What is Conflict Resolution?

In healthcare, conflict resolution means addressing and resolving disagreements and/ or disputes that may arise either between healthcare staff and patients or among healthcare staff themselves, with the aim of restoring working relationships as well as ensuring patient safety and effective patient care. Resolving these conflicts involves constructive processes that aid all parties involved to understand each other, address underlying needs and find acceptable solutions.

Why is Conflict Resolution important in healthcare settings?

Conflict is inevitable in busy healthcare environments; therefore, conflict resolution in the UK healthcare for many reasons as it has a direct impact on the staff’s well-being, team dynamics, patient safety and the overall quality of service. Here is why it important:

1. Patient Safety and the Quality of care:
   • Unresolved conflict among any staff may lead to miscommunication, errors or delays in a patients care
   • Coordination and teamwork are important in clinical environments as conflict disrupts processes
2. Retention and the well-being at the workplace

• Conflict not addressed can lead to burnout, stress and anxiety as well as staff turnover
• Resolving conflict help to maintain workers of valuable

3. Effectiveness of teamwork and collaboration

• Smooth collaboration across different teams may assist with conflict resolution

4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Under NHS guidelines and UK employment law, employers should address grievances promptly and maintain a respectful and safe workplace
• Conflict arising from bullying, harassment or discrimination can lead to litigation and reputational damage

5. Patient experience and satisfaction

• Patients can sense tension in the workplace and displace their trust or satisfaction with treatment
• A close-knit and positive work environment may result in compassionate and person-centred care

6. Ethical and cultural standards

• Values are outlined by the NHS Constitution
• Conflict resolution ensures that those values are upheld and practiced in the work place

Examples of Conflict in healthcare:

The below examples are not limited, but only a few of what conflict may seem like in healthcare settings:

• Disagreements about clinical decisions
• Role ambiguity between different departments
• Incivility or bullying between colleagues
• Differences in cultural and communication styles
• Organisational or Policy driven conflict
• Conflict between staff and patients or family
• Violence or aggression

Which approaches are commonly used for conflict resolution in UK healthcare?

Healthcare organisations should use a mix of formal and informal approaches to manage conflict. Key strategies may include:

• Informal discussions and early resolutions: staff are encouraged to raise any concerns as early as they can to their managers or mentors
• Mediation and facilitation: a mediator assists the parties to explore their positions and find solutions that are mutually acceptable
• Facilitated conversations as well as coaching: individual staff or teams that finds themselves in conflict may undertake facilitated restorative meetings or one-to-one coaching
• Development and Training: Communication skills and conflict resolution are increasingly included in mandatory training
• Formal HR procedures: when informal routes are not successful, formal processes has to be considered
• Patient Complaints and dispute Resolution: when conflict involves the patient or family, there are specific pathways that should be taken. Patients should be made aware of all their options for patient advice and liaison services

Just a note:

By doing an online PSTS/ Conflict Management (Conflict Resolution) Course with Train Healthcare, which takes approximately 1 hour to complete, will earn you 1 CPD point. Once you have completed the course, you will immediately receive a certificate thereof.