The impact of Lean and Six Sigma management in the departments of Dissertation

The impact of Lean and Six Sigma management in the departments of Radiology of NHS Hospital - Dissertation Example ther Research 30 Bibliography 31 Appendix 34 Information and Consent form 34 Page Is Intentionally Left Blank Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction This chapter focuses on acquainting the reader with relevant information related to the study. The chapter ensures that the reader is able to identify the study topic and gets background information on the same. The content of the chapter includes research area, research aim, justification for research, research objectives, research questions, and the structure of the dissertation. The chapter also introduces the reader to Lean and Six Sigma management and its benefits in NHS hospitals. 1.2 Research Area The impact of Lean and Six Sigma within the departments of Radiology in NHS Hospitals. 1.3 Research Aim The main aim of this research was to assess how radiology departments of Queens Medical Centre (QMC) and Nottingham City hospitals have adopted and implemented Lean and Six Sigma management in their operations. The research also focu sed on evaluating the impact of Lean and Six Sigma management style in the radiology department. When evaluating the impact of Lean and Six Sigma management on QMC and City Hospitals, the research considered factors such as waiting times and financial impacts. This is because these factors are critical towards attainment of quality and efficiency in performance of various functions in the hospitals. Moreover, financial impact determines the ability of the hospitals to adopt Lean and Six Sigma management style. 1.4 Justification of Research QMC and City Hospitals have been at the forefront in the provision of health services and information to British citizens. Since the initiation of these hospitals, they have had several drastic changes. Some of these changes include adoption and... The paper focuses on identifying theory and concepts, which exists in the field of Lean and Six Sigma management within the healthcare industry. This chapter also focuses on identifying the origin, the tools and techniques, and the current level of Six Sigma implementation within NHS hospitals and healthcare industry at large. The information gathered from the literature review will contribute significantly towards making of effective conclusions on Lean and Six Sigma management in NHS Hospitals. The healthcare industry is a vast web of contradiction and complexity. It has focused on the provision of astounding advances in treatment and technology. However, this industry is a victim of resource constraints, errors, inefficiencies and several other issues, which are a threat to safety and accessibility of patient care safety. The Institute of Medicine, in 2008, released a report, which indicated that over 98,000 people die annually due to medical errors. This report highlighted a need for effective, quality improvement within the healthcare industry. Financial concern has become a factor, which influence the efficiency of operation of healthcare institutions. This is because the cost of supplies and labour has constantly increased in healthcare organisations while the reimbursements have declined effectively. Therefore, two areas are necessary in order to increase savings for healthcare organisations. These areas are reduction of supplies and labour costs. On the other hand, healthcare organisations are facing a shortage of qualified professionals, registered radiologic technologists, and registered nurses.