Implementation of total quality management (TQM) in Central Sterile Services Department (C.S.S.D.) at St. Luke's Hospital (SLH).

Abstract

Total Quality Management (TQM), continuous quality improvement, quality assurance, quality assessment and many other words and acronyms implying "quality" are being propelled by the need to control costs and the desire to improve the quality of services and products. The concept of TQM is a continuous focus of executives in hospitals who are faced with the challenge of leading fundamental change in their institutes' culture and work perspectives. A survey of 126 Nursing Officers from all the hospitals in Malta was conducted to determine their expectations and perceptions through the use of an adapted structured questionnaire (SERVQUAL) and findings were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Further focus groups and elite interviews were conducted with all the administrative managers of the respective managers. Research's internal analysis revealed that although C.S.S.D. was meeting the customers' expectations regards the service offered, however, it was being delivered below the quality standards the customers expected. It also revealed that in spite of financial restraints and rigid bureaucratic system, the journey to TQM is possible provided that policy makers view quality as a fundamental force to improve the services and products provided by HC organisations such as C.S.S.D. Compared to most authors' findings, research revealed that the failure rate of TQM in practice was down to the difficulties in putting into practice the essential elements of the quality gurus' philosophies, such as well-developed recruitment, training, internal communications and an appropriate reward and recognition system