What are health care standards?

Quite simply, they are the standards to which all health care and associated professionals must abide by.

Who works out health care standards?

This depends on the type of health care. However, the Health Care Standards Unit (HCSU) is a national body that oversees monitors and lays down guidelines for GPs and other primary health care teams.

How does the Health Care Standards Unit operate?

The HCSU has identified several areas which the organisation feels are the most appropriate. These are:

1. Management arrangement
2. Patient experience
3. Providing primary health care
4. Management of medicines
5. Patient records and information
6. Clinical governance
7. Risk management and assessment
8. Running a practice

How does the HCSU work out what standards are needed?

Some years ago the unit published a document to help develop a framework for creating high health care standards, by which all health providers should consider when providing services. These include

1. Challenging discrimination.

1. Ensuring all people can access the right services for their needs.

1. Ensure the quality of service provided is at the highest level possible irrespective of the recipient’s background.

1. Ensure that each person’s human rights are respected, including employees.

1. Ensure all people are treated equally and with equal respect and dignity, including employees.

Do health care standards apply to private medical providers?

The short answer is yes. All practitioners working in the private sector are legally obliged to register with the Health Care Commission (now Care Quality Commission).

The Care Standards Act also lays down strict rules governing all private medical practices including private hospitals. Each hospital must also have its own Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) which is composed of a group of medical consultants.

The job of the MAC is to advise the management of the private hospital, with particular reference to clinical issues. This includes ensuring anyone employed by the hospital is qualified.

The MAC also monitors the performance of its hospital employees to ensure they are providing the highest health care standards some of which include

1. Ensuring the individual is qualified and has the necessary expertise to carry out the clinical work.
2. Ensuring the individual is competent.
3. Monitoring the record keeping of both the individual practitioner and the hospital overall.

What is the Care Quality Commission?

This is the official body that ensure that all health professionals are adhering to the health care standards as laid down by the Health Care Standards Unit

Modern health and medicine is growing at a relentless pace. To most people this means doctors, nurses and hospitals. However, it is much more than this. There are many services offered by health professionals, either within the NHS, private or both, which are all vital in helping to maintain good health care standards expected nowadays.

Below is a brief list of some of these ancillary health services.

Chiropody

Also called Podiatry, this profession ensures that patients’ feet are well cared for. This is particularly important for diseases such as diabetes. Chiropodists often work in private practice but offer the same level as service that you will find in the NHS. Many work for both.

Audiology and Ophthalmology

Being able to hear and see is vital. As such, this service is important for people of all ages as it helps diagnose and treat problems which would otherwise go unnoticed. Private practice opticians will often work closely with GPs and other medical professionals in treating patients who have potentially associated eye problems resulting from disorders such as diabetes.

Radiography

There are two types of radiographers – normal and therapy. Normal radiographers are those health professionals who take X-Rays or Ultrasound scans. Therapy radiographers administer X-Ray radiation in order to treat cancer.

Phlebotomists

These particular health professionals are involved in drawing blood for either diagnostic testing or for blood transfusions. Early diagnosis of blood is massively important as it will determine the type of treatment required. Phlebotomists are perhaps the unsung heroes, but they need to be highly skilled in what they do.

Nutritionists / Dieticians

Another, often forgotten but just as important in terms of health care standards, is the Nutritionist. But, as with all ancillary professions it is a vital one. Proper nutrition is an important part of controlling diet and ensuring patients eat well before, during and after treatment of any health problem including surgery. Also called dieticians, they offer advice and guidance on what to eat, what not to eat and how to ensure a balanced diet. Many people suffer from food intolerances so will need help in knowing what foodstuffs to avoid.

Haematologists

Although this is essentially a backroom profession, haematologists should be medically trained. One of their jobs is to analyse blood samples taken by the phlebotomist. They may however specialise in various branches of haematology including treating blood disorders such as haemophilia, treating blood cancers such as lymphoma, working at the blood bank or working in the laboratory dealing with a variety of blood related issues including research.

Pharmacists

Most people’s encounter with the local Chemist is to put in a prescription or buy over-the-counter medicines. However pharmacists do much more than this. While not medically trained they have to know enough physiology and biology in order to understand the effects of any drugs they dispense. Until recently, pharmacists were responsible for the preparation of tablets and pills. Nowadays, these are already prepared at the required dosage by the pharmaceutical or Drug Company. However chemists can give advice on many health related issues, particularly the sort of medication that you should be using.

Health regulations refer to information, guidance and rules that should be followed in respect of public health. The rules laid down are agreed by member countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO), and are legally binding on all the member States.

These regulations are written down in a document called International Health Regulations (IHA) with purpose of standardising what needs to be done to protect, prevent and control any global health issues. It also provides information on the best ways to ensure good health care standards are applied throughout the world.

What’s in the IHA?

Amongst other things, there is a list of major diseases which the World Health Organisation needs to be told about if ever there is an outbreak. These include small pox, polio and human influenza, the latter prevalent at the moment with the recent outbreak of Swine Flu. The regulations also lay down what individual countries must do to ensure that their own citizens are informed and protected against major health issues. In Britain, this role is carried out currently by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Health Protection Agency

This is a government funded independent body that was set up in 2003. Its purpose is to protect the general public from contagious and infectious diseases and environmental hazards. It does this in a number of ways:

1. Informing the general public on how best to stay healthy and avoid contacting anything that might be hazardous to health. It gives out regular information either through the media or via its own publications.
2. It keeps health professionals – doctors, nurses, etc up to date with the latest information.
3. It provides Government with information and data which helps Ministers’ make the right decisions. This is particularly important as Government’s role is to prevent panic.
4. By using a coordinated approach to health, the HPA can also prevent potential threats whether these are natural, accidental or even deliberate.

As well as the main Quango, there are also 26 local health protection units, 8 regional microbiology laboratories and 37 hospital laboratories.

Food Standards Agency

While first thoughts about health are usually connected with disease, health regulations also cover food and drink.

Until fairly recently, most people were unaware of how the food and drink bought was manufactured. However, to ensure what the public eat and drink is both safe and healthy, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was created at the end of 1999. It became operational in 2000.

Like the Health Protection Agency it is a Government funded Quango that provides information to both the general public and Government alike about food safety, starting from the farm and finishing at the shop where it is bought. Its primary role is to ensure good health care standards are maintained including how food is grown, how animals are treated and how food is manufactured.

As well as giving out advice on such things as food hygiene and allergies, the FSA carries out research; it also works closely with local Trading Standards departments, food law enforcement officers and other public health agencies to ensure the end consumer is protected.

As well as ensuring good medical practice, doctors and other medical practitioners must conform to guidelines regarding general good health care standards. This particular requirement is governed by a body called the Health Care Standards Unit (HSCU). It regularly updates and produces professional guidelines which should be followed by GPs and other medical practitioners. In short, it is a kind of ‘quality standards rule book’ and covers a wide range of things from actual medical care to psychological treatment of the patient during consultation.

HSCU Standards

Via a framework set up by the HSCU, the latter will oversee a number of things that ensures doctors and other health professionals maintain both best practice as well as health care standards. Such things include challenging discrimination. Every patient in the UK has the same right to access and proper medical care irrespective of race, colour, religion or sexual orientation. Any medical professional not observing the rules governing discrimination is open to being prosecuted. Alongside this is the respect for, and protection of basic human rights. These rights are now enshrined in the Human Rights Act, and any doctor, whether private or working for the NHS, must adhere to the regulations laid down in this Act.

Equality of Opportunity

The HSCU also ensures that all patients have an equal opportunity to the best possible medical care. Obviously, for those who rely on the NHS there may be times when the patient has to wait for treatment. In these circumstances private practices may be a better option. But even here all patients must be treated the same.

Patient Involvement

Without patients there would effectively be no need for doctors. As such, patients are the most important part of any health system, private or State. However at times patients can sometimes feel they are not taken seriously. As part of ensuring high health care standards, patients should not feel that they are being talked down to or talked at, but rather that their concerns are listened to. With this in mind, doctors and other medical professionals are expected to allow patients to have some say in how they are cared for or treated.

For example, patients should be given choices including whether or not having private treatment may be more beneficial to them. Rather than waiting for treatment on the NHS. The National Health Service will pay for treatment even if that treatment is carried out by a private medical doctor, although this depends on whether the local health authority can afford it.

As well as abiding by strong ethical guidelines, medical practitioners must also ensure that they are offering their patients the highest possible health care standards. This could be a simple as ensuring they wash their hands before touching the patient to keeping proper records.

Registration

In the UK all doctors whether private or working for the NHS should have both the correct qualifications and be properly registered to work in the UK. Failure to do so could see the doctor struck off. At the very least, the individual will be called before a medical court held by the British Medical Association to explain himself or herself to the BMA.

The BMA is basically the governing body that controls the behaviour of all doctors in Britain. They have the power to oversee everything that is associated with the medical profession, including registration and complaints.

Complaining to the BMA

If you have any concerns regarding your GP, private practitioner or hospital, then the BMA has produced information on how to go about making an official complaint. While some people may feel nothing ever gets done, this is quite incorrect. The medical profession takes complaints seriously.

Before making a complaint, however, it might be worthwhile checking whether the doctor in question is actually registered, and more importantly whether they have a licence to practice. The BMA keeps an up to date list of all qualified doctors who are both registered and eligible to practice. This is online so is easily checked.

The BMA introduced licensing in 2009, but they also intend to go further by introducing a revalidation scheme. This new system will require all doctors to prove that they are up to date with their knowledge, etc., as well as being fit to practice.

Other Organisations

The BMA is not the only organisation to ensure that doctors both in the NHS and private practice are upholding health care standards. Since 2008 for instance, Local Networks or LINKs have been set up in each local authority in England to give citizens a say on both the health and social care needs of the local population.

A similar system is in operation in the other provinces. In Wales, for instance they are called Community Health Councils. In Scotland there is one body known as the Scottish Health Council while in Northern Ireland, Health and Social Health Care Councils are eager to take your views.

Patient Groups

Patients are also served by a number of voluntary and charitable groups, all of which are aimed at ensuring the highest health care standards are maintained. Patient groups include Action Against Medical Accidents, Asthma UK, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Relief, Patient Concern, Patients Association and Royal Mencap Society.

The Royal Mencap Society is dedicated to making sure that mentally ill people are treated fairly and equitably in just the same way as those with medical problems.

Other Regulators

In the UK there are around 13 other regulatory bodies called Health and Social Care Regulators, all of which act as a kind of overseer of both private and State medical practitioners. They are composed only of professionals.

Before being able to practice medicine or any allied health care profession, doctors are required to subscribe to the Hippocratic Oath. This basically says ‘first do no harm’. For centuries, the Hippocratic Oath was and still is the basis by which all doctors should ensure that they offer the highest health care standards, whether that is in private practice or the NHS.

Over the years, however, as medical advances have been made, there has been many times whereby the Hippocratic Oath has been severely tested. For instance, when a person is on life support it is often a dilemma as to whether to switch it off or not. Without doubt, medical advances have produced ethical and moral dilemmas for all medical practitioners. As such, in recent years the medical profession drew up guidelines to which all doctors, nurses and other associated professionals must adhere to.

World Health Organisation

The major ethical guidelines which doctors subscribe to internationally, was created by the World Health Organisation (WHO), an offshoot body of the United Nations. These ethical guidelines cover a whole array of medical problems in order to ensure that every doctor, whether private or working for the State, such as the NHS, offer the same health care standards as is possible. One area which now predominates is how to deal ethically with pandemics such as Influenza, which can travel around the world now so fast it can cause major international medical and health problems.

Biomedical Ethics

A growing area of concern is that of biomedicine. Ethical guidelines should now be followed when treating people with diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Ethical treatment of patients suffering from this debilitating disease is paramount, particularly in combating prejudice.

Cloning

Cloning is effectively re-creating the same organism. While scientists may have good reasons to carry out research in this area, human cloning is not considered to be ethically sound.

Long Term Care

With an ever aging population, what to do with people who require long term care is fast becoming a problem, not just medically. There are major cost implications for a group of people who are living longer but still needing care for the associated medical problems in getting old. Private medical practitioners are now at the fore-front of this ranging from research to offering homes and shelter which would have one time been the sole prerogative of the local authority.

Human Organ and Transplantation

As medical research advances many lives are being saved as a result. Using human organs for transplantation in another human being requires stringent ethical guidelines. There is a shortage of donors and a growing waiting list of patients, so marrying these up can be both difficult and stressful for all concerned.

British Medical Association (BMA)

The BMA is the controlling body that ensure that all medical doctors whether they work in the NHS or private practice follow the ethical guidelines set down by both the BMA and WHO. Failure to keep to these rules or failure to give patients the highest health care standards can render the doctor stuck off.