Achieving patient-focused maintenance services/systems

MAY, D. and CLARK, L. (2009). Achieving patient-focused maintenance services/systems. Journal of facilities management, 7 (2), 128-141.

[img]
Preview
PDF
May_JFM_Estates_Paper.pdf - Accepted Version
Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.

Download (106kB) | Preview
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14725960910952514
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1108/14725960910952514

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate the contribution made from the estates services to the quality of the patient experience from the perspective of all estates staff ranging from front-line staff to directors of estates and facilities. The work is exploratory in nature owing to no known earlier studies in this area.

Design/methodology/approach – A postal questionnaire is distributed to a non-random self-selecting group of National Health Service (NHS) estates staff – therefore those staff working in the areas of maintenance, engineering, building, gardening and general office estates management. A total of 920 questionnaires are distributed to the 46 NHS trusts. There are 202 responses, which is a return rate of 22 per cent.

Findings – It is clear that overall estates staff consider their job/service to be important to the patient experience, 94 per cent of respondents indicate they did. This is further confirmed by 82 per cent of estates line managers considering their job to be important to the patient experience. In terms of how estates feel they contribute to the patient experience, there is a range of responses, however the main reason highlighted is the recognition that the hospital could not function without the service being provided, i.e. the maintenance of essential services, water, power and the general infrastructure. Estates departments perhaps need on patient awareness of the services they provide and the importance of them in making the hospital function.

Research limitations/implications – The results presented provide a useful insight into how estates departments in the NHS perceive their contribution to the patient experience. However, they are not without limitations. First, the sample size is relatively small; and second non-random sampling techniques are used.

Originality/value – The findings suggest a number of avenues for future work. The most obvious would be to investigate the level of awareness from patients regarding estates services in the NHS.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is the author version of a paper published in Journal of facilities management, 7(2), 2009.
Uncontrolled Keywords: National Health Service, United Kingdom, maintenance programmes, facilities, patients
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Sheffield Business School Research Institute > Service Sector Management
Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Sheffield Business School > Department of Service Sector Management
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1108/14725960910952514
Page Range: 128-141
Depositing User: Users 4 not found.
Date Deposited: 08 Feb 2010 16:13
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 04:21
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1065

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics