After two years of strict budget limits in healthcare, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025 budget speech aimed to fix funding shortages in the public health system. The health budget will rise from R277 billion in 2024/25 to R298.8 billion in 2025/26 and is expected to reach R329 billion by 2027/28, with an average annual growth of 5.6%. This is better…
Tag: healthcare reform
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Britain’s Prime Minister vows to streamline NHS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to “reduce bureaucracy” and restore democratic control, asserting that this will improve resources for frontline services and reduce waiting lists before the next election. Health Secretary Wes Streeting plans to reduce the size of NHS England by 50%, with its chief executive set to leave soon. Streeting stated that the government is dismantling the…
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Unplaced doctors and overwork plague the health system
Within the walls of South Africa’s public hospitals, an unseen struggle unfolds daily. This reveals a healthcare system burdened by persistent challenges and standing at a critical juncture. A collaborative, systemic approach is essential to ensure its survival for millions of South Africans. Central to this crisis is the stark inequality in access to healthcare. While newly qualified doctors graduate…
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Government pushes for more family physicians in key roles
The Department of Health has announced plans to increase the number of family physicians serving as clinical managers in district hospitals. This move follows years of lobbying by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP) for greater recognition of the role of family physicians in the country’s public health system. The push to appoint family physicians, described as “super…
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GNU faces major showdown over National Health Insurance
The GNU (Government of National Unity) has been hit by its first significant cabinet clash, with ANC and DA ministers at odds over proposed spending plans. The most contentious issue at the centre of the debate is the National Health Insurance (NHI), a plan to reshape South Africa’s healthcare system. Insiders reported that tempers flared during an extended cabinet meeting…
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SAPPF takes legal action against controversial NHI Act
The South African Private Practitioners Forum (SAPPF), the largest association of medical specialists, has taken legal action against the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. This move adds to the growing pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to reconsider the legislation, which has faced increasing opposition. The SAPPF filed an application with the High Court in Pretoria on October 1, asking…