Sustainability report - Key issues and engagement channels

The table below sets our strategic approach to engaging with our stakeholders.

		Patients		Doctors		Employees		Funders
	•	Safe environment with low infection rates.	•	Access to quality nursing support.	•	Opportunities for growth and development.	•	Establish good working relations based on transparency and cooperation.
	•	Quality of nursing staff.	•	Access to the best equipment, instruments, medicines and support staff.	•	Recognition of contribution to the Group.	•	Cost-effective healthcare.
	•	Understanding medical procedures and processes.	•	Convenience of access to multi-disciplinary health services.	•	Right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
	•	Facilities that are up-to-date with developments in healthcare.	•	Availability of beds and theatre slates.
			•	Support services including administration and marketing, and opportunities to develop a successful practice.
	•	Actively address patient complaints.	•	Facilitate superior doctor care through uncompromising quality of nursing care and comprehensive medical infrastructure.	•	Attracting and retaining the best skills.	•	SA medical scheme industry is financially stable with solvency levels of 36% (prescribed solvency level is 25%).
	•	Partner with physicians and healthcare service providers to enhance patient care.	•	Focused relationship building programme for specialists and GPs.	•	Being recognised as an employer of choice.	•	Maintain positive relationships with medical schemes and medical scheme administrators who account for the majority of our revenue.
	•	Operate according to a stringent clinical governance framework.	•	Retaining doctors in SA.	•	Providing employee wellness facilities.
	•	Provide highly trained and qualified nursing staff.			•	Accelerating transformation of the workforce.
	•	Invest in new facilities and upgrade existing facilities.
	•	Provide patients with adequate information.
	•	Comply with the Patient Rights Charter.
	•	Web-based and telephonic pre-admission facility.	•	Doctors communicate with hospital management at each Netcare facility through the Excellence Programme, an interactive feedback mechanism.	•	Annual employee satisfaction survey.	•	Regular liaison meetings and interaction related to operational issues.
	•	Paper-based patient evaluation forms.	•	Physician Advisory Board at each Netcare hospital provides peer review and helps maintain high standards of clinical governance.	•	Site-specific staff magazines and newsletters.	•	Annual hospital tariff negotiations.
	•	Hello Peter and Cirmit system.	•	At national level the Medical Advisory and Ethics Committee, which includes external academic ethics experts and clinical governance representatives from Netcare management, is responsible for: – Maintaining the highest standards of care in relation to international research and best clinical practice; – Ensuring that clinical risks are investigated and minimised; – Advising on a range of ethical issues from patient care to patient confidentiality; – Overseeing the management of professional conduct and professional practice of doctors within Netcare facilities; – Determining the continuing professional development needs of doctors and ensuring that doctors utilising Netcare facilities are suitably qualified and registered; and – Assisting with the development and implementation of cost-effective care including alternative reimbursement models.	•	Currently, 40.8% of Netcare employees in SA are unionised. In addition to ongoing executive and operational interaction with unions, Netcare funds three full-time shop stewards to assist in employee relations.
	•	Discharge SMSs.
	•	Patient focus groups.
	•	Brochures.
	•	Netcare and related websites.
	•	Listening forums.

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		Government		Investors		Suppliers		Communities
	•	SA – promotion of access and affordability.	•	Enhanced shareholder value.	•	Fair payment terms.	•	Dependent on the specific issues facing the community.
	•	UK – the goal of the NHS is to become a world-class, patientcentred public healthcare provider.	•	Corporate governance.	•	Mutual respect.	•	Corporate social investment.
	•	Safe and correct disposal of medical waste.	•	Transformation.
			•	Regulatory uncertainty surrounding healthcare provision in SA and the UK.
			•	Quality of management and their ability to execute Netcare’s strategy.
			•	Management succession planning.
			•	Timeous, adequate information.
	•	Drafting of Regulations on Certificate of Need1.	•	Delivering shareholder value.	•	Fair pricing.	•	Make a meaningful difference.
	•	Contribute to the SA and UK government’s national health priorities.	•	Maintaining corporate governance.	•	Timeous delivery.	•	Support developmental community projects.
	•	Continue to grow as a trusted and reliable partner to both governments.	•	Accelerating transformation.	•	Ethical behaviour.
	•	Regulation on cost benchmarking.	•	Regulatory uncertainty surrounding healthcare provision in SA and the UK.	•	Preference is given to ISO or internationally accredited companies over non-accredited companies.
			•	Maintaining and enhancing quality of management to best execute Netcare’s strategy.	•	As a key sponsor and strategic partner of the Proudly South African campaign we aim to make all purchases, where logistically possible and commercially viable, from local suppliers.
			•	Ensuring continuity through a formal succession planning process.	•	Compliance to B-BBEE standards and accreditation.
			•	Providing timeous, adequate information.
			•	Promoting understanding of the SA and UK businesses and healthcare environments.
	•	Interaction takes places on an ongoing basis.	•	Active engagement with investors via: – Roadshows; – Analysts’ days; – Participation in investor conferences; – Updating investors on latest developments, material information and price-sensitive information; and – Maintaining access and interactive engagement between the investment community and management.	•	Quarterly meetings with selected strategic suppliers focus on delivery and quality performance, demand forecasting, pricing and continual improvement.	•	Providing medical services to indigent patients.
	•	In SA, Netcare has established a dedicated policy unit tasked with informing health reform debates and partnering government to find solutions to healthcare problems.	•	General communication also includes: – Online reporting; – Annual reports; – Emails; and – Telephonic communication.	•	Annual meetings with other suppliers.	•	Initiatives to broaden healthcare access such as The Sight for You and The Craniofacial programmes.
	•	In SA, Netcare interacts with government through several industry associations including the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) and the 2010 World Cup Forum.			•	Both parties commit to the highest ethical standards. The Netcare Fraud and Ethics Hotline is available for reporting unethical behaviour.	•	Community health and welfare sponsorships run on a national basis.
					•	Entering into agreed terms and conditions for top 80% spend suppliers.	•	Hospital initiatives which meet the needs of the immediate community; these range from establishing vegetable gardens to free medical assessments.
					•	Online surveys.

1 Chapter 6 of the National Health Act of 2003.

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