PESTLE Analysis of the NHS in the UK. Management Essay

PESTLE Analysis of the NHS in the UK
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PESTLE Analysis of the NHS in the UK
Political

The recent Brexit vote has had major implications on the NHS, especially with regards to staffing. This is due to the fact that before Brexit, the NHS heavily relied on doctors and nurses from other EU members for hospital staff. A 2018 survey of 68 NHS hospitals shows that the effects of Brexit are already been felt as 1/5 have altered their recruitment in preparation for the official exit of the UK (Dorling, 2016, p.50). Additionally, administrators from more than 1/3 of these hospitals said that Brexit has had a negative impact on their workforce. Some professionals have also been reported as having presented resignation letters, a situation which has also been attributed to Brexit. The government through the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has outlined what is needed in the health and social care system to ensure services do not come to a halt.

Economic

Currently, there exists a significant shortage of nurses and doctors in the UK. In a 2017 BBC report, the NHS sought to recruit hospital staff with 9% vacancies for nurses and 7% vacancies for doctors. This is a significant figure compared to the 2.7% vacancy average of the entire UK economy. This situation where the demand of staff outstrips the supply has been created by a number of factors specific to the UK including the Brexit vote and the fact that the UK has never trained enough doctors and nurses to fill its hospitals (Neilson, 2018). Another economic challenge the NHS faces is that of employee presenteeism and stress which has gained traction in the recent past. In a recent study by Aston University on employee Health, Wellbeing and Presenteeism, there were several indicators associated with poor quality of services, poor quality financial management, higher levels of absenteeism, and reduced patient satisfaction.

Social

According to an exclusive research by the Guardian, bullying is a malignant issue within the NHS. Out of the 1500 hospital staff interviewed, 81% had experienced some form of harassment and for 44% of these, the harassment was still ongoing. Additionally, about 9 out of 10 of the bullying victims were left with unresolved cases. Although we cannot rely much on this survey as it was self-selecting, its findings underline the findings of the official annual NHS staff survey. The 2017 survey of about 300,000 hospital staff reported that about 25% of staff in NHS outlets had experienced bullying or harassment in the previous one year.

Technological

In recent years, the NHS has experienced major technological advancements and innovations. The NHS has a phased technology plan created following the recommendations of an oversight team. The technology is geared towards simplifying patient access to medical care in strategic locations whi...