and social care
business. Main objective of these institutes is to provide the best treatment or care to their clients.
For improvising effectiveness and efficiency of their services, health care entities are focused on
maintaining the quality. In order to gain high customer interest and retention, it is essential for
this sector to follow up all principles, procedures, values and guidelines in a systematic manner
which are set by government authorities (Cherry and Jacob, 2016.). Health and social care
organisation can easily gain long term commitments and success by fulfilling all of these
legislations ethically. ST Thomas and Guy Hospital is the chosen organisation in this present
assignment. It is an executive non-departmental public body of health department. The main
objective of HSC sector is to deliver qualitative and value added products and services in an
effective manner. Apart from this, the report will describe stakeholders' perspective on the basis
of quality. It will be also state the impact of poor quality of services in HSC organisation.
Readers will also come to know that managers also have to adopt certain approaches in order to
implement effective quality system.
TASK 1
1.1 Stakeholders' perspective on quality
Stakeholders:- This term can be defined as a person, group or institution which has
interest or concern in an organisation. They are important members of any health and social care
association which can impacts on its actions, objectives and policies or get affected by the same.
It is so because they invest their money to conduct various procedures of projects going on in
company and rate of return is related to profits earned by the same.
Stakeholders play a vital role in decision making process of health and social care. Main
stakeholders of HSC sector are government, public, NGO, health insurance, health care
providers, legal administrators, governing bodies, etc. These people are associated in health care
homes by having their own views and perspectives in order to boost up the quality of products.
They also give effective ideas and opinions in order to maintain the standard and values.
Furthermore, any crucial service that offers maximum level of satisfaction to all these
stakeholders is concerned with quality for them. Employees and customers are also the main
stakeholders of HSC sector where opinions of service users rely upon their values, attitude,
1

beliefs and the way of thinking which they got from service providers (The Top Five Challenges
Facing Today’s Hospitals, 2017). Along with this, in terms of patients, service quality also
relates with the care they get, behaviour of staff members, standards of hospitals, etc. Therefore,
it is essential for ST Thomas and Guy Hospital to provide impressive products and services in
order to attain or retain clients for long term period to service users. In HSC sector, it has been
seen that safety indicators for patients are decreasing i.e. they have to wait too long for any
surgical process or treatment. Sometimes, due to the negligence of doctors, patients do not get
proper care that they actually want.
These elements would generate negative opinions and thoughts in the minds of
stakeholders. Due to lack of technological advancement, several health and social care firms are
not able to achieve their personal needs and goals. Patients also face the issue of shortage of beds
and lack of staff members that create discomfort among people. Hence, in order to improve
customer satisfaction level, ST Thomas and Guy Hospital needs to conduct an inspection
towards improving the quality. It also helps this enterprise to increase its profits in stipulated
period of time.
1.2 Role of external agencies in setting standards
In order to set quality standards and values within health care homes, their managers take
help of external agencies. Such bureaus monitor as well as support the services and facilities of
health care firms. They act as the protector of stakeholders' rights and authorities of quality
oversight. Along with this, there are various external agencies which are liable in order to
enhance the flexibility of its mechanisms by offering restrictive control. It also pursue different
programmes for customers' advocacy as they can know their rights. Apart from this, health and
social care firms have to work with coordination and cooperation in order to maintain
organisational standards. ST. Thomas and Guy Hospital has its own quality monitoring system
through which it can easily assure the quality of its services and set priorities and standards.
Examples of external agencies - Healthcare Inspector – It is responsible for carrying out all activities of HSC body and
finding out its ratings in order to make better decisions. Care quality commission – CQC protects all rights and interests of patients as they can
get safe, secured, compassionate and high quality services. This is an organisation who
has a task to conduct inspections in several health care associations who provides
2

guidelines for health care. They monitor, regulate and inspect health and social care
services. They conducting research by evaluating data, information and expert opinion in
order to draw a valid conclusion. Care quality commission publish information or result,
in most of the cases they used rating system which help customers to choose care
accordingly. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE):- NICE was introduce in
1999. it is a health care authorities to decrease variation of availability and quality of
NHS treatments and care. NICE was established in legislation mean all the guidelines are
follows only in England. NICE is an organisation which set targets of setting guidelines
to improve the social and health care aspects. Its guidelines have to evaluate by CQC and
then implement to attain desired outcomes.
 Medicines and health care products regulatory agency – It ensures that ST. Thomas and
Guy Hospital is using effective and safe material in its treatments and care.
Apart from this, these external agencies are liable to identify all aspects in terms of social
care facilitates. It is the moral responsibility of health care inspector to investigates all
operations in HSC organisation and CQC is liable for ensuring that services should be provided
in effective and efficient manner to patients so that health care entities can achieve their goals
and objectives in a systematic manner. They are also helpful in managing high quality of services
as customers can get better treatment. Whereas, MHRA provides certain advices and suggestions
regarding medicines, equipment and care devices have to work in a safe and ethical manner.
Therefore, it can be said that organisational system and external agencies have to work together
in order to determine serious quality issues and then take appropriate actions on them.
1.3 Impact of poor quality of services on stakeholders
Due to lack of managerial skills, service providers are able to manage the quality
standards in their facilities. This a serious concern for all patients which leads inability in
improvising health care services. Poor quality of services also affect the health of people. In
addition, health and social care commissions are also unable to meet the needs and wants of
customers in this sector. Poor health services also effect stakeholders interest from health and
service centres. Because, if customers will not get proper treatment, they would not recover
effectively. In terms of shareholder, it could also disrupt investments as well as damage market
3

reputation of health care homes. Beside this, poor services also lead insufficient planning
decisions and decline in the number of patient care.
One of the major issue in ST. Thomas and Guy hospital is that, management of hospital
doe not ensure safety of patients which hampers their overall experience. Another underlying
problem in health and social care sector is mismanagement of funds. Therefore, in order to
improve the quality of services, managers of ST. Thomas and Guy Hospital need to emphasis on
enhancing optimum utilisation of funds. They also have to make effective improvements in
reporting procedures in which employees can rapidly contact with senior managers regarding any
issue. Management and owners also have to set values and make special operations. Main
objective of this research is to evaluate the capability of organisation in terms of delivering
quality services. ST. Thomas and Guy Hospital needs to continuously focus on boosting quality
services since it cannot lead to patient’s care practices. If HSC improves its quality then it will
increase the demand of services within particular time period. Finally, quality improvement
provides delivery of effective services through which ST. Thomas and Guy Hospital can lead in
the target market.
TASK 2
2.1 Standards of health and social care management
Standardisation is related with advancement in day to day to day activities in order to
provide qualitative and value added services in health care homes. CQC (customer quality
commission), Sometimes, services are often focused on maximising the area of specialisation so
as to improve quality. It includes assurance, audit, control, functionality and management. All of
these aspects are concerned with health-care in order to spread humanity at workplace. By
managing quality assurance and audit, service providers can easily encounter in terms of their
services. Therefore, HSC needs to work with health care department so as to develop a better
environment and deliver attractive services to patients (Griffiths and et. al., 2012).
In health and social care, certain standards should be set because it makes effective
operations and tasks through which home cares can access to wide range of people. It is also
helpful in increasing the autonomy of service users as they can get self-confidence and morale;
this would improving health of patients as soons as possible. By emphasising on providing
guaranteed health services, managers can gain better outcomes. They also need to reduce the cost
of quality service delivery so that people of every level can take the benefit of these facilitates.
4

Service providers need to ensure that users are getting world class facilities and higher level of
satisfaction. Through the same, St Thomas and Guy Hospital can gain reward of money spent
that depends on customers' capability. The firm needs to render effective solutions towards any
critical situation of patients. Service providers always have to be polite and well behaved among
users so as to know their feeling and reduce stress level.
2.2 Approaches of implementing quality systems
In order to gain high competitive advantages, St Thomas and Guy Hospital need to
implement certain quality systems in order to measure the flexibility of its services. Below
mentioned are the certain approaches of quality system:
Total quality management – In health and social care sector, TQM is used by service
providers. Total quality management is interlinked with continuous quality improvement. Apart
from this, TQM is the process of managing overall quality of products and services of an
organisation. It involves finding out the solution towards any problem or issue by strengthening
certain areas which can cross departmental lines (Connell, 2012). TQM is a systematic approach
which is focused on human beings in HSC sector. Its main motive is to maximise the customers’
satisfaction and making higher care standards for users by providing them value of money.
Benchmarking – It is the way of finding how to achieve goals of best performance. In
benchmarking, managers set certain standards in terms of quality that are essential to be achieved
in a certain time period. The effectiveness of quality can be measured by patient’s reviews and
feedbacks in St. Thomas and Guy hospital. It will be helpful for care takers to meet the service
standards of refereed business organisation. The main objectives of benchmarking is to strive
towards regular up-gradation in services.
Quality control – It basically emphasises on identifying important issues and
circumstances which will effected organisational growth and vitality. . Quality control technique
is used by the managers to achieve better performance standards by providing quality services to
clients.
2.3 Barriers that might prevent achieving quality in HSC
In health and social care sectors, there are certain barriers which can affect their business
in global environment. These obstacles also influence market reputation and growth of home
cares. An organisation face many issues related to quality of product and service which decrease
5

customer's satisfaction and overall profitability. Mostly two type of barriers internal and external
create negative impact on company performance. There are given some major barriers which are
come in between health and social cares, such are described as under: -
External barriers
Clear direction: Its is a managers responsibility to give clear direct to their employees
about task and activities which enhance workers productivity. But some time they can not
competing their work in an effective manner which create negative impact on product quality.
Consistency: This is the major barrier to produce quality product and services. Machine
are consistent but not employees. So that, management of an organisation has manage and
control whole employees activities thus help to improve their consistency in toward work.
Cultural barriers – The firm have to conduct various campaigns or events to promote
health and care programmes by putting special efforts to it. Then they have make sure that
activities organising by them will never harm cultural values or beliefs.
Environmental barrier – Such organisations are using various techniques to solve health
issues for improving welfare of society. Then it is necessary to make such projects which will
never harm environment or nature.
Internal barriers
Time availability:In an organisation, time is a very crucial factor for competing activities.
Manager develop plan to manage time in an effective manner. In health and care sector time play
important role by which they increase customer's satisfaction. Quality of services are affected
with time, which create negative impact of production process and delivery of services.
Lack of leadership: leaders has ability to influenced employees behaviours as well as
their action. Through strong leadership style, manager of an organisation are able to develop
quality of product. But lack of leadership skills in managers increase various problem like
unmanaged work, timely delivering of goods, strong relationship among employees and healthy
working environment etc.
Psychological barrier- This term refers that this will related to an individual's mind set
ups or thoughts. It is essential for organisation to kept in mind different values of their ideas and
then apply several techniques to improve health-care of society.
6

Financial barrier- This term can be defined as factors related to money such capital or
funds invested in an enterprise. Because it is important to conduct all essential activities to attain
desired outcomes.
TASK 3
3.1 Effectiveness of system, policies and procedures
Below described are certain policies which can be used by HSC settings:
Heath and social care sectors have to use specific policies and procedures in order to
maintain the quality of delivering services. In this perspective, St Thomas Hospital have to use
safe wandering policy in order to reduce health risks and uncertainties. The policy also focuses
that home cares needs to follow up effective safeguards (Chakraborty and et. al., 2011). In order
to increase the effectiveness of health and social care sectors, doctors need to regular monitors
various practices and policies. Potency of these policies, is always rely on promoting HSC at
workplace. Organisational structure of health care is emphasised on these factors, i.e. working
environment, spreading healthy life styles etc. An adequate model of HSC should be adopted by
NHS. Apart from this, also need to follow up Health and safety acts, which refers that employers
have to carry out risk assessment for their significant findings.Apart from this, objective of HSC
is to achieve higher satisfaction level by putting various diseases management activities, provide
attractive incentives for health care providers and non-physicians providers. Doctors always have
to be frank and behaved in well-being mannered with their patients in order to give them good
treatment and care.
3.2 Factors that influence the achievement of quality
The impact of performing structures, terms and processes are very high that are very
essential for the St. Thomas and Guy hospital condition because it has a straight connection in
meeting the effective quality of services (ScCherry and Jacob, 2016). After studying the case, it
can state that there are framework, guidelines, processors which can be utilized to develop the
effect of this hospital on the society. One of those structure is : Entire Quality Management
which refer to the explanation of philosophy as well as hospital tactics that perform to render
consumers the services along with a good quality which can help in attaining requirements and
demands of consumers as well as organisation. The hospital have altered and modified the
7

working environment of hospital to provide convenience to the staff of office as well as customer
of the enterprise.
The other helpful structure which have been updated in St. Thomas and Guy Hospital is
'Reporting system of Accidents'. In the respected hospital, the management and processing
system of documentation of records are being amended for proper protection of information and
data as well as provide harm-free services to all of patients and clients. This was agreed by entire
members of staff to record the services details to develop the safety of their clients. Hence, it
decrease the dangers of hacking and other user abusing activities etc.
Also the policy of Bundle of Hydration is optimized in St. Thomas and Guy which is
made to record the quality and amount of all liquid the patients is consuming and given by staff
members (Pugh and Duffy eds., 2013). The external and internal activities that is being taken by
the clients present the entire process which helps in detecting inconsistency in the whole process.
According to the report, this present the univary and tube zone infection, pressures edges and
blood blobs were higher of the clients that refer to the overflow or unbalance in the fluid intakes
of the patients.
Tools monitoring were utilized by members of staff as a process for patient's well beings.
The data related to the patients including recent process, drug reaction, unusual actions and other
activities is being observed by St. Thomas and Guy hospital every week. This could impact in
positive as well as negative way as: controlling patients is a sensitive process which can benefit
the patients if they are given good care (Thoits, 2011). The recent status of health care can be
measured according to needs of worker. This can also be considered as the drawback as every
patient's monitoring process can be very time costuming as well as requires a lot of employee or
worker for the hospital which is impossible to have.
3.3 Ways in which health and social care service could improve its quality
The report have stated the issues in which major problems were being extinct and
surgeries time of patients have been extended. Also, patients have to stay in queue for a long
period for the admission which is one of the drawback of the St. Thomas and Guy hospital
(Thompson Jr and Auslander, 2011). Through hiring new and qualified employee, the company
can resolve this issues. Also by recruiting more experted and specialised doctors, management of
the hospital can easily train and direct their members of staff which can cater special care to
8

patients. The patients complained for low engagement of employee which is required to be
resolved. Through organising proper training and development programs for workers, hospital
can cure their issues related to services and quality.
By this, the clients can be served with effective quality of services as well as care while
getting cured in St. Thomas and Guy hospital. The report also represents that hospital is not
meeting with CQC standards which is not appropriate for the hospital as well as patients. Cause
of the lack in the facilities and worker abilities, the hospital was unable to provide the standards
quality of services and care to the patients which made them complain about the services and its
quality. So, the organisation can use various steps for resolving this issue such as utilizing funds
and financial assets in building and keeping more facilities to contribute in the quality services
supplying by workers of hospital (Vannini, 2016). This can enable them in setting standards that
can increase the quality of services as well. This is how the organisation can gain quality of their
services. In the sector of social and health care, major assets of organisation is care and effective
services providing techniques which can be developed through which these activities can assist
St. Thomas and Guy hospital to develop in competitive industry. All these elements are required
to adopt, this effective activities in efficient and impressive way.
TASK 4
4.1 Methods for evaluating health and social care service quality
Questionnaire- It is one of the best and effective techniques to determine the quality of
services provided in health and social care setting. It is like an objective approach which requires
low cost. With the help of this, St. Thomas’ Hospital can know about quality of health and social
care setting. The manager and also employees prepare a questionnaire and then distribute it to the
patients (Thoits, 2011). It is the best method to collect data and information. It distributes those
patients who receive treatment of hospital and this questionnaire is also distributed among the
staff members or workers regarding improvement areas of hospital. Main benefit of this
questionnaire is that the view point of some workers are not clear regarding the procedure and
also policies of St Thomas’ Hospital for clear or solve all issues. Administration of this hospital
helps each and every one to understand about procedure and policies of hospital, so that all
employees can do their job in a proper manner.
9

Survey- With the help of this, hospital can consult a survey to know about thoughts,
viewpoints and opinions of people (Thompson and Auslander, 2011). It is helpful in determining
the satisfaction level of customers and test many problems and issues. Interview is the third
method and effective in gathering data and information. Under this, a person called interviewer
asks different question from interviewee in order to know what they feel about the hospital and
about various issues they face during their work. It is necessary that interviewer should keep the
information of interviewee confidential.
Among all these methods, St Thomas’ Hospital uses the questionnaire to know about perception
and opinions of patients and staffs.
In context to examine effectiveness of service users quality, use of questionnaire and
surveys is necessary. With the help of using questionnaire, know about the different people
perspective from the service users to the providers of service. On the other hand from survey, it
can be observes that perspectives of service users of quality which depends their thinking,
experience and also values. About specific health care.
In addition to this different internal and external methods are there which can be use to
evaluate the quality of services deliver to customers. Internal method consists set the minimum
acceptable quality and then collect feedback from service users. External method consist use the
standard set by CQC and by various other external health care bodies. If firm meet all the set
standards then this not only increase goodwill of enterprise but at the same time ensure customer
satisfaction.
Sequel instrument: It designed and planed to aid in the treatments, monitoring and
diagnosis of medical condition. It includes medical imaging machines, X-ray Machinery, MRI,
PET, CT scanners and many other instrument. All these are assist the patients in order to treat
effectively and efficiently. It support the medical staff in order to analysis patients medical state.
It also help in analysis of Genes, dissolved gases, blood and many other equipments.
4.2 Affect that involving users of services in process of evaluation
Different users of health care services largely affect the quality of its services. The impact
can be positive as well as negative. It is necessary for manager to determine the level of
10