Evaluating Quality in Health and Social Care: A Comprehensive Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of quality management within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. It begins by defining quality and exploring the diverse perspectives of stakeholders, including service users, staff, technicians, and legal authorities. The report then ...Read More

Managing Quality in Health
& Social Care

INTRODUCTION
Quality is an important element of Health and Social Care services as well as a concept
with different perspectives and interrelations. It is significant to H&S care users and external
stakeholders. This assignment is based on National Health Service (NHS), it is publicly funded
healthcare organisation in United Kingdom. This unit determined about the effect of poor quality
of services on Health and social care stakeholders and duties of external agencies in setting
standards (Aveyard, 2014). This assignment also has shown different methods for evaluating
service quality in an effective and efficient manner. Various approaches for implementing
quality system and potential barriers to delivery of H&S care service quality, these are also
explained in this unit in detailed way. Effectiveness of procedures, policy and system along with
various factors that affect the achievement of quality are also determined in this project. There
are certain ways which are used by NHS in order to improve their service quality.
TASK 1
1.1 Explain perspectives that stakeholders in H&S care have regarding quality
Health and Social Care quality mainly depends on person to person. NHS is a national
healthcare organisation whose aim is to provide quality service to the users in a systematic and
planned manner. There are some perspectives which are determined as below:
Perspectives of service seekers: In this trust of the individual regarding NHS services
quality is very good (External Stakeholders, 2008). Further, home care quality must meet the
requirements of the service seekers and patients essentially. On the other side, if the business is
not capable in order to analyse basic needs or wants of the users, then this is significant to
determine few explanation behind this.
Perspectives of staff members or employees: Workforce who are giving quality service
to the patients or service seeker are known as employees. They also have some liability and
responsibility to keep the standard of NHS. This can be finished only when the employees of
healthcare organisation is encouraged decent to perform all activities and practices in efficient
way (Brett and et. al., 2014). For this, financial and non-financial reward or achievement can be
given to the workers of the company.
Perspectives of technicians: Performance and effectiveness of the healthcare
organisation highly depends on the innovative and technical facility. So in this, manager of the
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business established Total Quality Management, it is one of the essential technique for the
enterprise to improve their service quality systematically. With the use of TQM, they also
enhance their functional quality such as auditing, supervision, recording of information and
customer feedback.
Perspectives of legal authorities: There are some legal bodies such as central quality
commission, national institute and health service commissioners who play essential role in
setting of benchmark for the NHS.
For examples: These can be dressing, bathing and eating meals of service users. All
these actions require an effective customer care orientation (Care Quality Commission, 2012). It
can be completed by enlarging the synergetic or corporative work system in the NHS. It is also
supportive in care providing friendly and healthy atmosphere to the patients at the business.
1.2 Analyse the role of external agencies in setting standards
In the health care organisation, there are mainly two external agencies such as National
Institute and Care Quality Commission (CQC) for NHS standard. Both play vital and essential
role in providing better and healthy services to the patients systematically. In the enterprise, both
play important roles which are determined as below:
Care Quality Commission: These are known as external bodies which is a part of non-
department in UK. It sets the service standards and quality in NHS is as below:
 CQC supervises and regulates the service standard at H&S care.
 They see the rights and preferences of the vulnerable persons.
 CQC safeguards the service quality and set standards of care home so that the patients at
the National Health Services can acquire the basic possibilities (Cherry and Jacob, 2016). CQC assists in determination and enlargement of experience about good exercise of
healthcare. They make sure to provide personalised and transformed social care service
standard.
National institute: These are main parts of external agency that play important role in giving
accurate advice or information to the NHS in UK. There are some duties of these bodies which
are determined as below:
 It creates the guidelines and direction as well as provides right instruction now and again
to the NHS.
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 They also give necessary and accurate information or data to the healthcare organisation
in a systematic manner.
 National institutes assist in resolving issues by developing innovative ways which
support the NHS to proceed the expectation to top level.
 They also develop the standards and quality for the social care and home care services
effectively.
1.3 Assess the impact of poor service quality on health and social care stakeholders
Effect of poor service quality or standard on H&S care stakeholders is highly impacted
on the performance and productivity level. Further, it highly effected on service users and
organisations which are determined as below:
Poor quality impact on the organisations: Poor quality is highly and adversely impacted
on the business performance and standard. It can decrease the productivity and profitability of an
enterprise so it is not good for the business success in the competitive marketplace. On the other
side, it can also reduce the satisfaction level of customers in an adverse way (Damron and
Damron, 2013). Thus, poor quality reduces all performance of the company and confidence of
the service user. In this Care quality commission and many other external agencies take a legal
and effective actions which can effects on improving brand image.
Effect of poor healthcare on the individuals and service users: The H&S care enterprise
must have adverse effect on the patients. So, in this, satisfaction level of service users is reduced
that may cause customer loyalty and negative mouth publicity can be missed by the NHS. Poor
quality highly impacted on the individual health and decreases its confidence level while doing
business activities and functions essentially. Those employees who are concerned in following a
long time career or job in H&S care organisation should be motivated and trained (Insel and et.
al., 2011). They should be provided accurate training for executing the proper methods in doing
their task of quality care. Staff welfare and adequate training measures can assist in attaining
customer’s gratification and as an output, there would be much efficient production of social care
service standard.
4.1 Different methods for evaluating health and social care service quality
There are different approaches for analysing H&S care services quality systematically.
These are Questionnaires, structured and semi-structured interview, focus groups, road shows,
complaints procedures, panels and many others. All these are highly important for the NHS to
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introduce their service quality to the users and in the marketplace. In this manager of the
organisation conduct research program which can assist them to easily identify basis need and
wants of the customers regarding healthcare services. Further they asked different questions
related to business services and solve its complaints easily (Moorhead and et. al., 2013). Al these
are essential for the analysation of health quality with regards to internal as well as external
perspectives. It effects of the CQC which is essential in identifying the utilization of external
atmospheres. It is also helpful and important in the external factor documentation in which an
enterprise is launching its functions and activities.
On the other side, internal factor like Total Quality management, it is an effective tool for
inquire the monetary performance and effectiveness of NHS as well as assist in knowing the
behaviour of Patients. H&S care services in the National health service specifically select this
method. Quality assurance secession in the healthcare organisation also concentrateon or
attentiveness the few problems like administrative and supervision process, documentation and
many others. Furthermore, CQC is also beneficial for the enterprise in creating the healthcare
activities and practices so that the gratification level of service user automatically maximised.
Total quality management is one of the essential method for the NHS to evaluate the internal and
external force systematically. In other worlds, TQM is valuable for the organisation by seeing its
sustainable development and by giving the competitive benefits.
There are different methods which are identified as below:
Survey: It is observed that service seekers perspectives of quality is highly depend on their way
of innovative thinking, their experience and values they got from specific health care. For service
user, quality measurement is regarding the treatment they obtained, responsiveness of employees
who are working in the hospital, how their dignity be regarded, safety and confidentiality. In the
case oh NHS it had been observed that patients safety indicators minimised. Service user had to
wait more for elective surgical process were also being cancelled.
Questionnaires: It is another important methods which help the NHS to identify needs of
patients. It assist to render area of enhancement, evaluation level of satisfaction as well as
motivation also. These are important because it yield information and data about expectatuion.
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TASK 2
Covered in PPT
TASK 3
3.1Effectiveness of systems, policies and procedures used in a H&S care setting
As per the case study; Sam is a Stanford resident care homes manager, in the organisation
there are some users which are not acquiring proper quality services. Thus with the help of Care
Quality Commission, there are some issues which are highly effects on business operations and
and its activities. In this Sam have to improve their service quality and standard for entire
problems, it can be solve so that H&S care organisation can support patients to recover all issues
easily. For setting process, policies and system company have to manage their all work on such
problem (Parekh and et. al., 2011).
Poor communication: This will identify as a main cause behind poor service quality which is
accurate process of communication. In this activity business entity communicate all information
and data to their workers. In this Sam require to improve service quality where patients can
acquire high standard. So in order to maintain better policy in the enterprise company use total
quality management.
Lack of group working: It is important for the healthcare organisation to implement an effective
process, policy and system systematically. Without team working, an enterprise can not achieve
better quality and standard. In this Stanford manger manage entire system where large number of
the person can work with each other.
There are some methods of evaluating procedures, policies and systems in H&S care
services are:
Total quality management: TQM is a best approach of management to setting an effective
procedures, policies and system in the healthcare organisation by providing effective and quality
services to the patients (Reeves and et. al., 2011). So that satisfaction level of the clients is high
which is important for heath and social care.
Wandering policy: The first policy NHS applied was safe wandering policy. It has
developed occur require of linking bracelets to the wrists on different patients with had and
dementia at the difficulty of wandering off the ward.
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Another is trust policy: This policy had been elaborate that when and how the bracelets
could be applied. It was also stressed that Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had to apply.
Continuous quality improvements: It is another essential method of evaluating service
quality and stranded essentially. In this needs of manager is to improve their whole quality in
continuous basis.
3.2 Different factors that influence the achievement of quality in the H&S care service
In H&S care organisation, needs of workers is to do their all work systematically. It is
essential for the business to keep their service standard and quality appropriately. But in the
enterprise, there are some forces that can highly effect on business functions adversely. In the
business entity, there are some problems which are determined as below:
Lack of techniques: In NHS, it is main issue which can hinder on business performance and
profitability. This problem dissatisfied employees because some workers are doesn't know about
latest technology. If management doest not have accurate assets for giving quality services to
customers, it can impacts on business functions and operations. As per the case of Stanford, they
have lack of money which turn in the decrease performance.
Employees shortage: It is another issue which effects on business performance and productivity.
In the business there are some employees so that they can not treat all patients at same time
(Singer and et. al., 2011).
Funding: It is important factor for the business to find out better solution for the issues. In order
to execute better service, render facility and having accurate resources which is essential to have
proper funding. It is essential factor which is apply by the NHS and in which they got accurate
funding the belongings received £2.35 million of national health service funding which
encourage it towards enhancement of services.
User of service expectation: When some people expect from business more they automatically
starts to enhance yourself to meet with their expectation. Some kind of thinks are happen with
NHS, it got different amount of finance which means service seeker want to see them activity
and working more effective work and serve them with excellence.
3. 3 Various ways in which the H&S care service could improve its quality
Health and social care service provide effective and quality facility to the patients. There
are different ways which is applied by the organisation in order to improve their quality. These
are determined as below:
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Customer services: It is important way to improve their quality. In this NHS should tries
to conduct research and development programmes which help them to identify basic needs and
requirement of service user. Further manager of the Stanford Residential care home understand
about users needs and requirement at the same time they fulfil these easily.
Putting people first: In this business tries to provide effective training and development
to their all staffs (Weisfeld, 2011). Further talented employees easily handle needs and wants of
service user by providing quality services.
Empowering users of services: In this Stanford Residential care home tries to divide
their all powers and duties among employees as per its knowledge and experience. So with the
help of this, they can easily make an effective decision and improve their service quality.
4.2 Process evaluation in delivery services to customers
It is important for the business entity that covers their patients in the activity of producing
service. For implementing this procedures on management, so that satisfaction level of customer
will get increase. In order to involving users of services there are some mechanisms which are
determined as below:
Consultation: It is an essential process in deliver quality services to the customers in an
effective and efficient manner. It is important for the manager to consult with their employees
regarding providing effective services to the patients essentially.
Panels: In this some person has their own rights to provide their choice about healthcare
services. With the use of this process business entity easily provide entire information and data
regarding the Healthcare services.
Empowerment: It is also essential process of delivering quality services to the customers.
In this role and responsibility of manager is to divided their all worker among the employee's
according to their skills and knowledge (Weisfeld, 2011).
User managed service: In this role of manger is mange all services process and system in
an effective manner. In this Stanford Residential care home enhance their business operations
and decrease expenses systematically.
CONCLUSION
from the above mentioned report, it can be determined that heath is very important part
of the every person. In order to maintain service standard and quality in H&S care, external
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agencies play an essential and vital role in such matter. There are different tools and techniques
are used in order to measure service quality such as total quality management and many other. In
the organisation where some problems related to delivering quality services in business such as
lack of fund, poor communication and others.
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