In this assignment, I have been tasked with finding the mission, values, and key objectives of two organizations. It is crucial for organizations to identify their direction in order to assess their progress. This process, known as strategic planning, allows us to determine the goals and requirements that organizations, like living entities, must fulfill to survive. We must acknowledge that a business system always remains responsible for achieving its ideals and actualization. The two organizations I have chosen to examine are:
The NHS Bupa has basic properties that give it a structure and believability in society. It can adapt to fit current societal views. Organizations are arrangements for achieving collective goals. Over time, old ideas become outdated and new sustainable development becomes popular and accepted in our imperfect world.
When an organization begins, it must establish a foundation and cultural norms to meet the expectations of the human race. By examining the healthcare services of the NHS and Bupa, we can determine their specific mission, values, and objectives. Through this analysis, we can observe their business trends and overall goal of achieving success and dominance in their respective markets. While the NHS operates nationally, Bupa has an international presence.
The private sector and public sector are separate, with the former having various forms of ownership. Although the government is mainly responsible for operating the NHS, a few hospitals have been acquired by private entities. The majority of UK residents depend on the NHS, which is financed through taxes. Conversely, Bupa in the UK offers supplementary health insurance services along with diverse options like travel insurance, care homes, health assessments, occupational health services, and childcare.
Many private sector companies use their profits to provide health and safety benefits along with salaries. Bupa began offering company-paid insurance in 1950, starting with the BBC. It has since expanded its operations by acquiring Sanitas, Spain’s largest healthcare company, as well as IHI Danmark in Denmark and Amedex in Miami, establishing a global presence. Currently, Bupa is expanding further through a partnership with a leading Russian insurer. The creation of Bupa in the UK came about through the collaboration of 17 British provident associations with the goal of providing healthcare services to the general public.
The Bupa brand follows the mission statement of “Taking care of the lives in our hands”. It values ethics, accountability, and respect, and reinvests profits into its health and care businesses as a provident association without shareholders. Bupa aims to present a warm, friendly, open, accessible, caring, and empathetic brand in its communications. Its main goals include offering more services than the National Health Service (NHS) system in Britain and operating solely for its members. While initially focusing on health insurance in the UK, Bupa now provides policies to individuals, companies, and other organizations.
Bupa, the largest business within the company, has a significant presence in the business world. According to their website (http://www.bupa.com/whatwedo), approximately half of Britain’s top companies are customers of Bupa. Bupa is proud of its representation and holds strong core business values, such as sharing extensive knowledge and caring for the lives and well-being of families. These values guide Bupa’s behavior and beliefs throughout their global business.
They also bring us together as a family, giving us a common culture, and they inspire trust and loyalty in our people. (http://www. bupa. com/our-commitment/our-business-values) Bupa strategically categorizes their main core values and associates them with their general objectives, which is to take care of your well-being. Bupa continues to develop alongside the NHS in Britain and ensures the highest level of services for its members who require private healthcare. In addition to Bupa’s values, it also focuses on providing socialist-type community assistance, such as building health and community centers with their volunteers to promote and uphold the value of “care” and give back to the communities where they operate. The NHS, on the other hand, is publicly funded by the state and adapts to changes in the economy. As a business, it has performed well globally, leading innovations in medicine. The NHS’s expenditure is funded differently, with local population needs assessed by PCTs.
The NHS missions in different communities have a shared objective but vary based on each community’s specific needs. The Stockport NHS mission, as outlined in their mission statement (source: http://www.tockporthealth.nwest.nhs.uk/about-us/mission-statement/), is centered around delivering accessible and high-quality healthcare while prioritizing patient-centered care. They believe in treating patients with the same respect and care they desire for themselves and continuously strive to work harder for the benefit of their patients. Similarly, other locations like Hillingdon, Harrow, Bath, and various places throughout England also prioritize providing excellent care. These communities are dedicated to core values and principles that aim to accomplish their goals for the well-being of both patients and carers. The stakeholders involved in delivering this care include the public, local authorities, and charities. It is essential to assess how effectively these stated objectives are being implemented.
Despite being a free, national, public service, the question remains: is the NHS a wise investment? While it strives to offer accessibility to primary care, wherein any individual can consult their local GP without incurring any charges when feeling unwell or concerned about their well-being, the NHS holds various responsibilities – some upheld and some overlooked. Nonetheless, its primary focus persists in enhancing preventive measures against illnesses, while also providing necessary care. There is a collective desire for an NHS that demonstrates compassion and aids individuals in maintaining or improving their health, which is evident through initiatives such as flu vaccinations and smoking cessation advice.
The Government has set goals for the NHS, such as tackling discrimination, reducing care inequalities, and involving citizens in decision-making. However, issues like the Independent’s report on Stafford hospital have exposed problems like budget cuts and patient neglect. In today’s ever-changing free market environment, the Government might consider privatizing certain aspects of the NHS. This could involve outsourcing support services or implementing private finance projects for hospital construction. The Labour party disagrees with this idea and believes that control should remain in the public sector to ensure standards, quality, and value. The NHS operates as a non-profit organization with a focus on providing accessible and affordable healthcare for all. Non-profit organizations prioritize board development, fundraising, and volunteer management while for-profit organizations aim to maximize profit.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/dec/04/NHS.politics
The NHS has a social responsibility to maintain its relationship with stakeholders. Although there are some who argue that it would be more advantageous if the NHS were privately operated, it is important to appreciate the fact that most of its services are free and accessible to all citizens in our country within our economy. The main emphasis of the NHS is on the public, guaranteeing sustainable services that adhere to its standards, values, and key objectives. Ultimately, the goal of the NHS is to promote equality by eradicating discrimination and prioritizing patients and the public.
Healthcare outcomes are typically personal, and as conflict arises, there is a need for compromise. The government has called for setting aside bureaucracy and allowing clinicians and the public to determine what is best for the public healthcare service. The NHS white paper emphasizes a shared decision-making process, with the principle of ‘nothing about me, without me’. Although the coalition government is just beginning, it is challenging to justify the success of their planning from the perspective of stakeholders. With evolving opinions and technology, achieving a stable quality of life becomes increasingly difficult.
People desire the option of choosing their healthcare provider or receiving out of hours care. On the other hand, the NHS aims to have greater control over the circumstances surrounding treatment and care. This is primarily to prevent complaints from local communities reaching higher levels of budget control and influence the direction of the NHS as an organization. The NHS specifically wants local authorities to play a larger role in serving consumers. However, this can only lead to progress if customer satisfaction is prioritized and personalized care is provided to each individual.
The framework establishes the direction and accountability for the NHS, public health, and social care. The Secretary of State will set national objectives for improving population health outcomes through the Public Health Service, which local authorities will implement as they see fit. In doing so, they may commission services from NHS care providers. Consequently, local authorities bear the responsibility if unfavorable circumstances arise.
References
http://www.stockporthealth.nwest.nhs.uk/
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-real-lessons-of-this-nhs-disaster-1909596.html
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhealth/111/111we07.htm Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS
http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/index.htm#anchor323314 Wikipedia
www.bupa.co.uk
