The Health and Social Care of the North Stafford-shire Combined NHS Trust - Case Study Example

Case This section of the case analysis will evaluate the health and social care of the North Staffordshire combined NHS Trust. And this will involve the identification of the ways and means through which the entity will be able to implement its health and social care systems under the new board decisions and procedures. HSE Framework Basically, the Health and Safety Act 1974 provides the framework for the operation of the North Staffordshire Hospital. Thus, in order to answer the question at hand, there is the need to examine the communication requirements of the HSA (1974) and the standard requirements for the implementation of these standards. The Health and Safety Act (1974) requires effective communication between the authorities of a health facility and the employees. The authorities normally refers to the board or management of the facility. And effective communication can be done through the formulation of rules and the communication of the rules through the three approved methods: verbal, written and graphic methods. In order to formulate such a system, there is the need for the board and the top level management of North Staffordshire to come up with a method of formulating the health and safety plan. The Health Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom that provides the best practices for the formulation of health and safety plans in organisations. It provides regulation and enforcement of workplace safety, health and welfare. They provide persuasive directives and rules for companies and entities that are used by companies and entities to carry out their regulation and control (Collins, 2012). North Staffordshire Hospital Improved Health and Safety Management System Therefore with the improved and integrated health and safety management system that has been formulated, there is the need for the management to take up reasonable steps to deal with the integration and highlighting of the health and safety management system. There is the need for the new director to communicate and make this information heard by all the departments and units of the firm. This will be done through the proper formulation of a communication plan and system that will enable implementation to reach all units and distinct sections of North Staffordshire. The successes attained so far must be presented to different sections in order to increase the possibility of reducing the health and safety issues in the hospital. Formulation of Health and Safety Policy When the board accepts the responsibility, there is the need for the nominated board member to come up with a strategy and process for the formulation and integration of important strategies and policies for dealing with health and safety matters. This can be done through the four phases presented by Hughes and Ferreett (2012). They include the Planning Phase, Performance Phase, Performance Assessment Phase and Performance Improvement Phase. Planning Phase The planning phase will involve the formulation of a policy statement and this is done by the identification of hazards and risk assessment (Hughes and Ferrett, 2012). This will be done by evaluation risks and hazards by engaging in discussions with employees and other stakeholders (Creighton and Rozen, 2012). This will include analysis of information from stakeholders and statutes and laws that are relevant in order to come up with the framework for the implementation. Performance Phase Once obligations are identified and carried out there is the need to meet targets and identify best ways of implementing the policy plans and policy framework. There must be worker responsibilities and a safety committee. Performance Assessment Results must be actively monitored and examined. There must be an evaluation of the results and a continuous audit of the processes and results. Performance Improvement Phase When performance issues are identified, there must be a review of the effectiveness of the health and safety system on a regular basis. This will lead to the creation and modification of the system where necessary. Communication There must be an organisationwide communication of information about health and safety arrangement. This is meant to provide a strategic and overall system through which the organisation can get its members to understand the health and safety arrangements and deal with it (Stellman, 2010). This could be done through education and issues like the new clinical guidance must be presented to the workers of North Staffordshire. There are three main approved methods of communicating policies as per the Health and Safety Act (1974) and this include: verbal, written and graphic communication. Health and Safety at the Out-Patient Department The overall policy to be formulated by the board of the hospital will become incumbent and binding upon the management of the OPD unit. Thus, the administrator of the OPD will have the obligation to ensure that they are implemented. In order to do the implementation, there must be a review of the health and safety risks by the administrator and management of the OPD. They will then come up with ways of dealing with safety emergencies and other reasonably foreseeable health risks. This should culminate in in a system of rules and regulations. These rules and regulations must come up with clear-cut instructions that will be presented and approved by the administrator. Once this is done, there must be an education of the professional and non-professional staff about how to deal with emergencies and problems that will come up. For third parties like patients and visitors, there must be verbal, written and graphic images that will be presented at vantage points that will be conspicuous to everyone who enteres the premises. This will provide guidelines on how to act in emergencies and other circumstances and situations. This must be monitored from time to time. There must be a proactive approach that will be used to evaluate matters and potential risks. Also, accidents and issues must be reported for remedial action to be taken Conclusion The board member must ensure that health and safety is part of the affairs of the hospital. And there must be a critical spread of this and continuous monitoring of results and affairs. Once this is instituted, there must be implementation and constant monitoring of the plans that will be instituted. References Collins, D. (2012) Health and Safety Strategy Case Report London: Workplace Law Group Creighton, B. and Rozen, P. (2010) Occupational Health and Safety Law Sydney: The Federation Press Hughes, P. and Ferrett, E. (2012) Introduction to Health and Safety at Work London: Elsevier Stellman, J. M. (2010) Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety New York: KO Publishing. Case 2 Introduction This section examines the obligations and responsibilities that are placed upon healthcare workers and other social care practitioners in the workplace. Basically, the case of the injured pensioner indicates that there is a general duty of care that exists in English Law which requires health workers and health professionals to work according to the principles of diligence and maintain an appropriate standard of care. In a nutshell, anyone who holds himself as a professional or practitioner in a given practice needs to take reasonable care to ensure that s/he does not cause injury to people who use their services. Thus, there is the need to ensure that a healthcare facility has all the necessary arrangements and processes that are in place to ensure that the processes and activities of the firm are at a level or standard that fits the kind of service they hold themselves out to provide. Risk Assessment & Care Planning Basically, the top strata of a healthcare facility bear absolute responsibility for their staff members. This is because they are appointed by the owners of the entity, which in this case at hand, is the Mosley Hall Hospital. Thus, the management have the obligation and responsibility to ensure that they analyse the risks and assess it in order to ascertain what must be done within the organisation at a given point in time. In this case, they failed to conduct an appreciable level of risk analysis. Hence, they were held liable for the damages that were imputed upon them. Therefore, as a standard practice in ensuring appropriate care planning in a health facility, Langan and Lundow (2010) identify that there must be a professional at the health facility who will be responsible for assessing risks in operations at all times and ensuring that it is dealt with appropriately. Since the future cannot be predicted appropriately with a 100% certainty, there is the need for the professional in charge of health and safety monitoring to utilise the Mental State, Past Behaviour, Institutional standards and Social issues (Langan and Lundow, 2010). Thus, they must ensure that processes and procedures are utilised in the right way and manner to deal with issues and matters in an appropriate way and manner to attain results in their operations and affairs. Health and Safety Policy on Lifting and Handling Health Patients Health and safety rules, including Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 involve the presentation of responsibility and obligations to the top management of entities. This implies that the entity will have to put in place reasonable affairs and reasonable activities that will be carried out in the workplace to ensure the health and safety of all members of the organisation. This goes to the Board and the onus is on the board to ensure that there is an official risk assessment and analysis and an evaluation of issues and affairs. This will lead to the creation of a policy statement and a policy framework that will enable the workers to operate in the right way and manner (Mandelstam, 2012). There must be a policy framework that will provide a proactive method of analysing and detecting these risks and issues. Through this, risks like falling and lifting must be dealt with and proper and appropriate procedures must be put in place to ensure that the management of the organisation work with the best way and the best manner to provide the best results and guarantee the safety of the workers Policy Framework In order to ensure best practices, there is the need to come up with a policy framework that will be utilised to analys risks and come up with better approaches and better methods of protecting the health and safety of people who come onto their premises. The policy needs to cover the the conduct of senior professionals, junior professionals and other casual staff members like the people caused the injury to the pensioner in the case (Smith, 2005). There must be training and evaluation of the conduct of these persons. They must be given the framework within which they will work and carry out their activities and processes. This will help them to become productive and attain results in everything they do. With the policy in place, there must be a conscious care plan and this care plan must integrate elements and aspects of providing training and providing details for staff members (Cohen, 2013). There must be a way to draw a basic framework for guest staff members and guide them in affairs an activities they come up with. Dilemmas of Care Workers and Practical Issues In some cases, although there might be processes and procedures in a workplace like the lack of materials, emergency and unprecedented cases amongst others, there must be a way through which care workers can come up with dealing with them. In such tough situations and circumstances, Cohen (2013) recommends that there must be a system through which a senior professional with knowledge of medical ethics to be consulted on the premises. Such a person must come up with the best ethical solution to the matter at hand. This is the reason why the recommendation for a senior and top manager to be employed is necessary and important. Conclusion The basic framework of health and safety regulations are such that medical facilities are held responsible and liable for events and accidents that occur on the premises. This is because there is a general assumption that a health care facility has the duty and obligation of dealing with issues and affairs since they are professionals. In order to prevent issues, facilities are encouraged to have facility supervisors who are usually senior staff members who carry out various activities and processes in the organisation. Also, there must be a policy framework and system through which values can be formulated. The values must lead to the creation of a care plan and in cases where there is a dilemma, a senior professional with knowledge in medical ethics must be called upon to give a solution to the dilemma. References Cohen, E. L. 92013) Medical Case Management. London: SAGE Langan, J. and Lundow, V. (2010) Dealing with Risk London: Policy Press. Mandelstam, M. (2012) Practical Handling in Health and Social Care London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Smith, I J. (2005) Reducing the Risk of Falls in Your Health Care Organisation Oakbrook Terrance: Joint Commission Resources. Case 3 This section is about the implementation of health and safety policies and procedures in the workplace. To this end, the paper examines the case of a newly built hospital where the carpets are problematic. Due to its nature, it is difficult for mobile patient hoists to be moved during emergencies. After an assessment, it is identified that it is an important factor and the hoists are made of rubber, thus there is a major safety and work efficiency concern. This paper analyses the way forward and how to deal with the situation and matter. Default Position “Employers are obliged to carry out risk assessments and implement changes as necessary” (Saunders, 2004, p320). This implies that employers have a fundamental duty to ensure that they analyse issues and matters at a regular basis and find a way of dealing with issues in the workplace in order to improve working conditions, health and safety. “Equally, employees have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and to follow procedures provided for their protection” (Saunders, 2004, p320). The implication is that the obligation and the onus to ensure that machinery and equipment are of a high and reasonable standard falls upon both the employer and the employee. Thus, there is the need for some kind of proactive analysis and evaluation of the work environment to ensure that the work environment is safe and all equipment and procedures work together for the best and optimal results to ensure that the facility operates according to its required and expected standard. Monitoring The Issues at the Hospital Since it is apparent that the movement of the rubber wheel on the carpet is problematic, there is a duty of care that is placed upon the board and management of the hospital. There must be a formal approach and methodology through which a case of such a nature can be reported and documented. Usually, the board of a facility has the responsibility to set up a system of reporting, analysing and taking proper authoritative action (Bineham, 2013). Such a system will need to involve a process through which issues of these nature can be reported at the facility. This will include a manager or administrator in charge of the facility. Thus, the complaint by the people who use the wheels and stretcher people in the hospital must be noted and reported formally and this formal report must be documented in a way and manner that evidence will be compiled and action can be taken (Brooker et al, 2012). A system of monitoring health and safety include the identification of incidence and documenting them (Brooker et al, 2012). Once incidents are identified there is the need for the documentation of the prevalence and monitoring the process regularly in order to take appropriate action (Brooker et al, 2012). Appropriate Action Once the issue is brought to the fore, there is the need for the right action to be taken by the management of the organisation. This will normally include a period of proper investigation and analysis of the situation at hand (Brooker and Waugh, 2012). This is done by identifying the actual case and the actual issue at hand and its implication to the medical facility. The process will involve the identification of the issue with the wheels and the carpets. Once this is done, the impact of such a situation could be analysed and measured by the health and safety team of the management body. This could include the assessment of the delays in moving a patient whose life might depend on a speedy movement. Also, the report must assess the risks of patients getting injured and suing the health facility for negligence. When the report is presented, there must be the cost implications and the risks related to the issues at hand. This should be forwarded to the board of the hospital and the board must assess it, evaluate it and analyse the implication of the issue at hand. With this, a decisive action can be taken that will seek to deal with the issue and the problem of the soft carpet and the rubber wheels which is creating an issue and a problem. Board Evaluation In cases of emergency or where the report by the safety team on the premises state that the issue is serious and can have a far-reaching impact, there will be the need for immediate action. To this end, the management must immediately authorise a change in the wheels or the carpets to prevent any issues or matters that may bring issues to patients or further delays. In such a situation, there must be a memorandum sent by the health and safety department to the board chairman whilst immediate action is taken. However, this is only appropriate in a case where there is an emergency and health and safety is at an immediate risk. In a situation where this issue is not really an emergency, it must be presented to the board of directors for a critical review of options and possibilities. This will include discussions and analysis of the case, its impact and possible solutions to the problem. This will culminate in the evaluation of several options and possibilities that could be utilised. And this will normally lead to a solution that will be endorsed by the board. Implementation With a solution identified and all considerations discussed, there could be the implementation of the findings and recommendations. This will include the decisive action taken by the health and safety team and authorised by the board. In this cased, it is either the rubber tyres of the stretchers will be changed or the carpets will be modified. However, this must be done after documentation, careful consideration of options and a conscious choice endorsed by the board of the hospital. References Bineham, E. (2013) Health and Safety Regulations London: NHS Brooker, C., Nicol, M. and Alexander, M. F. (2012) Alexanders Nursing Practice London: Elsevier Health Brooker, C. and Waugh, A. (2012) Foundations of Nursing Practice London: Elsevier Health Saunders, S. (2004) “Practical Measures to Ensure Health and Safety in Theatres” Nursing Times 100 (11) Read More