RECENT CONFLICT AT HELEN JOSEPH HOSPITAL

Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government

INVESTIGATION INTO RECENT CONFLICT AT HELEN JOSEPH HOSPITAL

The Gauteng Government's Department of Corporate Services has completed its investigation into the conflict which erupted at Helen Joseph Hospital last month between members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union and administrative personnel.

The investigation, headed by Adrian Oelofse, Director for Labour Relations in the Department of Corporate Services, was commissioned by the Gauteng Department of Health, with the support of both parties to the conflict. Mr Oelofse was assisted by two assistant directors in his Directorate, Vincent Dhladla and Stanley Rakgantso.

The appointment of the investigation team had the effect of immediately restoring a normal work routine throughout the hospital.

The inquiry related not only to the conflict and associated industrial action, but it also covered the management practices which contributed to this situation.

The Gauteng Department of Health received the report just over a week ago. Since then, the Acting Head of Department, Dr Eric Buch, has met with representatives of management and staff at Helen Joseph Hospital:

• To report on the findings and the recommendations of the investigating team.
• To discuss the Department's proposed course of action in response to these recommendations.

"We accept in broad principle the findings and recommendations of the investigating team and are moving rapidly to implement most of them. The response all round at Helen Joseph Hospital has also been positive," said Dr Buch.

The investigating team recommended that:

• Disciplinary hearing should be instituted in relation to three incidents:
• The "roughing up" of a Nehawu shop steward, allegedly by a traffic officer caller in by his mother who works in the administration unit (November 14).
• The forced removal of administrative staff allegedly by Nehawu members (November 17).
• The alleged assault of a member of the administrative staff by a leading Nehawu member (November 17).

Charges will be drawn up in all the above instances and disciplinary hearings will be instituted in January.

The Department also accepts the investigation team's view that disciplinary hearings relating to industrial action in August should be expedited.

• Immediate steps should be taken to fill senior vacancies at Helen Joseph.

The report states that Helen Joseph is in "dire need of effective leadership to manage the hospital". It highlights the fact that with the exception of the head of nursing, all top management posts are currently vacant.

The head of nursing, Matron Jane Ramaboa, is mentioned as having the skills, experience and leadership qualities needed to "take on board some of these tricky labour relations questions" and is recommended as acting Superintendent. However, national legislation still stipulates that the superintendent must be a medical doctor.

In the light of this the Department has decided:

• Dr Arthur Manning, Superintendent of Coronation Hospital, will continue to "double" as Acting Superintendent of Helen Joseph. The post will be advertised in January.
• Dr Hans Rothschild will be transferred from Tara Hospital to assist Dr Manning.
• Mr Boitumelo Matsose, an assistant director at head office with experience at a number of hospitals, will be seconded as Acting Hospital Secretary.

- Various unattended grievances, lodged both the Nehawu and by institutional management, be investigated urgently and resolved.

A process has been agreed for Helen Joseph's new executive team (Dr Manning, Ms Ramaboa and Mr Matsose) to review the grievances and ensure action in relation to matters which are pending. Acceptable deadlines have been set.

- Decentralisation of management of discipline.

The report found the present allocation of responsibility for managing discipline in the institution in appropriate. The view was expressed that it is too centrally managed by the Department's head office.

The investigation team recommended an alternative role for labour relations and related units at head office: To build capacity in labour relations management at institutional level. It also recommended that "as soon as the required level of competency is obtained in an institution, the Head of the Health Department delegates the authority to institute, conduct and authorise sanction within the disciplinary process to the heads of the respective institutions."

These recommendations relate to policy, rather than operational issues. Because of this no immediate decision has been taken, but the proposal will be considered by the appropriate decision-making structures in the Department.

Additional findings

The report contains a wide range of observations and findings. They include:

• A finding that the death of a man at the X-ray Department during the period of conflict, however unfortunate, was not linked to the problems between Nehawu and the administrative unit. The porter involved appeared to have fulfilled his obligations by wheeling the patient to the X-ray Department and handing the file over to the medical staff of the section.
• An observation that there was a notable lack of a managed programme of change at the institution, driven from head office. The investigation team commented on the absence of a shared organisational culture at Helen Joseph. It observed that transformation was a heart a cultural process - and that change could not be achieved by mechanically adhering to prescribed procedures.

The Department of Health would like to thank Adrian Oelofse and his colleagues. The evident integrity with which they tackled the investigation has helped to stabilise Helen Joseph Hospital and produce an acceptable way forward.

Release by the Directorate for Health Promotion & Communications Inquiries: Jo-Anne Collinge 082 574 5510