Factors and Issues Involved:
The introduction of Multi-skilled Worker concept in NHS Rossett Trust Hospital, which implemented as a pilot project in a large ward and after one year ended without implementing in full length. With this implementing process the trust expected some good achievements and this implementation was made for good cause, but finally with some problems in implementing process, and misunderstandings between the groups and internal managerial competition between two directories the long and costly effort for change proved useless and ended with no result.
The factors and issues that involved in failing the effort are as follows.
Non co-operation:
The main factor that effected the implementation process is the non co-operation between two directories, and as well as between the managers and the staff from different groups. There is an internal competition is going on between two directories. This is started with the issue of ward manager’s control lessness among the generic workers in the ward. The generic staff is working in the wards which comes under the ward manager, but the ward manager does not have control over that staff who report to the managers in Site Service Directorate. This started the controversy in the trust first. After that shifting of some three thousand hours from clinical directorate to site service directorate raised the controversy. This made the non cooperativeness among the staff.
Change in Hours and Shifts:
Major changes in hours worked in any week , and shift timings made some protest against the implementation. Around forty three percentage of staff are over five years experienced in this hospital, the sudden change made them afraid. The nurses are afraid of their job lost.
Because 3,700 hours per year are shifting from nurses to hotel workers, so they afraid that they may be lost their jobs because of implementation of this new scheme.
Gender Issues:
The trust is employed with more than 80% of women staff, but maximum of porter staff are men. Here the gender issue is raised. When the new system moved all the cleaning jobs from nurses to the hotel services staff and dedicated nurses only for the medical services, the men porters are started to feel that the ladies are not going to clean again, and all our future work is going to be cleaning. They started feeling that cleaning is a women job. In this case managers are failed to motivate the staff, and aware them of the fact.
Implementation process:
The trust taken a correct decision to test the scheme by implementing t as a pilot project, but the implementation team worked in a directive way. That made some resistance. The team is an achievement oriented and behaved over enthusiastic. It ignored such an important things like opinion taking and feedback. The pilot project directly affected only 12 people but its effect passed all the trust. The unions felt that this is not going to work, that is why they voted against the implementation.
The Trade Union (UNISON):
The UNISON convenor, Collis Ambrose rejecting the proposal openly was one of the factors to rejection of implementation in voting. The proposal designers ignored the UNISON rules and regulations. The change in wages, shifts, and hours made so many the existing contracts, so the trade union rejected this fairly.
Conclusion:
After careful study of the case study it can be concluded that the implementation of new system is failed because of some motivation and leadership issues. Gender issue also played a major role. If the implementation mangers take a little care the implementation would be succeeded. Some managers behaviour and staffs fear about the job looseness also contributed their rolls in project failure.
The following are the recommendations:
Before implementing the project some awareness in the staff of all groups could be done.
After implementing the pilot project, parallel interaction camps could be done with the clinical staff.
The implementation team can use participatory leadership style, other than directive.