Introduction
Patients always expect to receive quality treatment whenever they visit a hospital facility and that their health concerns are addressed adequately (Braithwaite, 2018). Healthcare is a predominant factor that significantly impacts a country’s political, social, and economic well-being, hence the need for awareness and knowledge of the key performance indicators and their impact (Garber, 2019). Key performance indicators in hospitals are useful in identifying gaps and barriers affecting the quality of patient services (Rosen et al., 2018). This report provides an in-depth analysis of key performance indicators used to determine the health and safety of St. Thomas Hospital London, specifically in the surgery department. The surgical department was chosen because of its sensitivity and strategic importance when handling patients.
Skilled and quality manpower
The target role of skilled and quality manpower is to analyze the hospital’s capability, particularly its surgical department, in meeting the needs of the patients (Agarwal et al., 2019). The sensitive nature of cases handled in the surgical department requires an adequate staff that is well-trained and able to deal with emergencies that may emerge during the procedure (). St. Thomas’ Hospital London has one of the best-qualified specialized health professionals (Guys and Thomas Hospital, 2022). However, with an increase in patients, the hospital has witnessed a shortage in manpower affecting its rate of operations and quality of services.
However, inadequate staff attendance in the unit has reduced the quality of services, as many patients needing critical care are left unattended. Staff attendance has further influenced the needed cooperation and coordination, leading to inadequate provision of critical services. In this sense, minimal or no risks are discussed in deeper detail to develop effective solutions. Moreover, the lack of coordination and cooperation has led to an insufficient and dysfunctional working environment among the department staff, characterized by increased delays in attending to patients. The hospital management in the surgical department has been heavily criticized for inadequate supervision, support, and mentoring of junior staff and the need to develop an organizational culture that is not only open and practical but also inclusive and integrative (Duan et al., 2021). Even though there are daily handovers, they could be more detailed hence the increased lack of attendance. Moreover, the surgical dashboard ratings provided by the surgical department must be better displayed and recorded, meaning that the management and patients must be better informed on the outcomes and potential risks of surgical processes and procedures.
Supplies and equipment
Agarwal et al. (2019) argue that the availability of supplies and equipment is as important as having qualified personnel in the hospital’s departments, as hospital personnel can only effectively work with adequate availability of supplies and equipment. The unit’s staff effectively and adequately uses the necessary supplies, equipment, and control measures to ensure all stakeholders, including patients, are well protected from infection. The supplies and equipment used in the surgical department have been recorded t be clean and regularly checked for maintenance. To promote optimal hygiene practices, the department ensures that its clinical waste is disposed of as required. Moreover, the department’s clinical records are regularly updated.
Supplies and equipment also influence the department’s technical activities and operations, including appropriately performing surgeries. Supplies and equipment promote surgery precision and achieve positive patient outcomes (Rosen et al., 2018). Availability of adequate personal preventive equipment (P.P.E.) and antibiotics and regular disinfection of surgical rooms increased the success of surgical operations without implications such as the transmission of infections between the health personnel and the patients. Lack of supplies, such as required I.T. tools, has contributed to technical malfunctions in the surgical department with serious consequences on patients’ health. Additionally, the need for more supplies such as drugs and other resources and equipment in the surgical unit is influenced by the government underfunding the facility, jeopardizing patients’ safety and well-being.
Thromboprophylaxis
The rationale behind analyzing thromboprophylaxis is to determine how surgeons in the surgical department of St. Thomas’ Hospital London can minimize the unit’s mortality rate. Thromboprophylaxis is a strategy that involves using antithrombotic drugs and mechanical methods to promote venous flow from the legs (Horner et al., 2020). According to Spyropoulos and Raskob (2017), thromboprophylaxis is among the top strategies for reducing mortality in patients who undergo surgical processes. However, despite the high benefits of thromboprophylaxis supported by massive evidence from research among surgical patients, the strategy is rarely used. Through interviewing four doctors working in the surgical unit, I confirmed that thromboprophylaxis is one of the least intervention methods used in the unit, especially on patients at risk of venous thromboembolism.
Complications of care
Care complications are a common phenomenon that patients tend to experience as an aftermath of surgical procedures, including temporary or lifetime disability or even death (Grocott et al., 2017). Factors such as wrong diagnosis, the condition of the patient and inadequate supplies are some factors that contribute to complications of care in the surgical unit. Research conducted by Agarwal et al. (2019) asserts that there are instances where it is impossible to avoid care complications. For St. Thomas’ Hospital London, complications of care have been caused by a lack of inadequate supplies, reduced staff attendance and mistakes made by the medical staff while addressing patient’s concerns (Care Quality Commission, 2022). Additionally, the hospital has been facing computer meltdowns causing care complications during a recent heat wave. According to the hospital management, the heat wave led to delays in operations, with all departments experiencing cancellations due to the I.T. failure. The Trust’s main duty is to protect the safety of the patients, and the Harm Review indicated increased harm to patients in the hospital. For example, even though no severe harm was caused, one patient could not get a transplant when donor organs had been found during the heat wave period (Guys & St. Thomas, 2023).
Mortality rates
According to Grocott et al. (2017), death is among the dreadful eventualities among patients needing surgical procedures. Moreover, mortalities in the surgical unit may be influenced by factors such as equipment malfunction or human error. St. Thomas’ Hospital’s surgical unit has a mortality rate of 11% (Guys and Thomas, 2022). Inadequate supplies influence the relatively high mortality rate, lack of adequate health personnel, and high staff attendance in the unit.
Recommendations for implementation
The surgical department is responsible for creating a conducive and healthy working environment by ensuring their staff is motivated to increase attendance. S.T. Thomas’ Hospital London’s surgical department should ensure its human resource department hires an adequate number of well-trained and qualified personnel in the surgical department in order to maintain its reputation. The hospital management should provide regular training on hygiene among the unit’s health care providers to create a culture of the high level of hygiene and limit cases of infections during and after surgical procedures. The staff should be motivated through developing strategies such as incentives to increase their performance and reduce staff attendance. The surgical teams should be trained on the effectiveness and efficacy of the thromboprophylaxis intervention method to promote positive outcomes, especially in patients with venous thromboembolism.
Additionally, there is a need for the hospital Trust to develop a strategic plan to ensure effective computer processing, data storage and backup to avoid I.T. failure and malfunctions (Guys & Thomas, 2023). The Trust should also consider writing to the N.H.S. England, alerting them on I.T. failure caused by a change in weather to develop effective mitigations. Moreover, there is a need for adequate provision of hospital supplies and adequate health personnel to reduce the high mortality rate in the surgical unit.
Conclusion
Examining the surgical unit of St. Thomas Hospital London is critical as it deals with sensitive cases in human health care. The key performance indicators discussed in this report explain the unit’s condition in satisfying patients’ needs. There is a need to train the surgical team on the efficacy of using thromboprophylaxis as an intervention for increasing patient outcomes. Generally, the surgical unit indicates a high level of preparedness in addressing patients’ health concerns except for minor issues. However, among other issues, there is a need for adequately trained healthcare providers in the surgical department to assist in reducing medical errors and the high mortality rate.
References
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