Abstract
Since the early 1980s, there has been an interest in quality improvement in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. A number of District Health Authorities (DHAs) in response to a national policy on quality of care set up quality assurance (QA) and quality circles (QCs) programmes as part of a move towards total quality management (TQM). These programmes were set up during a period of financial constraint in the NHS. By means of a case study, this paper explores the evolution, development and implementation of the programmes, and the effects of the financial constraints and organizational changes on the programmes. It is argued that the case study DHAs had some difficulties in developing and implementing QA because they had no clear understanding of the concept and did not clearly differentiate between QA and TQM and the role of QCs in the process. Under pressure from the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) to show commitment to quality, the DHAs used the QCs as the showcase of the quality improvement...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
