The NHS is not a business so its not relevant is it? Lets see....
Does the NHS care about quality?
Does it care about customer service?
Who are the customers?
Does it make sales?
Our NHS clients certainly think so.
Rather than Sales each Primary Care Trust is set Terms of Reference and these filter down to each department which is allocated responsibilities, targets and a budget. The PCTs are allocated funds to provide Healthcare for patients in their area and so “Marketing” a Trust is based on quality and performance. All of us are aware of “3 star” hospitals and the moves towards Foundation Hospitals which will have more independence. The hospital star system is based on Key Performance Indicators decided on by the Government and its advisors but success is crucial to maintaining the status of the hospital its management, its reputation in the local area and to increasing its funding.
Who are the customers then? The Primary Care Trust, the Government who allocates the money, other staff in other departments, and of course the patients and their relatives.
Do they need Audits and Management Reviews?
Audits are applicable to every organisation to ensure that staff are carrying
out what is required of them. Management reviews again apply to every
organisation since the top management need to set direction and targets and
monitor performance against those objectives. In the Clinical sense, processes
are monitored through “Evidence Based Practice”. And Management review is
Clinical Governance.
Do they need Document Control?
Yes because they have processes, procedures and Work Instructions, External
Documents to control etc
Do they need to control records?
Certainly patient records are vital either on paper or electronically
Do they make purchases?
Of course and they need to keep control to ensure they stay within budget.
Is their work process driven?
Each type of work is carried out in line with laid down procedures whether to
do with drug administration or washing their hands.
Is Identification and Traceability required?
Very much so. They need to know who did what to who where and when. Mrs White
in the kitchen with the dagger (well I hope not!).
What about inspection and testing?
Again very relevant. We need to know that the right drugs have been
prescribed in the right doses for the right patient and we want to know who gave
them.
Do they ever have Non-Conformances?
We all do, be they customer complaints (see who are customers above),
supplier problems or internal errors.
Is handling and storage applicable?
Absolutely. Some items need special storage in certain temperature controlled
conditions, some others have “use by” dates.
Is calibration relevant?
Certainly. Some equipment has to be accurate and hence needs to be tested and
calibrated
Are training records required to prove staff are competent?
I certainly hope so!
Is design applicable?
In some areas of the NHS probably not but in other areas it may well be. A
program of treatment and post operative rehabilitation may be specifically
tailored to particular patient needs.
Do they need customer feedback?
Why not? It is relevant what patients think of the service as well as the other types
of customers discussed above. Everybody needs to know what their customers think
of them and how they could improve.
What about internal targets for improvement?
The Government is setting improvement targets for the NHS trusts and scoring
them so each area needs to be focussing on what measures affect them and how
they can improve to the benefit of themselves and their patients.
So is ISO 9000 relevant to the NHS
What do you think?
If you would like to add your thoughts to this page and help us to grow this public document then please Contact Us and we will add it. The same applies if you would like to suggest a new industry sector.