Health and Safety in NHS: A Comprehensive Analysis of Policies

This report comprehensively examines health and safety practices within the National Health Service (NHS). It begins with an introduction to the importance of health and safety in healthcare settings, emphasizing the well-being of both employees and patients. The report then delves into specific policies, systems, and procedures for communicating health and safety information, including the reporting of injuries (RIDDOR), control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH), and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It analyzes the organizational structure of the NHS concerning health and safety responsibilities, from directors to nurses, highlighting the roles of each level in ensuring a safe environment. The report also identifies health and safety priorities, particularly focusing on the safety of people and places. Furthermore, it explores how risk assessments inform care planning and decision-making, outlining the steps involved in the process. The report also discusses the impact of health and safety policies, dilemmas encountered, and the consequences of non-compliance. Finally, it examines the monitoring and review of health and safety practices, the promotion of a positive safety culture, and an evaluation of the author's contribution to placing health and safety needs at the center of practice.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1...........................................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Reviewing systems, policies and procedures for the purpose of communicating information in NHS .............1
1.2 Responsibilities of NHS for the management of health and safety according to structure of organisation........2
1.3 Health and safety priorities for NHS...................................................................................................................3
TASK 2...........................................................................................................................................................................4
2.1Information from risk assessment informs care planning for the individual and the decision making at NHS
about the policies and procedures..............................................................................................................................4
2.2Analysis the impact of one of the aspect of health and safety policy on the HSC and its clients........................4
.......................................................................................................................................................................5
2.3Ways in which dilemmas encountered in relation the systems and policies for health, safety and security.......5
2.4 Effect of non-compliance with health and safety legislation in HSC workplace................................................6
TASK 3...........................................................................................................................................................................6
3.1Monitoring and reviewing health and safety policies and practices.....................................................................6
3.2 Effectiveness of health and safety policies at workplace in promoting positivity and safe culture....................7
3.3 Evaluation of own contribution to placing health and safety needs of an individual at the centre of practice...8
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Health and safety is considered as one of the most essential aspect of all organisations in
order to ensure the well-being of employees. It also helps the organisations in retaining
employees for a long period of time. In companies, there is always some possibility of
occurrence of accidents at the workplace. So, it is essential to provide them appropriate services
regarding safety (Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013). Present report is based on health and social
care trust and to understand various aspects and effective implementation of policies of health
and safety in order to manage the well-being of employees. This report covers the legislation of
health and safety that is implemented at workplace and the effects of customers in health and
social care. Further, it also includes various policies which are monitored and effectiveness of
those at workplace. Moreover, in this report, there is evaluation of own contribution to the health
ans safety requirements of an individual at the care home. .
TASK 1
1.1 Reviewing systems, policies and procedures for the purpose of communicating information
in NHS
Health and safety is important at workplace as it provides appropriate environment which
helps the patients and in fulfilling their requirement of those who are not able to care on their
own. Appropriate communication helps to manage different tasks and they are able to
communicate with their employees which is beneficial for the workplace (Lowes and Hulatt,
2013). There are various policies, systems and procedures for the purpose of communication
information on health and social care workplace as it helps the employees or workers of HSC
setting in order to provide high quality services to different users. For the same, policies and
procedures are described as below: The reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrence regulations (RIDDOR) -
This policy is made by the parliament of UK in which organisations are required to report
regarding injuries that occur at workplace. It helps Mid Staffordshire NHS trust as they
have to report the injuries that take place at the workplace. This is the major
responsibility of employers so that they can report time to time. It context of this,
complete information is provided to the authority including treatment and incidents
(Coughlan, Cronin and Ryan, 2013).
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 Control of substance hazardous to health 2002- In this, employees have to make sure
regarding the duties of care and according to that, they have to perform their tasks.
Further, the management is needed to make appropriate plan for handling the risk which
takes place in organisation and to provide safety so that accidents can be reduced. It will
also prove to be beneficial for the patients as by this, carers can give them effectual
services so that users can recover from their health issues. There are some of the laws
imposed on employers to ensure the safety of patients as it can reduce the rate of
accidents and increase safety at workplace. NHS makes policies which help in ensuring
the ethical code of conduct and in providing higher level of satisfaction to their
customers.
 Health and safety at work Act 1974- In this act, the social care firms have to adopt
policies made by government of UK. The responsibilities of the employees to provide the
appropriate treatment to all the patients. It also helps to ensure the welfare ans health and
safety in organisation at UK. Thus, NHS make sure the compliance of the different
policies as per the ethical code of conduct and provide various services in an effective
manner. (Webber and et.al., 2015).
In addition to this, the process of health and safety is considered to be one of the most important
for the purpose of reducing the different types of accidents and also helps maintain the well-
being of the employees. In context of NHS, the head of the department decided to promote the
safety and appropriate environment at workplace through different process and systems.
 It covers the training which is one of the most important system by which employees of
the stated organisation create awareness regarding the policies of health and safety. The
members of staff are provided appropriate training through various methods which helps
in using different types of equipments for conducting their work.
 There is another procedures for maintaining the health and safety of workers is through
the policy of effective communication. There are certain different policies are introduced
by the head of department which shall be established by all of the employees. It can be
done with the help of conducting various meetings where employees are needed to make
sure the workplace safety. However, there are certain ways by which there is an
appropriate communication regarding the systems and policies can be made. It covers to
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post it on the noticeboards along with printing instruction and using direct mails which is
also considered as an important method.
1.2 Responsibilities of NHS for the management of health and safety according to structure of
organisation
The organisational structure of NHS helps to facilitate and provide appropriate
information as per the responsibilities of management. According to the given case study, there
is lack of communication and thus, patients cannot communicate properly due to inappropriate
structure. The structure of the organisation and they are able to manage different activities which
are described below:
Director- Director of organisation has the top most position and it is the responsibility of
him to provide appropriate guidance in order to manage the resources and activities at workplace
in an effective manner. He is also responsible to make the rules and regulations so that
employees can perform the tasks and achieve objectives of NHS within stipulated time period.
Senior manager- He also plays an essential role for the upward direction at NHS and
they work related to the guidelines given by director and also, they are responsible for managing
the assistant manager in context of health and safety at the workplace (Leichsenring, Billings and
Nies, 2013).
Assistant manager- They are responsible to make the plans for risk assessment and play
an important role to manage the regulatory framework for health and safety at NHS. They also
have to guide nurses of staff so that they would provide quality services to the clients.
Safety advisors- The safety advisors in organisation explore workplace and ensure the
safety of people and try to reduce the rate of accidents.
Staff of nurses-They are the people who are responsible for rendering quality services to
their patients and provide the best care so that they can get recovered within specific time period
(Moss, 2015).
In addition to this, employers at workplace have to ensure other responsibilities also
which include the quality and safety which is required to consider and implement effective
framework at workplace. Along with this, it is the duty of employer to give complete information
about rules and regulations to the staff members. . It helps to increase the morale and interest of
HSC care workers at the workplace (Drummond and et.al., 2015).
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Health and safety at workplace is one of the most significant factor that shows
effectiveness regarding the firm. This provides increment in the responsibilities on the different
executives along with the management of organisation. It can be termed as the duty that is
required to be complete in order to escape from compulsions as well as restrictions. In this
context, there are some of the responsibilities of health and safety of all personnel are described
below:
Employers- In this, there is main responsibilities of the employers in terms of health and safety
policies at NHS for ensuring the practices and policies of organisation which compliance with
the present lawful requirements. In addition to this, the employers are responsible for making the
safe environment at workplace. This includes the appropriate sanitation facilities are taken into
consideration by the management. It also required to assess that the equipments are properly
working as it is ensured by the employers. Furthermore, in order to make appropriate
communication training is provided by the employers.
Employees- In this context, staff members are considered as the workers of the cited
organisation. They have to implement different policies which is stated by the employers as well
as managers. Moreover, they are also bound to follow appropriate hazards as well as risks which
are given by the top level management.
Health and safety executives- They are considered as the authorities which are occupied in order
to develop some standards for the purpose of service users and workers interest. All of the areas
of NHS examine by the health executives and work is provided to employers for making
improvement in the activities.
1.3 Health and safety priorities for NHS
Priorities can be termed as to provide importance to any particular activity which are
considered to more important in terms of others. It is necessary to give priorities to the activities
of health and safety by all of the organisation for ensuring secured environment as well as safe at
stated organisation.
In context of this, one of the most important priority of NHS is to ensure the safety of
people as well as place. This creates some of the situations that includes the fire at workplace. It
is difficult for the management in order to deal with the circumstances of that specific condition.
While on the other side, the situations of conflicting also might arise during an individual is
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engaged in arrangements of properties along with the equipments. Further, it develops
emergence of setting the priorities through the management and other activities at NHS for
ensuring the health and safety policies which are adopted by the company.
Apart from this, there is another set of priorities which can be arises due to the different
types of equipments which are required to be carefully used by the management of NHS. In
some of the cases the stated organisation manage the situations in an effective manner.
Furthermore, certain other cases where they are needed to analyse the risks and take corrective
actions for making improvement.
TASK 2
2.1Information from risk assessment informs care planning for the individual and the decision
making at NHS about the policies and procedures
With the help of effective care planning risk at workplace can be easily identify and
minimised through organisation setting. It can be refers to the way by which the hazards might
be prevail at workplace and minimise in order to preserve the health of the workers and provide
them appropriate safe and secure working environment. In order to identify the risk through
effective evaluation and reduce it with the proper care planning(Boyle, 2015). There are main
five steps for carry out the practices of risk assessment. This includes identification of risks and
the people who might be harmed with the given practices. Evaluation of peril and decide the
different actions to prevent the same. In order to save the life of patients the proper care must be
conducted in Slade House so that management might be successful. There are some of the
examples which are presented below:
 It is important to make the precautionary actions for the purpose to give safe environment
to the patients and the workers to function in health and social care. With respect to the
case, Connor Sparrowhawk if the people of clinic would have done appropriate care
planning so that life of innocent people could have been saved. This can be done with
proper cleaning and to prevent people from slipping(Floyde and et.al., 2013). If they
provide appropriate renovation and tiles to the bathrooms of Slade House so that it can
save life of Sparrowhawk. Thus, there are some of the remedies by which risk can be
minimised such as appropriate lightening, sweeping of floors and to clean the different
areas of the hospital.
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 It is essential method to prevent the peril and it is carried out with the help of installation
of alarms and cameras to the various corners of the hospital. Further, to provide
appropriate training to handle the equipments to the care practitioners.
Furthermore, it is important to take appropriate actions for the purpose of providing safe
environment to the patients along with the workers for functioning of the activities.
2.2Analysis the impact of one of the aspect of health and safety policy on the HSC and its clients
The policies of health and safety are made to prevent the people in order to get injured or
damaged. It is a type of responsibilities in which all the people require to take preventive actions
for reducing the risks and also to prevent the members from getting injured. The act of health and
safety of UK helps the management to make appropriate procedures for the benefits of the
manpower. There is positive and negative impact of the policies on the workers which have been
explained in context of Slade House.
 In context of the present case of Connor Sparrowhawk, because of the lack of risk
assessment and care planning it affects the life of people. It can be stated that risk
assessment is an important part of the organisation which helps in reducing peril. There is
decrease in the image of the hospital due to the lack of instrument for environmental
monitoring and resources(Reyes and et.al., 2014). Furthermore, in this case the reason
behind the death of Sparrowhawk due to the reducing the brand image of Slade hospital
between the teenagers. There are some of the proceeding which developing questions on
the quality of the services by hospital. The family of Conner loss their young child due to
the lack of provisions and facilities of the hospital.
 There is negative impact of the given hospital because of proper risk can not be carried
out by the management. If proper training is not provided to the staff then it leads to
different accidents and injury to the patients and other members. At the same time,
negative impacts includes the burden of penalties by the authority. There is another
aspect of the negative impact including the decrease in the financial resources due to the
different things imposed by the people(Kvorning, Hasle and Christensen, 2015).
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2.3Ways in which dilemmas encountered in relation the systems and policies for health, safety
and security
Abbreviation of RIDDOR used for the Reporting of incidents, diseases and dangerous
occurrence reporting. In this, all of the members of Slade Hospital are responsible for reporting
all events to their supervisor. Along with this, there is proper documentation of the various
incidents of injuries as well as accidents which took place at workplace. All of the incident as it
can be devastating as well as cruel which is properly reported to the top level authorities.
RIDDOR has been employed by the government in terms of appropriate interest of society for
preserving the life and service users health along with providers. Some of the case of non-
compliance and it effects are described below:
There is an incident took place at Slade hospital after the death of Connor Sparrowhawk.
In this a person did at the time of using bath tub in hospital. This incident was immediately
reported by nurse to the supervisor as there is no precautionary step was taken which leads to
death of an innocent. If in case if there is proper assessment of risk can be made along with
appropriate implementation through proper reporting to the top level of management so that
death of Connor can be prevented.
This was disclosed in the newspapers which have direct impact on the operations of the
Slade hospital. Through the non-compliance of RIDDOR there is an appropriate compensation si
provided to the family of Connor. This amount comprises of 80000 pounds.
2.4 Effect of non-compliance with health and safety legislation in HSC workplace
Dilemma refers to the situation of confusion for an individual as they have to select one
option among two different alternatives. In context of healthcare centre there are various
dilemmas that are faced by the nurses, doctors and other practitioners. On the basis of present
case of Connor Sparrowhawk there is dilemma regarding the one who provide care shall be
allow to bath alone or not. It is analysed that Connor is suffering from acute diseases due to
epilepsy. There are some of the patients who are have learning and mental disabilities which is
brought to the Slade hospital(Martin, Lippitt and Prothero, 2013). In such cases all the work of
patients done by the are workers cleaning to eating. In this situation the problem faced by nurse
was allow to patient to bath alone or to accompany. The patients who are above the age group of
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18 has their own rights in order to stop the different types of sort so that the nurses to leave the
patients alone for some of the time. In contrast of above, the mental health of the people due to
the actions and different responsibilities of the people of clinics.
Therefore, in order to overcome the dilemma or the various situation faced by the people
who provide services so that it could have chosen for taking decisions in context of health and
safety of the appropriate person and this could have prevent the life Connor Sparrowhawk.
In addition to this, dilemma of the present case scenario which is faced by the care
provider as they are allow the patients to bath alone or not. It has been analysed that Connor has
suffered from the acute disease as the patients had mental disability that was brought to the
Slade hospital. In this situations , all of the work regarding the patients must be done by the care
practitioner such as cleaning to eating. Furthermore, it can be identified that the age group of 18
as they have right to stop anyone regarding the caused nurses in order to leave patients for
certain time.
TASK 3
3.1Monitoring and reviewing health and safety policies and practices
For monitoring and reviewing the policies of health and safety that the organisation
required to adopt the various strategies. According to the given case, approach of system can be
taken in order to manage the risk so that the management can inspect the work effectively and to
provide the quality services to the users. For the improvement in the quality services there is
adoption of integrated health and safety management at NHS and also helps in nursing staff
which require in an effective manner. In the present scenario, it is also find out that they have to
adopt more open culture which helps in improving the health and safety at workplace. The
patients are provided services and the supervisors make sure the availability of the different
resources which helps in order to deliver quality services to the users(Morse and et.al., 2013). It
helps the care workers to meet the requirement of the patients so that they take less time in order
to recover.
There are various types risks including the chemical, physical and biological which are
consider at the time of monitoring and reviewing the policies. Other than this, in order to handle
the patients in an effective manner there is focus on the economic and social risks by the
management. Further, there are periodic meetings are held and the management make the plans
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for health and safety practices which is based on the monitoring and reviewing(Choi, Rosenthal
and Hauser, 2013). The training is provided to the care workers and safety advisers so that they
can work on the basis of appropriate planning. After the planing there is requirement of the firm
to reduces the gap between the actual and expected outcomes. Along with this, the policies
which are made by the management so that the care workers have to follow appropriately and
they are also given instruction for performing. The stated firm also make the review of all the
work timely so that the management have the effective control over the incidents which occur at
workplace.
There are some of the methods by which there is appropriate implementation of policies
of health and safety can be monitored along with review in the organisation. There are certain
methods which are described below:
Audit risks - This is considered as one of the most important method in order to review and
monitor the policies of health and safety at workplace which covers appropriate auditing and
scrutinizing the risk at the premises of workplace a and should be maintain in terms of healthy
environment. Through audit risks there is an appropriate management of activities which are
performed by the people at workplace.
Learning from past experience- In order to review the risks it can be done through the past
experience of the activities which are performed at the workplace which is to be managed by the
people.
Update policies and practices- For the purpose of monitoring and review the risks by updating
the policies and practices so that all of the activities can be managed in terms of safety so that it
will be easy for the management of the organisation.
3.2 Effectiveness of health and safety policies at workplace in promoting positivity and safe
culture
The policies of health and safety for the purpose of promoting the appropriate culture of
working at NHS. There are different policies of HSC which helps to design and maintain the safe
environment for all the care workers of the organisation that helps in the improvement in the
performance of the health and social care workers. In addition to this, various policies helps in
the effective provisions of work which is based on the system and it includes the proper
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planning, organising, maintain and revise(Fan and et.al., 2014). All these functions helps to make
appropriate plans and to manage the work at NHS. It also helps in managing the various types of
risks and the policies of HSC and it also involves assessment and identification of the risks
according to the legislation. Further, this policies helps in order to reduce the number of
accidents at workplace and to provide appropriate care to the patients. There are different rules
and regulation of the policies which helps to manage the safe working environment and the
organisation develop their own practices that helps to maintain the workplace. Due to this
policies there is increase in the level of satisfaction of the users and they provide a positive
feedback from all the patients and for the organisation.
In addition to this, on the basis of health and safety act 2011 the staff of nursing provide
the safe and healthy at workplace. The training, information and education in context of work for
the health and safety. It also helps the employees to stay free from stress and provide the
appropriate services to the users. This also imposes duties on the employers in order to take care
of the different workers against any harm. Moreover, the model of PDCA is a way in which the
employers of NHS consider four significant factors such as plan, do, check and act. In this
planning is made on the basis of considering the important practices and policies of the care
centre(Baldwin, 2016).
Furthermore, through health and safety policies there is an appropriate environment will
be developed for the people at workplace which is considered to be beneficial for the
management of the organisation.
3.3 Evaluation of own contribution to placing health and safety needs of an individual at the
centre of practice
Being a health and social care worker at NHS I have several responsibilities which are
required to be perform regarding the heal and safety at workplace. It is essential to provide
medical and other services to the users involved in the main accountability of the workers of
health and social care. In addition to this, care workers must ensure that all the policies are
considered appropriately at workplace. I also have the appropriate knowledge regarding the
safety of the different patients and their requirements so that I have to make sure about all the
considerations of the policies while working. It also helps to maintain the health of patients with
appropriate use of different policies at workplace. On the other side, I am not capable enough in
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