The OHSC Board’s concerns about the ongoing labour unrest and disruptions of healthcare services across the country


The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) Board and management are deeply concerned about the impact of the ongoing labour unrests in several healthcare facilities in the country which are disrupting health services with reports of violence and intimidation to patients and healthcare workers. These acts of violence affect patient care, safety and destroy much needed infrastructure and equipment in healthcare facilities. In some instances, access to healthcare facilities has been restricted as a result of strike actions, affecting the work and safety of healthcare workers on duty and patient care and well-being.

The OHSC as the regulator of health services has a responsibility to protect and promote the health and safety of users of health services in the public and private health sectors. An integral part of improving quality and safety is consistent, sustained health services rendered across all healthcare facilities. The OHSC calls on all parties to cease and desist from all activities that compromise patient care and safety of patients and healthcare workers. Such disruptions pose a risk in the provision of quality health services and impede service delivery. 

The OHSC believes that health professionals have ethical standards to adhere to and a responsibility and obligation to serve diligently. The OHSC urges all sectors to honour the commitment to patient care irrespective of the challenges that might have been experienced.

Notwithstanding the labour unrest in progress, all public or private health establishments are required to adhere to policy priorities of providing safety, security as well as acceptable standards of care.

Even though it is a protected labour strike, and the right of healthcare workers to strike is respected, this right must not trample upon the rights of the users of healthcare services.  

Issued by the Office of Health Standards Compliance

For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: 066 473 8666, or rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za


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The OHSC board and executives met with the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo on 10 November 2022 at the National Department of Health in Thaba Tshwane. The OHSC outlined its significant role of ensuring health establishments comply to the required norms and standards including the anticipation role in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

The OHSC delegation was led by the Board Chairperson, Dr Ernest Kenoshi and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni and supported by the executives and senior managers.

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OHSC Board embarks on roadshows to engage public and private health establishments on the implementation of norms and standards

The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) Board supported by the executives and senior managers will be embarking on national roadshows starting from September to November 2022 in public and private health sectors.

The purpose of the roadshows is to interact with the public and private health sector stakeholders of cross-cutting findings about the implementation of the norms and standards. These interactions are aimed to further bolster the important role the OHSC have in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), including the overall quality and safety improvements in public and private sector health establishments.

For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: at 066 473 8666, and rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za    

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World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2022

Patient safety challenges – Medication without harm
World Patient Safety Day – 17 September 2022

The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) plays a key role in applying standards for the improvement of the quality and safety of healthcare services in both the public and private health sectors in the country. The Health Ombud, located within the OHSC, also contributes to safe, quality care by investigating complaints concerning sub-standard care.

South Africa and the world will on 17 September, commemorate World Patient Safety Day. Medication safety has been selected as the global theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022, with the slogan ‘Medication Without Harm’.

Unsafe medication practices and medication errors drove the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare World Patient Safety Day 2022. According to WHO, unsafe medication practices and medication errors are leading causes of avoidable harm in healthcare across the world. Medication errors occur when weak medication systems and human factors such as fatigue, poor environmental conditions, or staff shortages affect and compromise the safety of the medication use process. This can result in severe patient harm, disability, and even death.

The OHSC uses a set of prescribed norms and standards regulations to monitor compliance in both the public and private health establishments. These standards for quality improvement are in line with OHSC’s mandate for ensuring consistent, safe, and quality healthcare for all in both the public and private health sectors.

Standards enforced by the OHSC, are designed for the following aspects of healthcare provision in health establishments:
▪ Rights of clinic users – The provision of information to users on health services and health matters; ensuring access to care.
▪ Clinical governance and clinical care – The maintenance of full health records of patients and good management of these records, including secure storage; clinical management, which includes the use of national guidelines for dealing with various health conditions; and safe management of medical waste.
▪ Clinical support services – The availability of essential medicines and medical supplies, diagnostic services, blood services and essential medical equipment.
▪ Facilities and Infrastructure – Management of buildings and grounds, engineering services (such as water and power supply), clinic transport and security services.
▪ Governance and human resources – The existence of a functioning clinic committee, the management of human resources, and adherence to occupational health and safety measures.

The clinic committees referred to above are health governance structures legislated by the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003) (NHA) and created to provide an avenue for communities to give input and feedback on the planning, delivery and organization of health services and play an oversight role in the development and implementation of health policies and provision of equitable health services.

As a regulator of quality and safety, the OHSC conducts compliance inspections, investigate complaints, enforce compliance as well as certifies health establishments found compliant with the required norms and standards regulations. The inspections conducted by OHSC are aimed at ensuring that health establishments across various levels of care comply with the legislated prescribed norms and standards.

The OHSC is required to monitor indicators of risk as part of its early warning system (EWS) to identify serious breaches of norms and standards for the safety of health users and health workers. As part of its mandate of consistent, safe, and quality healthcare for all, recommendations for improvement in the healthcare sector are made by OHSC to health authorities based on the analysis of the annual returns submitted by health establishments.

All health establishments, either the public or private health sector are required to comply with policy priorities like safety and security, waiting times, drug availability, staff attitude, infection prevention and control as well as the minimum standards of care in terms of the regulation of the quality of health services.

As we commemorate World Patient Safety Day, the OHSC reiterate the significant of achieving quality standards that will contribute to improving the South African health system and improving the quality and safety of the services provided in health establishments. Upholding quality standards and ensuring safety benefits both users and healthcare providers by creating an environment in which risks are minimized and positive results enhanced.

The OHSC performs its functions independently, impartially, fairly, and fearlessly on behalf of healthcare users. The constitutional rights of healthcare users to access health services is reaffirmed by the NHA. Any user can lay a complaint about the way they were treated at a health establishment.

Issued by the Office of Health Standards Compliance
For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: at 066 473 8666, and rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za

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OHSC conducts outreach campaigns around Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality, Mpumalanga

18 February 2022

The Office of the Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) an entity established to ensure both the public and private health establishments comply with the required health standards engages various communities around Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality in Mpumalanga. The campaign aims to educate and empower community about these services:

  • The standards of care expected of various health establishments.
  • The role of the OHSC in enforcing compliance with these standards.
  • How individuals can leverage the OHSC – through lodging complaints or advocacy to address lapses in quality of care.

The areas to be visited around Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality are listed in a table below:

Venue Date Time
Perdekop Community Hall Ward 6 21/02/2022 10h00 -12h00
Amersfoort Community Hall Ward 8 21/02/2022 14h00 – 16h00
Daggakraal Community Hall Ward 9 22/02/2022 10h00 – 12h00
Wakkerstroom Community Hall Ward 5 22/02/2022 14h00 – 16h00
Amersfoort Community Hall Ward 7 23/02/2022 10h00 – 12h00
Volksrust Town Hall Ward 4 23/02/2022 14h00 – 16h00
Daggakraal Community Hall Ward 10 24/02/2022 10h00 – 12h00
Kwa- Moloi Community Hall Ward 2 & 3 24/02/2022 14h00 – 16h00
Daggakraal Community Hall Ward 11 25/02/2022 10h00 – 12h00
Vukuzakhe Multi-Purpose Hall Ward 1 25/02/2022 14h00 – 16h00

Issued by the Office of Health Standards Compliance
For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: Mobile. 066 473 8666, and Email. rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za.

 

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What you need to know about the inspection and certification of hospitals, clinics and doctors’ practices

5 November 2021

The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) was created by Parliament to protect and promote the health and safety of users of health establishments across the country.

Among the core functions of the OHSC is the conduct of routine inspections of health establishments to measure them against norms and standards determined by the Minister of Health. The assessment process results in the certification of those health establishments that meet the required norms and standards, or the issuing of compliance notice to health establishments that fail to meet the norms and standards.

Once the Minister of Health has promulgated norms and standards for various categories of health establishments, the OHSC develops inspection tools that are used to ascertain whether norms and standards have been met.

Scope of norms and standards

The regulated norms and standards for health establishments apply equally to public and private hospitals, public sector clinics and community health centres, private health clinics and General Practitioners (GPs) practices. Since the scale and range of services offered differ among these different healthcare sectors, different inspection tools are developed and used to measure compliance. The main categories of standards are:

User rights – User information; access to care; and waiting times

Clinical governance and clinical care – User health records and management; clinical management; infection prevention and control; waste management; and responses to adverse events

Clinical support services – Medicines and medical supplies; diagnostic services; blood services; medical equipment

Facilities and infrastructure – Management of buildings and grounds; engineering services; transport management; security services

Governance and human resources – Governance; human resources management; occupational health and safety

Routine inspections for different categories of health establishments can only commence once norms and standards for that category have been prescribed and related inspection tools have been finalised in consultation with stakeholders. This is a phased process:

  • By 2019, the OHSC had finalised regulatory processes and began to inspect public sector clinics and community health centres.
  • From 2022, public and private hospitals will form part of the OHSC’s compliance inspection schedule.
  • The development of Inspection tools for district and regional hospitals in the public sector have been completed.
  • Inspection tools for private hospitals are at an advanced stage of development and approval.
  • The OHSC has been engaging stakeholders on the development of inspection tools for general medical practitioners (GPs).
  • Emergency medical services tools have been developed and will be the next major category to receive attention.

Although the OHSC conducts hundreds of routine inspections, unannounced and risk-based inspections each year, it will have to significantly increase its capacity to inspect and consider certification of health establishments in all categories.

The OHSC publishes an annual inspection plan on its website in April of every year, and any establishment that is selected for inspection is notified in advance.

Quality – our starting point and destination

As a regulatory body, the OHSC stands on solid ground in terms of enforcing standards for the improvement of quality of healthcare. We believe that healthcare professionals also want the best for our healthcare users.

The OHSC is concerned with achieving minimum standards in relation to the systems and procedures of health establishments. Upholding these standards benefits both users and healthcare providers by creating an environment in which risks are minimised and positive results enhanced. The promulgated norms and standards are essential to effective and quality healthcare and should be achievable by all.

In a country such as ours, with significant historical inequalities in the provision of health services, it is critical that we approach the challenge of quality by addressing inequities through raising the overall quality of healthcare services. This approach is also essential to the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI), that will finance essential health services from a single national health insurance fund.

It is widely acknowledged that a lot of work still needs to be done to improve the quality public health services. Furthermore, the Competition Commission’s Health Market Enquiry underscored the existence of substantial quality issues even in the better-resources private health sector.

The draft National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill provides that certification by the OHSC will be a precondition for health service providers seeking to obtain accreditation and ultimately be able to contract with the National Health Insurance Fund. Perhaps stakeholders are anxious about fulfilling this requirement timeously in light of the current pace of inspections. We are very conscious of this issue and seeking both to increase the resourcing of the OHSC and improve efficiencies.

Telephone: 012 942 7700 • Physical Address: Office of Health Standards Compliance, 79 Steve Biko Road, Prinshof, Pretoria • Postal Address: OHSC Private Bag X21 Arcadia, 0007 • Email: admin@ohsc.org.za • Website: www.ohsc.org.za

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OHSC embarks on outreach campaigns at Joe Morolong Local Municipality, Northern Cape

22 September 2021

The OHSC embarks on a series of community outreach campaigns at Joe Morolong Local Municipality, Northern Cape. The purpose of the campaigns is to inform members of the community about the functions of the OHSC and Ombud.

The campaign to be held in these areas listed in a table below Joe Morolong Local Municipality:

Community Date Time
Heunningvlei Community 27 September 2021 14:00 – 16:00
Bothitong Community 28 September 2021 10:00 – 12:00
Gamorona Community 28 September 2021 14:00 – 16:00
Madibeng Community 29 September 2021 10:00 – 12:00
Cassel Community 29 September 2021 14:00 – 16:00
Bendel Community 30 September 2021 10:00 – 12:00
Dithakong Community 30 September 2021 14:00 – 16:00

Issued by the Office of Health Standards Compliance
For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: Mobile. 066 473 8666, and Email. rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za.

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OHSC statement on disruption of health services by violence and looting

The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) is deeply concerned that essential healthcare services have been badly affected by the ongoing violence and destruction of property, particularly in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Several medical centres, private practices and pharmacies have been looted, and the vaccination rollout programme has also been disrupted. A ripple effect of the instability has been the obstruction of access to public and private healthcare facilities for both healthcare workers and service users.

The task of the OHSC is to safeguard the safety of users of health services and healthcare workers and to ensure quality services in our healthcare facilities. When we see access to healthcare facilities blocked, medicines looted, blood service premises vandalised, and oxygen deliveries delayed, it is our duty as a regulator in the provision of health services to spell out clearly that such actions are life-threatening and potentially deadly.

The protests have also put additional strain on the health system and healthcare workers, already stretched to the limit by the surge in COVID-19 cases. In areas affected by the violence, healthcare facilities are experiencing an influx of patients seeking medical attention for trauma and injuries suffered in the prevailing environment.

The OHSC would like to appeal to communities to protect and respect the vital role of healthcare facilities and preserve precious infrastructure and prevent the unnecessary loss of life. Around the country, dedicated health professionals have been trying their utmost to improve the quality of care available to the public, including managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OHSC further appeals to all communities to join hands during this difficult time and work together in supporting all healthcare facilities to restore the much-needed health services in the affected areas. Government is urged to accelerate coordinated efforts to halt the destruction in large parts of the country, negatively affecting the economy and seriously affecting the health system and services.
The healthcare sector cannot afford to lose the ground we have gained over the years.

The OHSC is a statutory body charged with promoting quality healthcare by ensuring health services meet prescribed standards. It does so through the inspection of health establishments, the certification of those establishments complying with standards, and the investigation of complaints about poor-quality care.

Issued by the Office of Health Standards Compliance
For more information contact: Ricardo Mahlakanya: Mobile. 066 473 8666, and Email. rmahlakanya@ohsc.org.za.

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