Case study
PrimeReach Care is a government funded, acute health care service to around 500,000 people in its local region. Located across multiple, geographically dispersed sites, it employs over 15,000 people in a wide variety of professional and ancillary roles and maintains a variety of important partnerships with dozens of other organisations.
PrimeReach Care has faced very substantial challenges in recent years. Some, like the covid pandemic were exceptional, but thankfully quite short-lived. Others, such as a fast-aging population and the emergence of some chronic skills shortages in key areas, are longer term in nature, but equally concerning in terms of their potential impact on PrimeReach Care’s capacity to provide the highest standards of healthcare. Skills shortages in some specialist areas are becoming increasingly
severe. PrimeReach Care has plugged gaps by recruiting overseas but is finding it hard to retain these recruits for longer periods of time.
During 2024, employee voice activities highlighted that groups of staff were dissatisfied about pay and conditions within the organisation. This has now abated due to significant government-funded pay rises, but discontent among staff in respect of terms and conditions continues to simmer. Staff retention is a particular current challenge, as is absence. A higher percentage of PrimeReach Care’s employees are currently taking extended periods of sick leave than has ever been the case before, and in over 50% of these cases poor mental health comprises at least one of the causes. Senior managers at PrimeReach Care have recently attended a briefing given by ministers and officials, at which some very clear messages were communicated regarding the next five years. The most important concerned funding. Put simply, health care services like PrimeReach Care should plan for very tight, ongoing financial settlements in the next five years. They should not expect above- inflation increases in their regular operating budgets, which include pay for staff. Any additional funds that become available will be focused specifically on priorities such as bringing waiting lists and waiting times down. Capital budgets will also be very constrained, reducing the availability of funds for new buildings and equipment. Repair bills will have to be met out of current expenditure. Substantial efficiency improvements and increased productivity are both needed and expected.
Senior Managers have asked the People Department to provide recommendations about appropriate future actions at PrimeReach Care in some key areas. You work in a generalist, mid-level People management role on PrimeReach Care’s main site but are considered to be someone who is appropriate for promotion into a more senior role on completion of your studies. The People Director has asked you to provide answers to the following questions that will provide insight into some of the major challenges facing PrimeReach Care and help to inform the recommendations.
Globalization has had a massive impact on the operations of companies globally. It has emerged due to a combination of factors that include low cost of sea transport, emergence of new technologies, and expansion of international trade…. Read More
Social media is currently undergoing massive changes. First, AI is the main shaper of the content creation and marketing strategy on most social media platforms. Secondly, the platforms with most attention are those that markets short videos. Read More
In large and complicated organization, resistance to change is a real threat to implementing changes. PrimeReach Care faces this issue while pursuing a productivity improvement agenda over the next three years. Read More
PrimeReach Care is a large government-funded healthcare provider which is currently facing pressure to improve efficiency and accountability. In response, the management of the company is exploring the use of HR surveillance technologies that monitor staff activity and performance. Read More
