Paper Example on Operational and Supply Issues at Maudsley Hospital

Introduction

Operations management is an important component of any business as it plays an integral role in the overall performance of a business. Businesses have different departments whose functions are combined to realize organizational goals. Logistics and supply chain management link some of these functions to ensure that there is a smooth transition of activities resulting in the quality production of goods and services (Jacobs, Chase & Lummus, 2014, 534). It is through the efforts of operations management that companies can keep its activities running. Businesses strive to meet the demands of its clients by using limited resources. The desire to remain efficient is a continuous goal of a business, and the management is tasked with developing strategies that can ensure that there is maximum efficiency (Langabeer & Helton, 2015, 25). Right from acquiring raw materials, processing, packaging, marketing, and operations management is integral in coordinating activities with the roles of human resources. The concepts of operations management are crucial, and managers should be in a position to understand the role of operations management in the daily operations of the business. This essay will critically analyze the management of people and quality in operations management for The Maudsley Hospital and further conduct an environmental analysis using triple bottom line framework where appropriate recommendations will be made to help the hospital develop better strategies on operations management.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Introduction to the Company and Chosen Topics

The Maudsley Hospital has a rich history dating back to 1247 (SLaM., 2018, 1). The hospital was previously referred to as Bethlem and Maudsley Trust (SLaM., 2018, 1). In 1403, the facility officially declared a hospital for the insane where it started offering psychiatric treatment (SLaM., 2018, 1). It was not until 1907 when psychiatrist Henry Maudsley founded the hospital in its present location in south London (SLaM., 2018, 1). Maudsley Hospital has transformed to be a center of excellence when it comes to mental health. The hospital has developed addiction center that addresses all addiction needs such as drug abuse, smoking, and alcoholism. The Maudsley Hospital is part of the larger South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SlaM), Kings College London and Institute of Psychiatry (SLaM., 2018, 1). Over the last few years, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) have lauded Maudsley Hospital for its continuous efforts in research to find treatment solutions to major mental problems. The Maudsley Hospital has a leading mental health training institute which facilitates research into psychological issues. The hospital has been successful in developing improved approaches to treat heroin addiction. The research has led to a discovery that cannabis and schizophrenia. It is through their research that there have been reviews of laws by the government. The internal quality report delivered by SLaM identified human resource and quality management as areas improvement (SLaM, 2016, 8). The report highlighted challenges in communication, poor motivation of employers, lack of commitment towards research, promotions and personal safety of staff and patients within the hospital.

Managing Quality

Organizations continue to face challenges that affect their overall productivity and brand. Just like any other organization, hospitals are faced with similar challenges even though they operate in a sector where quality and efficiency is critical. Clients are usually attracted by quality services something that raises the need to manage quality in any organizations. Quality management is concerned with excellence where core activities and tasks are looked at to ensure that they operate within the desired standards (Ross, 2017, 4). The process of managing quality encompasses the establishment of policies, standards, and procedures that guide how things are done. Each organization has established its ways of managing quality even though there are unique aspects that are common. It is through quality management that an organization can keep customers able (Oakland & Morris, 2013, 7). The ability to satisfy the needs of a customer creates loyalty which has a ripple effect on growth and stability. Healthcare is a sector where quality must be maintained and managed. It is through quality management that patients will be able to heal fast through quality health services. When patients visit a hospital, they desire to receive quality health care that can speed up the process of recovery. Hospitals that can manage quality at all levels attract clients due to the perception and the confidence developed in their services. The models used by organizations in delivering services are crucial in determining the level of quality (Goetsch & Davis, 2014, 48). Medical practitioners must adhere to the laid down system since it is ethical and that the organization operates effectively using such a system. The U.K., for example, has been ranked as the best commonwealth country when it comes to quality healthcare. The reasons for their success are credited to the Beveridge model which helps to lower the cost of healthcare (SLaM, 2016, 2). It is through such systems that hospitals such as Maudsley have been able to focus on quality issues and develop a brand as one of the best mental hospitals.

Hospitals need to measure their quality of services to be able to initiate changes that will transform healthcare. The Maudsley Hospital is continually engaging in quality measurement to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies of achieving quality expectations ((SLaM, 2016, 6). Quality issues in a medical environment are measured base on the experience of the patients. When patients arrive at a medical facility, their attitudes and perception will start to develop right from the manner in which they are received at the level of care they receive (Lean et al. 2015, 209). The views about quality will vary between patients due to different scales of measurement (Oakland, 2014, 12). Considering the nature of services provided by the Maudsley Hospital, it is difficult to measure quality from the client's perspective. The clients of this hospitals are patients with diverse mental health problems. As such, they cannot give qualified opinions on the level of quality since their health needs take longer to be achieved. Guardian and close family members, therefore, provide opinions on their experiences which can be shared with the rest of the public. The Maudsley Hospital will focus on using their tested treatment approaches to address the different challenges they face on a daily basis ((SLaM, 2016, 6). Hospitals continually seek to improve their services by acquiring better techniques that can improve health outcomes. The move to improve quality is driven by competition and the desire to maintain their position in the industry.

At Maudsley Hospital, quality issues are regarded with the move by the hospital to hire and retain highly skilled staff. In such an institution, correct diagnosis of a mental issue is crucial, and experts are required to maintain quality in diagnosis. The Hospital has a large training institute that deals with mental health. This institute helps the organization to research and find solutions to new issues that arise in practice. Treatment solutions are first researched and tested with the help of the institute. All quality issues at Maudsley Hospital are handled by the management in collaboration with the institute ((SLaM, 2016, 13). Maudsley Hospital is a leader in mental health treatment, and hospitals such as Nightingale Hospital and West London Mental Health benchmark on the best practices developed at Maudsley to provide health services. Maudsley should use the reports drafted by CQC and its internal reports to improve on its quality ((SLaM, 2016, 2). It should also consider using different total quality management models to measure and regulate its quality standards. Hospitals are required to maintain and be driven by quality at all times. It should be noted that patients can sue Hospitals for negligence and failure to provide quality services. As such, Maudsley should avoid such issues by focusing on quality management.

Managing People

Managing people is the core activity of the human resource department in any organization. Organizations require resources to run and operate, and human resource is a critical component in the operations of a business. It is through the human resources that the organization appreciate the role of employees in the daily running of an organization (Bratton & Gold, J., 2017, 14). An organization that is endowed with quality and experienced human resources has high chances of developing a competitive edge. Different strategies adopted by different organizations in regards to human resources have shown that management of people is not all about recruitment and training (Kehoe & Wright, 2013, 370). Human resource management is about creating a highly motivated team by developing reward and performance appraisal system that motivates employees and feel some sense of entitlement. The human resources perform five key functions in selection and recruitment, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and compliance. These functions must be adhered to since they influence one another. Right from recruitment to compliance, human resources managers must get it right to avoid compromising on quality issues. According to Kehoe & Wright (2013), recruitment is an important component that determines the success of human resource strategies (380). The process of recruitment should be used to acquire highly skilled staff who match the needs and standards of an organization. For the healthcare industry, recruitment strategies should focus on a candidate's ability to attend to patients demands with the utmost professionalism. There have been numerous cases of deaths that occur which have been directed to the negligence and incompetence of the medical staff. Such incidences expose laxity and loopholes that exist in recruitment processes of different hospitals. Quality in healthcare is best achieved with highly skilled staff who are knowledgeable about the health needs of the patients. A hospital like Maudsley must develop good recruitment strategies that enable them to acquire the best professionals in the industry.

Armstrong & Taylor (2014), notes that human resources in a health organization must develop good job designs that will ease the process of recruitment (22). The design should have clear expectations and competencies that must be displayed by potential candidates. Employees who are committed to excellence can be sourced with quality job design. Bratton & Gold (2017), argues that human resources in an organization must go beyond the function of recruitment (17). Even if organizations recruit highly skilled staff who end up losing morale, the quality of services are also likely to be affected. The management should put into consideration things that can motivate and entice employees to work to the best of the abilities. Kehoe & Wright (2013), argues that training and development not only prepares employees to be better equipped to handle their tasks but also offer motivation (384). Employees develop that sense of belonging from the efforts of the management of improving their skills. Compensation is an important factor in improving the motivation of employees. Organizations must come up with a competitive compensation structure to attract and retain highly skilled staff. It is through efficient compensation structures that employees will be motivated to work for an organization. Some employees value...