Netcare posted a rise in profit for the year ended September 30, the JSE-listed private hospital group said on Monday.
Headline earnings per share rose 27,2% to 78,2%, while group revenue rose 6,9% to R23,232-million, said the company which operates hospitals in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Netcare was wholly committed to working with both the South African and British governments to meet increasing demand for, and improve access to, quality healthcare, its chief executive officer Richard Friedland said in a statement.
”In South Africa, through our primary care network, Netcare is well-positioned to assist government in meeting the healthcare-related Millennium Development Goals for 2015.
”In addition, Netcare welcomes the establishment of the National Health Insurance (NHI) advisory committee to the Minister of Health [Aaron Motsoaledi] and we remain committed to working with the department of health in addressing the challenges outlined in the department’s ten point plan.”
Friedland said that in the UK, the recessionary environment was expected to continue impacting out-of-pocket spending on private healthcare.
”However, we expect this to be largely offset by growth in National Health Service (NHS) activity through the purchasing of healthcare services by NHS Primary Care Trusts,” he said. — Sapa