Situation Analysis

Explain the whole hospital strength,weakness,opportunity,threats of West Hertfordshire Hospital?

For the business purpose analyzing of both the internal and external marketing approaches is literally significant. For this current researcher work the researcher is going to focus on West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the marketing policies applied by this particular hospital. The researcher is also going to shed light on the sophisticated aspect of business approach.

West Hertfordshire Hospital is devoted at providing acute healthcare service to the common people. The hospital covers a wide range of area of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, North London and other adjacent areas. Having 4000 employees within its circumference, this hospital stands to be one of the significant hospitals (nibusinessinfo.co.uk, 2015). The hospital seems to be responsible of taking care of more than a million of patients round the year. Providing of the safe and secured service to the patients appears to be the aim of the organization.

Though the organization provides an intense service to the common people it run after fulfilling the organizational and financial objectives as well (Lomas and Giridharan, 2012). Along with providing an intense service and care to the patients the trust is also responsible of paying to a large number of employees including doctors, nurses and other medical staffs. Improving of patient’s experience while being treated within its circumference helps in attending the organizational ethics. Attending the patients in emergency also stands to be helpful for the development of the organization. As this hospital provides elective, outpatient and emergency services, the approach of the hospital is really intrinsic. A vast range of service is being provided to the patients with intense sophistication.

In order to provide a range of extensive service for West Hertfordshire Hospital, the authority has segmented the patients as well. The structural environment analysis of its customers is helpful to attain the competitive advantages at the same time. Mavromaras (2006) has stated that as the unit provides an immense service to its patients West Hertfordshire Hospital focuses on behavioral and psychographic segmentation. According to the behavioral approach of the patient, the hospital tenders the suitable service to the patient. At the same time, attaining the patients faith and their family members by rendering a intensive service to the patients help in developing the psychographic development of the organization. Weir (2008) has critically stated that providing an immense service to the customers help the organization to be developed.

In order to analyze the external environment of an organization helps in delineating the market orientation of the organization. This includes the attributes like political, economical, social, technical, legal and environmental issues.

Political Issues: Care Quality Commission (CQC) targets at new operational strategies. Recent changes in the government policies have improved the relationship between the hospital and the patients. By increasing of the relationship with PCT helps in developing the customer service as well. Political imperativeness acts on West Hertfordshire Hospital’s growth.

Figure 1: PESTEL Analysis

(Source: Cook et al. 2004)

Economical Issues: UK economy since the past few years has been passing through an intense recession. The health sector appears to be the most affected in this approach. Similarly, West Hertfordshire Hospital has been in need of immense expansion which has submerged it into an immense level of debt. At the same time, the maintenance cost of the different medical apparatus is increasing, resulting in immense economic deprivation for the organization (Pillay and Moncrieff, 2011).  Different other trusts seem to have shown their interest in expanding their hospital branches in Hertfordshire which stands o be a real challenge for West Hertfordshire Hospital.

Industry and Environmental Analysis

Social Issues: Population growth of the Hertfordshire in the recent years has received an immense boost. Therefore, the public service demand has also increased intrinsically. As both the consumer and the government are assertive in their approaches of public service, the role of West Hertfordshire Hospital in managing the social ethics is literally sophisticated (Yuksel, 2012). West Hertfordshire Hospital also emphasizes on the green trading and slashing down of the usage of carbon. Focusing on the balance between the care of the patients and their family members West Hertfordshire Hospital has kept an example before the other hospitals as well.

Technological Issues: West Hertfordshire Hospital let the outdoor patients to take appointments of the physicians and doctors through its website. At the same time, the data and information of the patients is kept digitally. With the approval from NICE, technological development of the medical equipments has brought an immense clinical achievement for West Hertfordshire Hospital (Weir, 2008). It also shares the data of the critical patients with the other trusts which helps in providing a moderate service to the patients.

Legal Issues: West Hertfordshire Hospital significantly follows the Health and Social Care Bill of 2011 which helps the organization in emboldening its services being provided to the customers. West Hertfordshire Hospital also follows the Health Act of 2009 and NHS Act of 2010 which pave more ways for providing services to the patients.

Environmental Issues: West Hertfordshire Hospital focuses on minimizing of carbon emission and reducing of the energy usage. It keeps its units and hospitals clean which cuts down the infection rate as well. At the same time, transportability links are also intrinsically maintained by the hospital.

Strengths: ·         Potential leadership and vision of West Hertfordshire Hospital is intrinsic which helps in the development of the hospitality management. ·         The current performance of the organization is really intrinsic. ·         Good reputation of the hospital is considered to be strength (Trust, 2015). ·         Low infection rate in comparison with the other hospital has given West Hertfordshire Hospital more potentiality. ·         The economic condition of the Hertfordshire Hospital is literally sophisticated which let organizational strengths to be emboldened.

Weaknesses: ·         Low investment for the organization stands to be a real problem. ·         West Hertfordshire Hospital is intrinsically suffering from the economical crunch (Mail Online, 2014). ·         Low level of liquidity has included an immense weakness for West Hertfordshire Hospital.

Opportunities: ·         As the demand of treating the ailing patients is increasing, it helps in future development of West Hertfordshire Hospital. ·         With the increase of the health expenditure need of balancing between the private and public ethics of hospitals is mandatory (Trust, 2015). ·         Demand of primary and secondary care units is also increasing these days. ·         With the growth of the population, number of patients is also increasing which opens the opportunities for the Hertfordshire Hospital.

Threats: ·         Economic changes of the climate are a real threat for the hospital. ·         Economic decline of the market is a real threat for the organization. ·         Difficulty in managing the political atmosphere is a threat for West Hertfordshire Hospital.

Table 1: SWOT Analysis

West Hertfordshire Hospital has to face an intense and teething competition with the other trust hospitals in Hertfordshire. Being attracted more trusts are showing their interest investing here. Hertfordshire Hospital conducts the portfolio analysis in the regular intervals to assess the organizational ethos. Changing in the market conditions and to identify the necessities of the customers of the market, necessary approaches are needed to be taken. According to the changing of the ethics Hertfordshire Hospital also applies the circumstantial changes. It also let the organization to cherish more competitive advantage. Handling the threats intrinsically casts an intrinsic effect on the development of the business of the hospital.

By focusing on the strengths and with handling the opportunities, there is a huge scopes open for Hertfordshire Hospital to be used. As the hospital is financially strong, it is having the opportunities to develop its mechanical hemisphere. At the same time, technical development of the hospital is also helpful to manage the organizational development. To meet with the opportunities, the approach of the hospital is literally ethical to be helpful as it is having a better future ahead. The current performance of the hospital also creates faith among h people which in the coming days will be helpful.

5.0 Conclusion:

Throughout this research work the researcher has prepared the situation and environmental analysis of Hertfordshire Hospital. Focus has been stated on the approaches of competitive analysis which identifies the major competitors of the organization. The researcher has also shed light on the ethical issues for managing the business orientation of Hertfordshire Hospital. Finally, by defining the key drivers of changes, the researcher portrays the strategies for the hospital following which success in the business can be achieved.

Reference List:

Cook, S., Macaulay, S. and Coldicott, H. (2004). Change management excellence. London: Kogan Page.

Johri, A. (2010). Business analysis. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House.

Lomas, K. and Giridharan, R. (2012). Thermal comfort standards, measured internal temperatures and thermal resilience to climate change of free-running buildings: A case-study of hospital wards. Building and Environment, 55, pp.57-72.

Mavromaras, K. (2006). Promotion to hospital consultant: regression analysis using NHS administrative data. BMJ, 332(7534), pp.148-151.

Pillay, P. and Moncrieff, J. (2011). Contribution of psychiatric disorders to occupation of NHS beds: analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics. The Psychiatrist, 35(2), pp.56-59.

Weir, N. (2008). John Farley: Formerly Consultant Psychiatrist, Fairfield Hospital, Hertfordshire. Psychiatric Bulletin, 32(6), pp.238-238.

Yuksel, I. (2012). Developing a Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model for PESTEL Analysis.IJBM, 7(24).

Mail Online, (2014). Betrayal of 800 cancer patients: Investigation after clerical error leaves two dead, hundreds at risk. [online] Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2551858/Betrayal-800-cancer-patients-Investigation-clerical-error-leaves-two-dead-hundreds-risk.html [Accessed 11 Mar. 2015].

nibusinessinfo.co.uk, (2015). nibusinessinfo.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk [Accessed 11 Mar. 2015].

Trust, W. (2015). West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust. [online] Westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/ [Accessed 11 Mar. 2015].