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Media Statement_International Nurses Day 2025 _12 May

OHSC BOARD EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER PATIENT SAFETY FOLLOWING FIRE OUTBREAK AT TEMBISA PROVINCIAL TERTIARY HOSPITAL

As a health services regulator, tasked with monitoring and protecting the health and safety of healthcare services users, the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) Board and management have noted with great concern reports of repeated incidents of fire outbreaks at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital, which could place patient and staff safety at risk.

These incidents have raised significant alarms about safety protocols and emergency preparedness, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of the facility to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, staff and other occupants of the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital premises.

All health establishments must prioritise the safety and security of patients, especially during emergencies. Health establishments must ensure that the systems comply with health regulations and foster a safe environment for everyone in their care.

The OHSC will be dispatching a team of inspectors to conduct a Risk- Based Inspection as a fact-finding action to establish circumstances surrounding the two fire incidences, the hospital management’s immediate response and actions taken and the effectiveness of existing safety measures in preventing recurrence thereof. Risk-based inspections are specifically triggered and conducted on an ad hoc basis in response to identified risks at heath facilities.

Considering that the winter season is already on, this inspection will enable the OHSC to establish possible root causes, and to make informed recommendations that are aimed at mitigating the risk of fire incidences at health facilities.

The OHSC urges all healthcare facilities and providers to regularly review their safety protocols and emergency response plans to avoid similar occurrences and ensure that the integrity of the healthcare system and the protection of the users of health services are maintained.

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Media Enquiries:
Ricardo Mahlakanya
Director: Communication and Stakeholder Relations and Spokesperson
066 473 8666 / rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za

Download statement here: MEDIA STATEMENT_OHSC BOARD EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER PATIENT SAFETY FOLLOWING FIRE OUTBREAK AT TEMBISA REGIONAL HOSPITAL

For Immediate Release
24 October 2024

Highlights: Office of Health Standards Compliance 2023/24 Annual Performance Report Pretoria – The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) presented its Annual Performance Report for the 2023/24 financial year to the Health Portfolio Committee. This report highlights the progress in implementing the entity’s Annual Performance Plan for 2023/24, based on the OHSC’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025. The report allows the OHSC to evaluate its successes and areas for improvement. The OHSC is an independent health regulator established under the National Health Act of 2013. Its purpose is to oversee health establishments in South Africa, ranging from major hospitals and clinics to independent practices of doctors and other health professionals providing safe and quality healthcare services.

Compliance Inspection Analysis

As the regulatory body for health services, the OHSC protects and promotes health service users’ health and safety by conducting routine and additional inspections to assess whether various healthcare establishments comply with norms and, standards regulations. In this reporting period, the OHSC conducted 734 routine inspections at public health establishments and 60 at private acute establishments. Health establishments that achieved compliance status post-inspection were issued certificates of compliance, while those that were non-compliant received compliance notices outlining the necessary steps and timeframes for improvements. The OHSC’s role in ensuring safe and quality health services provisioning by health establishments contributes significantly to implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI). Obtaining an OHSC certificate of compliance is a prerequisite for health establishments to receive accreditation and contract with the NHI Fund.

Certification and Enforcement Analysis

The OHSC implemented several enforcement interventions in response to non-compliant health establishments. The OHSC registered a significant increase in the certification rate during the reporting period compared to the previous financial years. During this review period, 618 certificates of compliance were issued to health establishments that met the norms and standards regulations: 501 from routine inspections and 117 from re-inspections. The Certificate of Compliance is valid forfour years and must be renewed. According to Regulation 19, health establishments must apply to the OHSC to renew their compliance certificates no more than six months before the certificate expires.

Enforcement actions were taken against establishments that remained consistently non-compliant after re-inspection. As a result, 45 establishments received written warnings. A written warning is an enforcement action issued by the OHSC under Regulation 23 to individuals in charge for failing to address breaches of the norms and standards specified in the Compliance Notice issued by an OHSC inspector.

To strengthen the enforcement of the OHSC’s policy, the Office has introduced a pre-enforcement consultation process. This includes meetings with district health authorities and CEOs of public and private hospitals scheduled for re-inspections after non-compliance. Health establishments must present their remedial measures, discuss challenges to compliance, and share their readiness for re-inspection

Monitoring of Prescribed Norms and Standards

The OHSC’s core function as a healthcare regulator is rooted in the norms and standards for the national health system established by the Minister of Health. The OHSC continuously develops inspection tools for various levels of care based on these regulations through a consultative process involving relevant stakeholders. During this reporting period, the OHSC finalised inspection tools for central and provincial tertiary hospitals, piloted with inputs from health establishments before finalisation. Additionally, annual updates for inspection tools for clinics, community health centers, district hospitals, regional hospitals, and private acute hospitals have been completed. To further enhance quality and safety in the healthcare sector, the OHSC issued three recommendation reports during this period. The reports issued include the National Early Warning System, National Annual Returns recommendations, and others addressing identified gaps in the Eastern Cape province with suggestions for improvement.

Overall Annual Performance Analysis

The OHSC achieved an overall performance rating of 69.6% and received an unqualified audit outcome from the Auditor-General of South Africa. This positive audit opinion was made possible by ongoing improvements in internal controls, the institutionalization of good governance, policy reviews, and continuous monitoring of implementation. Total revenue increased by 2%, from R160,847,649 in 2022/23 to R164,449,593 in 2023/24. Meanwhile, total expenditure decreased from R187,212,951 in 2022/23 to R183,892,113 in 2023/24—a 2% reduction. Of the total expenditure, 58% was allocated to core functions, while support functions accounted for 42%. The entity maintained a vacancy rate of 4.55%, equating to six vacancies out of 132 funded positions. Ends.