Implementation of customer care at the Casualty Department of Edenvale Regional Hospital in Gauteng Province

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the implementation of customer care at the Casualty Department of Edenvale Regional Hospital in Gauteng Province. The research was conducted using a qualitative case study approach, which sought to gain deeper understanding of the impact of customer care in the hospital’s Casualty Department from the employees’ point of view. Data was collected from 16 purposively selected respondents using semi-structured interviews and document analyses were interpreted by the researcher to give voice and meaning to the assessment topic. Data was analysed using the Content Analysis framework and six themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) High expectation levels from the community; (2) Quality of patient care; (3) Lack of resources; (4) Malfunctioning equipment; (5) Compromised safety and security; (5) Strategies to improve customer care; and (6) The effect of policies and guidelines on the quality of services rendered. The study revealed that the surrounding community that is served by the Edenvale Hospital’s Casualty Department had high expectations which the hospital was unable to meet because of the many limitations, especially resource constraints. The issues and difficulties associated with overcrowding in the emergency section were raised by respondents, who reported several challenges experienced in the hospital. These included patients sleeping on floor mattresses and even on stretchers, inadequate beds, shortage of staff, malfunctioning equipment and lack of sufficient infrastructure. These challenges resulted in long waiting periods for patients to be given open beds in the wards, bad attitudes from both patients and employees alike, poor communication among staff and patients and their families, and an unsafe environment for the staff and customers (patients). There is hence a need for the Gauteng Health Department together with the hospital management to review resources allocated to the Edenvale Regional Hospital and to increase awareness among the community about the operations of the level 2 hospitals such as this.