While the terminology ‘QMS’ may be new to you, you will likely recognise aspects of quality management in your own work and across your organisation, such as quality planning or quality improvement.
In NHS Wales, we have developed the following definition for QMS by analysing the latest developments in the literature and from extensive stakeholder engagement:
Definition of QMS for NHS Wales
An operating framework to continuously, reliably and sustainably meet the needs of the population we serve.
Essentially, a QMS brings together four key aspects – quality planning, quality improvement, quality control and quality assurance – and coordinates the interconnectivity between these aspects to achieve high quality care. In line with the duty of quality, quality care for NHS Wales is defined as safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and person-centred.
This echoes the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s drive towards whole system quality, which emphasises quality as the organisational strategy, rather than a component of it.
“In healthcare the problem is people are exposed to quality through projects and through this emergence of quality in healthcare that is much more as a separate thing. Whereas people in business, quality was the way you do business. [...] a lot of times in hospitals there are quality people, there are quality activities, there is quality stuff. But it is not necessarily the way that the organisation is managed or run.”