Top management must have a clear commitment to Quality and the Quality System to be implemented.

Mahatma Gandhi said:

"A patient is the most important person in our hospital. He is not an interruption to our work; he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our hospital, he is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so."

This element is concerned with ensuring that the organisation knows what is to be done, how it is to be done, when it has to be done and by whom.

This element of Quality Management is about commissioning activities. It will include analysis of other organisations in similar or complementary fields of work and the needs of the community.

This addresses the paper work and records required for a Quality System and the control of information. It informs all members of staff how the organisation expects documentation to be initiated, validated, circulated and controlled.

Organisations should aim to have a documentation system, which is simple, non-beurocratic but informative.

This element of a Quality System seeks to identify the ways in which the organisation relates to those who supply services, goods, equipment, etc..

Competency is the element of a Quality System that addresses the way in which staff are equipped to undertake their tasks.

This element is about divergences from professional standards, policies, procedures and legislative requirements. It covers putting the divergences right and taking action to prevent reoccurrence.

This element is about verifying and maintaining the effectiveness of the organisation's Quality Management System.

It is concerned with Monitoring, Reviewing, Internal Auditing and External Auditing.

To find out more and to obtain a copy of Performance Indicators for a Quality Management System by Himu Gupta and Margaret Docherty (£6 incl. P&P) contact Gupta Consultancy.

Himu Gupta Tel: +44 (0)1508 480732 Email: [email protected]

Margaret Docherty Email: [email protected]