netcare

w w w . n e t c a r e . c o . z a

Netcare

for the community


Netcare are not only the largest provider of private healthcare in South Africa, but also play

a dominant role in private healthcare in the UK. Its holding company, Netcare Limited, have had ordinary shares listed on the JSE Limited, since December 1996 and the company expanded into the UK in 2001, where they started to provide specialist healthcare services on contract to the National Health Service (NHS).

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Netcare’s presence in South Africa is extensive. Its private hospital and trauma services encompass 55 hospitals, including both private facilities

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Healthcare

As the largest provider of private healthcare in South Africa, Netcare has taken on a pivotal role in servicing communities and providing

essential care to those that need it most. In this profile look at the company’s history, values and altruistic ethos.

and those under the Public Private

Partnership (PPP) scheme. Its medical centres are home to 9,052 registered beds and 338 operating

theatres, and it manages 87 retail and hospital pharmacies. A wholly-

owned subsidiary of Netcare, Netcare 911, operates the largest private emergency medical service in the country, off ering a service to 6.9 million insured individuals with a fl eet of

180 ambulances and response vehicles, three helicopters and two fi xed-wing air ambulances.

Netcare’s Primary Care Division operate medical and dental services through another healthcare provider, Medicross, and manage an organisation focussing on the low income market, extending their service to uninsured individuals through their groundbreaking Prime Cure clinics. This cluster of services and partners involves 88 Medicross and Prime Cure medical centres, 12 day theatres


and 41 retail pharmacies. The network of services managed by the Primary Care Division also include Netcare Travel Clinics, an aspect of Netcare dealing specifically with travel healthcare requirements including vaccinations and dispensing tailor-made malaria medication.

Netcare is also the largest private provider of dialysis services in South Africa. The National Renal Care (NRC) is a 50% joint venture between Netcare and Adcock Ingrams Critical Care and offers haemodialysis at 56 facilities and peritonea dialysis (PD) at 8 specialised PD units.

N e t c a r e

Netcare and CSRAs a company that provides an essential service bound in an ancient code of ethics it’s no surprise that CSR is so important to Netcare’s company ethos and business model. The company’s dedication comes in the form of their Corporate Social Investment (CSI) policy, for which the indicative expenditure target is 2.5% before tax. Understandably the bulk of its CSI activity is into healthcare services, with a preference given to schemes providing care to indigent members of society. Money is also invested into health science education at all levels.

To ensure their investments carry the maximum social impact the company makes sure that each hospital, facility and operation division cultivates its own sense of responsibility according to the specifics needs of the communities they serve.

As part of Netcare’s CSR strategy they have also teamed up with NGO Habitat for Humanity. Through initiatives that offer housing to disadvantaged communities Habitat for Humanity and Netcare’s community aims intersect. An essential company ideal of Netcare, as identified in their official company profile, is that of dignity – “an acknowledgement of the uniqueness of individuals. A commitment to care with the qualities of respect and understanding.” Those who

“As a company that provides an essential service bound in an ancient code of ethics it’s no surprise that CSR is so important to Netcare’s company ethos and business model

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receive housing under the Habitat for Humanity initiative are asked to complete a programme that teaches the values of home ownership – including the fact that home ownership is, of course, associated with improved health and wellbeing, a fact that means the two organisations’ own interests dovetail in a way that is beneficial to all.

Netcare value a hands-on approach when it comes to community projects, a fact which saw them build five houses in Katlehong, a township on the East Rand. The company financed the materials and supplied the labour from their own staff.

ValuesNetcare’s actions wouldn’t be possible without strong and well-defined company values influencing everything they do. From the way their staff are asked to greet patients to their investment strategy, a core set of values and instructions running from management through all employees can be detected.

Throughout the company’s literature one word in particular is repeated again and again:

N e t c a r e

“The healthcare services that Netcare provides in Africa are extremely extensive

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“Throughout the company’s literature one word in particular is repeated again and again: care

care. Considering the nature of Netcare’s services this isn’t a surprising word to hear from the company, but it’s the way they discuss the concept which lends interest to what they do. Just how important CSR is to all sides of Netcare’s business was hinted at by group company secretary and general counsel Lynelle Bagwandeen. In an interview with The Legal 500’s General Counsel magazine Bagwandeen says that “The values that Netcare espouses are about care, dignity and helping your fellow human beings. In fact, that is the strategy of the company – to provide care for all humankind. So that is a value and a strategy that resonates with everybody here and through everything we do – whether you’re a junior nurse, reception staff, all the way up to the CEO – is geared to one thing, and that is the optimum care of the patient.”

Bagwandeen’s role in the company is in the legal side of the business, which just goes to show how deeply the company values are ingrained. While operations in the UK have seen a slight downturn recently this has been more than offset by successes in South Africa, and Netcare’s position as both healthcare and social providers looks set to continue to grow.

Healthcare

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Netcare Limited76 Maude Street, corner West Street Sandton, 2196

Telephone: +27 11 301 0000 Fax: +27 11 301 0439


©Essential Business Magazine 2016

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