Identify the key characteristics of the health care services external Essay

Identify the key characteristics of the health care services external environment and discuss their implications for for the pro - Essay Example Whereby, external environment may involve analyzing Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats that may affect provision of health care service (SWOT analysis). On the other hand, internal environment of a health care service may involve determining hospital clients, competitors, stakeholders/collaborators as well as climate which an organization is operating in (Muller, Bezuidenhout and Jooste, 2006). External factor may include; a social, religious believes, occupation and education level may affect provision of health care services (Hitchcock, Schubert and Thomas, 2003). In addition, health campaigns via the social media may influence people behaviours towards health services. For example; health mass media may sensitize and encourage people on the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This in turn may have a significant impact on provision of health services (Moseley, 2009). Economic factors may further affect provision of health services. For example, the d iscrepancies in people levels of income may determine the accessibility of health services. Whereby, poor people may not be in a position to afford quality health services unlike the affluent. Additionally, laws and regulations may affect provision of health services because organization must observe established health standards. Hospitals and health organizations must protect the environment and ensure that people take medical insurance cover. On the contrary, internal factors may involves people believes and their core values with respect to the provision of health care services. Connectively, internal factors may further involve the level of knowledge among the people. This may significantly impact provision of health services because people with higher level of knowledge are likely to seek health services than the less knowledgeable members of the society (Muller, Bezuidenhout and Jooste, 2006). Key characteristics of the health care services external and Internal Health Care En vironment External Health Care Environment The United Kingdom health care service contains the following characteristic; population size, mandate, accountability, funding and managing performance. Population characteristic entails actions undertaken by various bodies such as strategic health authority which is responsible for a population of 2.6-7.5 million people. In addition, the primary care trust was responsible for a population of more than ninety thousand people. On the other hand, the public care trust collaborated with local authorities in provision of health. In addition the general practice and foundation trust were also involved in health population (The Change Foundation’s, 2009). Mandate involves the duties and responsibilities that system managers, commissioners and General practice should execute. For instance, system managers should not only make health plans but they should also monitor the progress of both National Health Service and Primary Care Trust. On t he contrary, health care commissioners have a duty of developing local health strategies as well as monitoring and integrating social and health services. In addition, general practice (GP) such as nurses, pharmacist therapist, opticians and dentist they have a both clinical and managerial responsibility (The Change Foundation’s, 2009). In above connection, Secretary of state for health and department of health should be accountable in quality of health and ensure close monitoring of both National