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Mediclinic International
Annual Report 2018

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FY2018 Annual Report · Mediclinic International
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ANNUAL REPORT 
AND FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS

for the year ended 31 March 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

SUCCEEDING IN THE 
TURNAROUND OF THE 
ABU DHABI BUSINESS

with continued strong performance in 
Southern Africa and Dubai

740 000+ INPATIENT 
ADMISSIONS

across all operating divisions as the 
demand for quality healthcare services 
continues to increase

£245M – SIGNIFICANT 
ONGOING CAPEX 
INVESTMENT 

across the Group supporting patient 
experience, clinical excellence, maintenance, 
upgrades and expansion

REVENUE UP 4% 

to £2 870m; up 3% in constant  
currency terms

ADJUSTED EBITDA UP 3%

to £515m; flat in constant currency

EARNINGS LOSS OF 
£492M 

impacted by non-cash Hirslanden and 
Spire impairment charges and other 
exceptional items 

ADJUSTED EARNINGS 
PER SHARE UP 1% 

to 30.0 pence

TOTAL DIVIDEND FOR 
THE YEAR 7.90 PENCE

The Group uses adjusted income statement reporting as 
non-IFRS measures in evaluating performance. Refer to the 
Financial Review on page 29 for an explanation.

CONTENTS

STRATEGIC REPORT

3

4

6

10

12

14

18

19

20

24

33

34

44

50

52

56

60

Report Profile

Business Overview

Performance Highlights 

Chairman’s Statement

At a Glance

Business Model

Our Strategy, Progress and Aims

Investment Case

Five-Year Summary

Performance and Future Outlook

Chief Executive Officer’s Review

Financial Review

Value Added Statement

Clinical Services Overview

Risk Management

Risk Management, Principal Risks and Uncertainties

Viability Statement

Divisional Reviews

Divisional Review – Switzerland

Divisional Review – Southern Africa

Divisional Review – UAE

Non-financial Performance

68

Sustainable Development Highlights

GOVERNANCE AND REMUNERATION

85

86

90

93

Chairman’s Introduction

Board of Directors

Senior Management

Corporate Governance Statement

112 Nomination Committee Report

116 Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee Report

120 Audit and Risk Committee Report

130 Directors’ Remuneration Report

160 Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

162 Group Financial Statements

248 Company Financial Statements

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

262 Shareholder Information

266 Company Information

267 Glossary

IBC Forward-looking Statements

EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST.

Mediclinic is focused on providing acute care, specialist-orientated, multi-disciplinary 
healthcare services. Our core purpose is to enhance the quality of life of our patients by 
providing comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services in such a way that the Group 
will be regarded as the most respected and trusted provider of healthcare services by 
patients, doctors and funders of healthcare in each of its markets.

MEDICLINIC HAS THREE OPERATING DIVISIONS 
IN SWITZERLAND, SOUTHERN AFRICA AND 
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 

75
HOSPITALS

28 
CLINICS

SWITZERLAND

10 684 
PATIENT BEDS

SOUTHERN 
AFRICA

411 
THEATRES

31 504 
EMPLOYEES

UNITED ARAB 
EMIRATES

With continuing regulatory 

changes during the year 

in Switzerland, Hirslanden 

continues to focus on adapting 

to the evolving outpatient 

environment whilst delivering 

cost savings and operational 

efficiencies.

Read more about Hirslanden 
from page 52.

AR

Mediclinic Southern Africa, 

once again, delivered steady 

revenue growth and managed 

its cost base despite pressure 

on patient volumes in the 

current environment.

Read more about Mediclinic 
Southern Africa from page 56.

AR

The Middle East division 

reached an inflection point 

this year with a strong second 

half performance delivering 

marginal improvement in 

revenue and adjusted EBITDA 

margin for the year; succeeding 

with the turnaround of the Abu 

Dhabi business and laying the 

foundation for further growth.

Read more about Mediclinic 
Middle East from page 60.

AR

CONTRIBUTION TO 
REVENUE  

CONTRIBUTION TO 
ADJUSTED EBITDA* 

CONTRIBUTION TO 
ADJUSTED EARNINGS* 

(1%)

(2%) 1%

22%

16%

TOTAL £2 870M

47%

TOTAL £515M

48%

31%

37%

20%

33%

TOTAL £221M

48%

Switzerland

Southern Africa

Middle East

Corporate 

United Kingdom

AR

*   The Group uses adjusted income statement reporting as non-IFRS measures in evaluating performance. Refer to the Financial Review on page 24 

for an explanation and for a reconciliation to the equivalent IFRS measures.

“WE ARE 
DETERMINED 
TO MEET AND 
EXCEED THE 
EXPECTATIONS 
OF OUR 
PATIENTS IN 
EVERY MARKET 
WHERE WE 
OPERATE.”

DANIE MEINTJES
CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER

OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Mediclinic  seeks  to  generate 
shareholder value through:

long-term 

•  putting Patients First;

•  improving Group and operational 

effi  ciencies;

•  pursuing attractive growth 

opportunities; and

•  leveraging our global scale,

invest 

while  continuing  to 
in  employees, 
information  and  communications  technology 
and  analytics.  Read  more  about  Our  Strategy, 
Progress and Aims from page 14.

AR

FURTHER INFORMATION

This  Annual  Report  is  published  as  part  of 
a suite of reports, as listed below. The icons 
below are used as a cross-referencing tool to 
refer to the relevant pages of these reports 
or within this Annual Report.

AR   Annual Report and Financial 

Statements 2018

CSR

SDR

AGM

  Clinical Services Report 2018

   Sustainable Development Report 2018

   Notice of Annual General Meeting 2018

These  reports  are  available  on  the  Company’s 
website  at  www.mediclinic.com  from  the 
date  of  distribution  of  this  Annual  Report 
and  the  Company’s  Notice  of  Annual  General 
Meeting by no later than 22 June 2018.

GLOSSARY

Please refer to the glossary of terms used in 
this report from page 267.

AR

APPROVAL OF ANNUAL 
REPORT

This Annual Report and Financial Statements, 
including  the  Strategic  Report  herein,  was 
approved by the Board on 23 May 2018.

Edwin Hertzog
Non-executive Chairman

23 May 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

1

2 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

REPORT PROFILE

Scope, boundary and reporting 
cycle
This  Annual  Report  and  Financial  Statements 
(“Annual Report”) of Mediclinic International plc (the 
“Company”  or  “Mediclinic”)  presents  the  fi nancial 
results,  and  the  economic,  social  and  environmental 

performance of the Mediclinic Group for the fi nancial 
year  ended  31  March  2018  (the  “reporting  period”), 
and  covers  the  Company’s  operations  in  Switzerland, 

Southern  Africa  and  the  United  Arab  Emirates 
(the “Group”). 

Reporting principles
The  information  in  this  Annual  Report  is  deemed 

to  be  useful  and  relevant  to  our  stakeholders, 

with  due  regard  to  their  expectations  through 

continuous engagement, or that the Board believes 

may  infl uence  the  perception  or  decision-making 

of  our  stakeholders.  The  information  provided  aims 

to  provide  our  stakeholders  with  an  understanding 

of  the  Group’s  fi nancial,  social,  environmental  and 
economic  impacts  to  enable  them  to  evaluate  the 

ability of Mediclinic to create and sustain value. 

This Annual Report was prepared in accordance with 

the  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards,  the 

LSE  Listing  Rules,  the  JSE  Listings  Requirements, 

the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code,  and  the 

UK  Companies  Act  (including  the  Companies, 

Partnerships and Group (Accounts and Non-Financial 

Reporting)  Regulations  2016  aimed  at  improving 

the  transparency  of  companies  regarding  non-

fi nancial  and  diversity  information),  where  relevant. 

The  Company  complied  with  all  the  provisions 

of  the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code,  other 
than  the  exceptions  explained  in  the  Corporate 
Governance  Statement  on  page  93  of  this  Annual 
Report.  The  Company’s  reporting  on  sustainable 

development  included  in  this  report,  supplemented 
by  the  Sustainable  Development  Report,  available 
on  the  Company’s  website  at  www.mediclinic.com, 
was  done  in  accordance  with  the  GRI  Sustainability 

Reporting  Standards  2016  and  the  non-fi nancial 

reporting regulations referred to above. 

External audit and assurance
The  Company’s  annual  fi nancial  statements  and  the 

Group’s consolidated annual fi nancial statements were 

audited by the Group’s independent external auditors, 

PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP,  in  accordance  with 

International Standards of Auditing (UK). 

AR

SDR

AR

The  Group  follows  various  other  voluntary  external 
accreditation,  certifi cation  and  assurance  initiatives, 

complementing  the  Group’s  combined  assurance 
model,  as  reported  on  in  the  Risk  Management 
section  of  this  Annual  Report.  The  Group  believes 

AR

that  this  adds  to  the  transparency  and  reliability  of 

information reported to our stakeholders.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

3

STRATEGIC
REPORT

“The Group’s strategic focus ensures that it 
consistently delivers high-quality healthcare and 
optimal patient experience across the operating 
divisions in Switzerland, Southern Africa and the 
Middle East.”

Danie Meintjes
Chief Executive Offi  cer

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PERFORMANCE 
HIGHLIGHTS

GROUP FINANCIAL RESULTS

REVENUE (£’m)

9
4
7
2

0
7
8
2

2
9
8
1

7
7
9
1

7
0
1
2

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

ADJUSTED EBITDA (£’m)

1
0
5

5
1
5

1
0
4

3
0
4

8
2
4

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

OPERATING (LOSS) PROFIT (£’m)

2
4
3

5
4
3

8
8
2

2
6
3

)
8
8
2
(

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

ADJUSTED EPS (pence)

.

3
7
3

.

8
5
3

.

7
6
3

.

8
9
2

.

0
0
3

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

OPERATING CASH FLOW (£'m)

0
4
4

1
1
4

4
9
3

2
9
4

6
6
4

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

4 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION
The  strong  financial  position  of  the  Group  supported  the  overall 
performance of the three divisions in 2018. In Switzerland, Hirslanden 
was faced with a number of regulatory changes that came into effect 
during the year and the division will need to continue adapting to 
the evolving outpatient environment whilst delivering cost savings 
and operational efficiencies. The division recognised an impairment 
charge on intangible assets and properties of £644m. The Southern 
Africa  division,  once  again,  produced  steady  revenue  growth  and 
managed its cost base despite pressure on patient volumes in the 
current environment. The Middle East division reached an inflection 
point  this  year  with  a  strong  second  half  performance  delivering 
marginal improvement in revenue and adjusted EBITDA margin for 
the year. Spire’s reported profit after tax was impacted by exceptional 
items that lowered the contribution from the investment in associate 
for  the  year.  Further,  Mediclinic  recognised  an  impairment  on  the 
investment  in  associate  of  £109m.  At  a  Group  level,  the  reported 
earnings loss was £492m, impacted by the impairments and other 
exceptional items. 

SUCCEEDING WITH THE TURNAROUND OF THE  
ABU DHABI BUSINESS
The operational changes that were implemented in the Abu Dhabi 
business during the prior year, to align with Mediclinic’s established 
Dubai  business,  have  laid  the  foundation  for  future  success.  The 
Middle  East  division  is  now  entering  a  growth  phase  underpinned 
by  continued  strong  performance  in  the  Dubai  business,  ongoing 
improvement in the Abu Dhabi business and the opening of several 
new facilities over the coming years.

PATIENTS FIRST STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
Our  patients  are  at  the  core  of  Mediclinic.  The  Group’s  strategic 
focus specifically requires  that it consistently delivers high-quality 
healthcare  and  optimal  patient  experience  across  the  operating 
divisions in Switzerland, Southern Africa and the Middle East. To this 
end, Mediclinic continued to invest in its people, clinical facilities and 
technology. We made continued progress this year in the key areas 
of clinical performance, patient experience and staff engagement.

BENEFITS OF BEING A GLOBAL HEALTHCARE SERVICE 
GROUP
As one of the largest independent pan-EMEA1 healthcare services 
groups,  Mediclinic  is  well  positioned  to  deliver  long-term  value  to 
its shareholders. The Group’s growing international scale enables it 
to  unlock  further  value  through  promoting  collaboration  and  best 
practice  across  various  fields  including  clinical  and  patient  care, 
extracting  operational  synergies  and  delivering  cost  efficiencies 
through global procurement.

EVOLVING REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
The  demand  for  healthcare  services  is  unquestionably  growing 
around  the  globe.  The  challenge  for  the  industry,  however,  is  to 
ensure  those  services  remain  affordable  resulting  in  changing 
care  delivery  models  and  greater  regulatory  oversight.  We  place 
considerable  emphasis  on  the  investment  we  make  in  our  clinical 
performance  and  the  facilities  that  we  operate  to  deliver  our 
patients  the  care  that  we  believe  will  improve  the  quality  of  their 
lives. However, we must manage the delivery of these services in an 
efficient, cost-effective way to ensure sustainability.

1  Europe, Middle East and Africa

 
 
 
 
 
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

FINANCIAL

Revenue

EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA1

Operating (loss)/profit
(Loss)/earnings2
Adjusted earnings1

(Loss)/earnings per share 
Adjusted earnings per share1
Total dividend per share3

Net debt at the year end

Capital expenditure on projects, new equipment  
and replacement of equipment

Switzerland

Southern Africa

United Arab Emirates

£'m

£'m

£'m

£'m

£'m

£'m

pence

pence

pence

£'m

£'m

£'m

£'m

£'m

2018

2 870

 522

 515

 (288)

 (492)

 221

(66.7)

30.0

7.90

1 676

 245

 101

 64

 80

2017

2 749

 509

 501

 362

 229

 220

31.0

29.8

7.90

1 669

 249

 127

 72

 50

%
change

4%

3%

3%

(180%)

(315%)

1%

(315%)

1%

0%

0%

(2%)

(20%)

(11%)

60%

Notes
1 

 The  Group  uses  adjusted  income  statement  reporting  as  non-IFRS  measures  in  evaluating  performance  and  as  a  method  to  provide 
shareholders with clear and consistent reporting. See the reconciliations between the statutory and the non-IFRS measures in the Financial 
Review on pages 26 to 29.

2  Earnings refer to (loss)/profit attributable to equity holders.
3   The  total  dividend  per  share  for  the  year  ended  31  March  2018  in  pounds  sterling  comprises  the  final  dividend  of  4.70  pence  per  share  

(2017: 4.70 pence) and the interim dividend of 3.20 pence per share, paid in December 2017 (2017: 3.20 pence).

AR

AR

Group results are subject to movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Refer to page 30 for exchange rates used to 

convert the operating divisions’ results to pounds sterling. 

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

5

 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAIRMAN’S
STATEMENT

“OUR LONG-STANDING 
REPUTATION AS A TRUSTED, 
MARKET-LEADING, 
HEALTHCARE SERVICE 
PROVIDER FOCUSED 
ON PATIENT SAFETY 
AND EXCELLENT CLINICAL 
PERFORMANCE, WILL 
CONTINUE TO DELIVER 
LONG-TERM GROWTH 
AND RETURNS FOR OUR 
SHAREHOLDERS.”

Dr Edwin Hertzog 
Non-executive Chairman

STRATEGIC DELIVERY
During  the  year  under  review  (“FY18”),  we  made  further 
progress on our strategic priorities of putting Patients First, 

and  regularly  engages  with  the  executive  directors  and 

senior  management  across  the  Group  to  ensure  they  are 

focused on the delivery of these key priorities.

improving  Group  and  operational  effi  ciencies,  pursuing 

attractive  growth  opportunities  and  leveraging  our  global 

scale,  while  continuing  to  invest  in  employees,  information 

In  October  2017,  Mediclinic  made  an  approach  to  Spire 
Healthcare Group plc (“Spire”) regarding a possible off er for 
the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Spire not 

and communications technology and analytics. Mediclinic’s 

already owned by Mediclinic. However, in November 2017, we 

commitment  to  deliver  sustainable,  high-quality,  cost-

announced  that  following  discussions  with  the  independent 

eff ective healthcare services produced a positive operational 

directors  of  Spire,  an  agreement  could  not  be  reached. 

performance  this  year.  We  fi rmly  believe  this  commitment 

The  decision  not  to  proceed  demonstrates  our  disciplined 

supports  our  goal  of  driving  continued  long-term  value 

approach to capital allocation, ensuring investments are in the 

for  our  shareholders.  The  Board  continuously  reviews  our 

best interests of Mediclinic shareholders. Mediclinic has every 

strategic  priorities  and  the  progress  made  during  the  year, 

intention of remaining a supportive shareholder of Spire.

6 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

OUR PEOPLE AND PATIENTS
Mediclinic’s focus on its culture and values is a key contributor 

to  the  long-term  success  of  the  Group.  The  commitment 

of  our  executive  directors,  senior  management,  doctors, 

nurses and other staff  supports Mediclinic’s core purpose of 

enhancing quality of life, which is at the heart of our Patients 

First strategy. 

Competition  in  the  public  and  private  healthcare  markets 

provides  patients  and  medical  professionals  with  a  choice 

of  healthcare  service  providers.  We  ensure  we  remain  well 

positioned  as  a  leading  global  healthcare  service  provider 

through our ongoing investment in our facilities, commitment 

to  patient  safety  and  excellent  clinical  performance.  We 

deeply  appreciate  the  more  than  740  000  inpatients  who 

chose  Mediclinic  as  their  preferred  healthcare  service 

provider during the year.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Overall, the Group remains in a strong fi nancial position. The 
benefi t  of  having  a  globally  diversifi ed  healthcare  services 
business  was  refl ected  in  this  year’s  results  as  a  weaker 
performance  in  Switzerland  was  off set  by  good  delivery  in 
Southern Africa and the Middle East. The latter was as a result 
of driving the turnaround of the Abu Dhabi business, with the 
Middle  East  division  entering  an  expansionary  phase  that 
is  expected  to  deliver  an  increase  in  revenue  and  operating 
profi ts over time.

During the year, the Group reported non-cash exceptional items 
relating to impairment charges at Hirslanden and Spire. Due to 
the changes in the Swiss market and regulatory environment, 
Hirslanden recorded a £644m impairment charge on intangible 
assets and property. An impairment test on Spire was carried 
out at 30 September 2017 resulting in an impairment charge 
of  £109m  recorded  against  the  carrying  value  of  the  equity 
accounted investment. As a result of these impairment charges 
and other exceptional items, the reported earnings loss for the 
year was £492m (FY17: profi t £229m). 

At  the  Group  level,  in  constant  currency,  FY18  revenue 
was  up  3%  and  adjusted  EBITDA  was  fl at.  However,  after 
the  translation  eff ect  of  foreign  currency  movements, 
FY18  revenue  was  up  4%  at  £2  870m  (FY17:  £2  749m)  and 
adjusted  EBITDA  increased  3%  at  £515m  (FY17:  £501m). 
This performance was driven by marginal revenue growth in 
Switzerland with a lower adjusted EBITDA margin impacted 

by regulatory changes including outpatient tariff  reductions, 
modest revenue growth in Southern Africa with an improved 
adjusted  EBITDA  margin  and  revenues  up  nearly  1%  in  the 
Middle  East  with  an  improvement  in  the  adjusted  EBITDA 
margin  of  100  basis  points  versus  the  prior  year.  Adjusted 
earnings  per  share  (impacted  by  the  equity-accounted 
share of reported profi t after tax from Spire which included 
a number of exceptional charges) was up 1% to 30.0 pence 
(FY17: 29.8 pence).

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE
I  am  pleased  to  report  that,  during  the  year  under  review, 
the  majority  of  patient  safety  and  clinical  eff ectiveness 
indicators showed improvement. In addition, many initiatives 
in support of  clinical performance and quality improvement 
were launched and completed. Much of the progress can be 
attributed to a strong collaborative eff ort between the clinical 
services teams of the respective operating divisions and the 
corporate centre. Highlights from across the Group include:

Mediclinic International:

 • The  restructuring  and  strengthening  of  clinical  services 
leadership at hospital, divisional and corporate level. 

 • The  establishment  of  health  technology  assessment 
as  the  cornerstone  to  making  clinical  investment  and 
process decisions.

Hirslanden:

 • Klinik Hirslanden’s stroke centre was re-accredited as the 

only private unit of eight across Switzerland.

 • The  Bellaria  Outpatient  Surgery  Unit  (“OSU”)  was 
successfully launched at Hirslanden Klinik Im Park, which 
serves as a blueprint for further outpatient facilities.

Mediclinic Southern Africa:

 • The doctors’ alignment project made good progress and 

will be expanded to another 23 hospitals. 

 • A  new  Clinical  Performance  Committee  structure  was 
successfully  implemented,  including  external  specialist 
representation on the committee.

Mediclinic Middle East:

 • A stroke unit was established at Mediclinic City Hospital, 
which was subsequently certifi ed by the German Stroke 
Society in early 2018.

 • We initiated a renal transplant programme in collaboration 

with the Mohammed Bin Rashid University.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

7

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CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE 
The  healthcare  industry  has  always  operated  within  an 
evolving  regulatory  environment.  Over  the  years,  we  have 
invested  in  recruiting  and  training  our  people  to  ensure  we 
have experienced and well-informed management teams who 
can successfully navigate the changing regulatory landscape. 

This year, we saw a significant change in outpatients’ tariffs 
and  procedures  in  Switzerland  that  impacted  the  financial 
performance  of  the  division.  We  continued  to  engage  in 
the  Health  Market  Inquiry  (“HMI”)  and  National  Healthcare 
Insurance  (“NHI”)  review  process  in  South  Africa,  and  we 
have  been  preparing  for  a  new  Diagnostic  Related  Group 
(“DRG”) reimbursement model in Dubai. Globally, there is a 
continued focus on the affordability of healthcare. Mediclinic 
seeks  to  address  this  through  its  strategic  priority  of 
improving efficiencies. Outmigration of care is an approach 
that aims to reduce the cost of certain, low acuity healthcare 
services  and  procedures.  Mediclinic  is  aligning  with  this 
approach, as it is fundamental to the long-term sustainable 

delivery of healthcare. 

BOARD CHANGES AND GOVERNANCE
The  Board  announced  the  appointment  of  Dr  Ronnie  van  
der  Merwe  as  the  Company’s  new  CEO  in  November  2017. 
The appointment is effective on 1 June 2018.

Danie  Meintjes  joined  the  Group  in  1985  as  the  Hospital 
Manager of Mediclinic Sandton in Johannesburg. He became 
a member of the Group Executive Committee in 1995, mainly 
responsible  for  human  resources  matters.  From  2006,  he 
was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  Company’s  Dubai 
operations over a four-year period, before his appointment 
as  CEO  of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  in  2010.  Danie 
has  played  an  instrumental  role  in  the  development  of 
Mediclinic  and  the  implementation  of  our  strategy.  I  would 
personally  like  to  thank  Danie  for  more  than  30  years’ 
service  to  the  Group  which  has  seen  the  Company  grow 
from a small operator in South Africa to a diversified global 
healthcare  services  provider,  listed  on  the  London  Stock 
Exchange,  with  operating  divisions  located  across  three 
continents  and  over  31  500  employees.  Subject  to  Danie’s 
re-election as a director of the Company at the AGM, he will 
continue as an executive director until 31 July 2018 and as a  
non-executive  director  with  effect  from  1  August  2018.  
Danie’s  continued  involvement  as  a  non-executive  director 
was  approved  by  the  Board  on  23  May  2018  as  it  was 
considered  to  be  in  the  best  interests  of  the  Group,  its 
shareholders  and  other  stakeholders  in  view  of  the  wealth 
of  knowledge  and  experience  he  has  gained  in  different 
capacities during his service at Mediclinic.

Ronnie  is  one  of  Mediclinic’s  most  experienced  senior 
executives. He trained and practised as an anaesthesiologist 

before joining Mediclinic in 1999 and became a member of 
the  Group’s  Executive  Committee  in  2008.  He  established 
and developed the Clinical Information, Advanced Analytics, 
Information  Management  and  Clinical  Services 
Health 
functions  at  Mediclinic,  and  has  been  Group  Chief  Clinical 
Officer  since  2007.  He  was  appointed  as  a  director  of 
Mediclinic International Limited in 2010 up to the combination 
of the businesses of the Company (then Al Noor Hospitals 
Group  plc)  and  Mediclinic  International  Limited.  The  Board 
was  unanimous  in  its  support  for  Ronnie  and  believes  that 
his  extensive  knowledge  of  Mediclinic’s  operations  and  his 
strong  track  record  of  driving  enhancements,  especially  in 
the  quality  and  effectiveness  of  our  clinical  services,  will 
serve the Company well going forward.

I  am  pleased  to  announce  that  this  year  the  Board  made 
two independent non-executive director appointments that 
further  strengthened  the  Board’s  clinical  governance  and 
global healthcare experience. 

On 3 October 2017, Dr Felicity Harvey joined the Board. Her 
thorough  knowledge  of  and  experience  in  the  healthcare 
sector,  which  includes  a  number  of  senior  roles  in  the  UK 
Department  of  Health,  will  be  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
Board. On 1 April 2018, Dr Harvey became Chairman of the 
Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee.

On 1 November 2017, Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi joined the 
Board.  Her  extensive  experience  and  knowledge  of  the 
healthcare and higher education sectors in the UAE, together 
with  her  strategic  and  tactical  expertise  in  operations  and 
fiscal  management,  provide  a  further  positive  dynamic  to 
the  Board  and,  from  1  April  2018,  the  Clinical  Performance 
and Sustainability Committee. 

Since  their  appointments  to  the  Board,  Drs  Harvey  and  
Al  Hashimi  have  already  made  important  contributions.  I  look 
forward to working closely with them over the coming years.

On  29  March  2018,  we  announced  that  Ms  Nandi  Mandela 
and Prof Dr Robert Leu will retire as non-executive directors 
of  the  Company,  and  as  members  of  all  relevant  Board 
committees, at the conclusion of the 2018 AGM. I would like to 
thank them for their commitment and valued contributions 
to the Board and the Group over many years. 

Over  the  past  40  years,  we  have  faced  dramatic  cultural 
and  demographic  changes,  both  in  the  UK  and  globally. 
The Parker Review in the UK looks to formally address this 
issue by analysing the progress being made in the areas of 
diversity, equality and inclusion. I am pleased to report that 
Mediclinic  ranked  eighth  out  of  the  FTSE  100  companies 
in  the  2017  Parker  Review  analysis  of  ethnic  diversity  in 
UK  Boards.  Mediclinic  fully  recognises  that  to  remain 
competitive in a global market, and to ensure we attract and 
retain the best talent, our culture and values must continue 
to align with our diverse employee base.

8 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

SHAREHOLDER RETURNS
For  FY18,  the  Board  recommends  a  final  dividend  of 
4.70  pence  per  share  which,  together  with  the  interim 
dividend  of  3.20  pence  per  share,  results  in  the  total 
dividend  maintained  for  the  year  at  7.90  pence  per  share  
(FY17: 7.90 pence per share). This represents a 26% pay-out 
ratio to adjusted earnings per share, in line with the Group’s 
policy of 25% to 30%.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mediclinic has more than 30 years’ experience of providing 
private healthcare in a sector where the demand for services 
continues to grow. Regulation will always play an important 
role  in  the  industry,  and  the  affordability  of  healthcare  will 
remain  a  focus  for  all  stakeholders.  The  Board  is  confident 
that  our  long-standing  reputation  as  a  trusted,  market-
leading,  healthcare  service  provider  focused  on  patient 
safety  and  excellent  clinical  performance,  will  continue  to 
deliver long-term growth and returns for our shareholders.

APPRECIATING YOUR CONTINUED 
SUPPORT
As  ever,  I  want  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  to  everyone 

who contributed to Mediclinic’s performance, including our 

executive  directors,  senior  management,  doctors,  nurses 

and  other  staff.  In  particular,  the  support  of  patients  and 

medical  professionals  is  absolutely  vital  to  the  long-term 

sustainability of our business, and we deeply appreciate that 

they  have  chosen  Mediclinic  as  their  preferred  healthcare 

service partner.

Finally, I would like to extend a special thank you to all our 

shareholders for their confidence in Mediclinic.

Dr Edwin Hertzog  
Non-executive Chairman

23 May 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018
 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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AT A 
GLANCE

UNITED KINGDOM

29.9% investment in Spire Healthcare 

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Group plc. Refer to page 29.

SWITZERLAND

Find out more about our Swiss 

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operations from page 52.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Find out more about our UAE 

operations from page 60.

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SOUTHERN AFRICA

Find out more about our Southern 

African operations from page 56.

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HOSPITALS  
Switzerland 

Southern Africa 

UAE 

CLINICS 
Switzerland 

Southern Africa 

UAE 

75
 17
 52
 6

28
 4
 2
 22

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Switzerland 

Southern Africa

UAE

Refer to page 14 for more.

CONTROLLABLE 
EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

INPATIENT BEDS   10 684
Switzerland 
 1 805 

Switzerland 

Southern Africa

Southern Africa 

UAE 

 8 131
 748

UAE

THEATRES 
Switzerland 

Southern Africa 

UAE 

411
 104 
 278
 29

EMPLOYEES  
Switzerland 

Southern Africa 

UAE 

31 504
 9 635 
 16 068
 5 801

Refer to pages 71 and 72 for more.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT 
(maximum score of 5)

Switzerland 

Southern Africa

UAE

Refer to page 74 for more.

87.7%

82.1%

83.3%

8.7%

7.7%

10.3%

3.93

3.85

3.86

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WHO WE ARE
Mediclinic is an international private healthcare services group, 
established  in  South  Africa  in  1983,  with  current  operating 
divisions  in  Switzerland,  Southern  Africa  (South  Africa  and 
Namibia) and the United Arab Emirates.

Our core purpose is to enhance the quality of life of patients by 
providing  acute  care,  specialist-orientated,  multi-disciplinary 
healthcare services. 

HIRSLANDEN 

Hirslanden  AG,  a  company  registered  in  Switzerland,  is 
the  holding  company  of  the  Group’s  operating  division 
in  Switzerland,  trading  under  the  Hirslanden  brand. 
Hirslanden AG is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of 
the Company. 

Hirslanden  operates  17  acute  care  private  hospitals  with 
1 805 beds and 4 clinics. 

The  Company’s  primary  listing  is  on  the  LSE  in  the  United 
Kingdom, with secondary listings on the JSE in South Africa 
and  the  NSX  in  Namibia.  The  Group’s  registered  offi  ce  is  in 
London, United Kingdom.

Permanent employees: 9 635 
Full-time equivalents: 7 633 

For more information, please visit:
www.hirslanden.ch

Mediclinic  also  holds  a  29.9%  interest  in  Spire  Healthcare 
Group  plc,  a  leading  UK-based  private  healthcare  group 
listed on the LSE. 

OUR CULTURE
Mediclinic  is  committed  to  conducting  our  business  with 
honesty  and  integrity.  Our  Code  of  Business  Conduct  and 
Ethics and core values represent the basic beliefs to which 
we aspire.

 • Client orientation

 • Team approach

 • Mutual trust and respect

 • Performance driven

Mediclinic  takes  a  sustainable,  long-term  approach  to 
business, putting patients at the heart of its operations and 
consistently  delivering  high-quality  healthcare  services. 
In  order  to  deliver  on  these  priorities,  the  Group  upholds 
the  highest  standards  of  clinical  governance  and  ethical 
behaviour  across  its  divisions,  invests  signifi cant  time  and 
resources  in  recruiting  and  retaining  skilled  staff ,  makes 
considerable investment into its facilities and equipment and 
respects  the  communities  and  environment  in  the  areas  in 
which it operates.

We  value  diversity  and  provide  equal  opportunities  for  all 
in  the  workplace  and  do  not  tolerate  any  form  of  unfair 
discrimination. 

Mediclinic  recognises  its  accountability  to  its  stakeholders 
and  is  committed  to  eff ective  and  regular  engagement 
with them, which is fundamental in maintaining Mediclinic’s 
corporate  reputation  as  a  trusted  and  respected  provider 
of  healthcare  services  and  positioning  itself  as  a  leading 
international  private  healthcare  group.  The  Group 
is  committed  to  conducting  its  business  in  a  manner  that 
respects  and  promotes  the  human  rights  and  dignity  of 
all  those  within  our  sphere  of  infl uence  throughout  our 
operations and relationships. 

MEDICLINIC SOUTHERN AFRICA 

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  (Pty)  Ltd,  a  company 
registered  in  South  Africa,  is  the  holding  company  of 
the Group’s operating division in Southern Africa (South 
Africa and Namibia), trading under the Mediclinic brand. 
Mediclinic Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd is an indirect wholly-
owned subsidiary of the Company. Most of its operating 
subsidiary companies have external doctor shareholding.

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  operates  49  acute  care 
private  hospitals  and  2  day  clinics  in  South  Africa  and 
three  hospitals  in  Namibia,  with  8  131  beds  in  total. 
Through  its  wholly-owned  subsidiaries,  MHR  and  ER24 
it  off ers  related  services  in  healthcare  recruitment  and 
emergency transportation services, respectively.

Permanent employees:  16 068 
Full-time equivalents: 

 19 795 (which include 
3 792 agency staff ) 

For more information, please visit:
www.mediclinic.co.za 
www.mhr.co.za 
www.er24.co.za

MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST 

Mediclinic  Middle  East  operates  6  acute  care  private 
hospitals  and  22  clinics  mainly  in  Abu  Dhabi  and  Dubai, 
UAE with 748 beds. 

The Group’s operating division in the UAE operates mainly 
in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, trading under the Mediclinic brand. 
Emirates  Healthcare  Holdings  Limited  BVI,  a  company 
registered in the British Virgin Islands, is the intermediary 
holding company of the division’s operations in Dubai; and 
Al  Noor  Golden  Commercial  LLC,  a  company  registered 
in  the  UAE,  is  the  intermediary  holding  company  of  the 
division’s operations in Abu Dhabi.

Permanent employees:  5 801 
5 830
Full-time equivalents: 

For more information, please visit:
www.mediclinic.ae

Refer  to  the  Investments  in  Subsidiaries,  Associates  and  Joint 
Ventures annexed to the consolidated annual fi nancial statements 
for more information on the Group’s ownership structure. 

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10 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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BUSINESS
MODEL

PURPOSE DRIVEN
Our  business  model  is  focused  on  our 

core purpose:

TO ENHANCE THE 
QUALITY OF LIFE OF 
PATIENTS

by  providing  acute  care,  specialist-

orientated, multi-disciplinary healthcare 

services.

OUR VISION

TO BE PREFERRED  
LOCALLY AND  
RESPECTED  
INTERNATIONALLY

WE WILL BE PREFERRED  
LOCALLY FOR:

 • delivering excellent patient care;

 • ensuring aligned relationships with 

doctor communities;

 • being an employer of choice, 

appointing and retaining  

competent staff;

 • building constructive relationships 

with all stakeholders; and

 • being a valued member of the 

community.

WE WILL BE RESPECTED 
INTERNATIONALLY FOR:

 • delivering measurable quality  

clinical outcomes;

 • continuing to grow as a successful 

international healthcare group;

 • enforcing good corporate 

governance; and

 • acting as a responsible corporate 

citizen.

Our relentless focus on patient 
needs will create long-term 
shareholder value and establish 
Mediclinic International as a leader 
in the global healthcare industry.

OUR ASSETS AND RESOURCES

OUR STRATEGY TO DELIVER VALUE

Strong financial position
Mediclinic  has  a  strong  financial  profile,  underpinned  by  an  extensive 
property portfolio. The Group has good access to capital, a disciplined 
capital allocation approach and invests for growth.
See the Financial Review for more information.

Facilities and technology
We  provide  high-quality  healthcare  facilities  and  technology,  with 
continuous investments in new technology and to expand and maintain 
existing facilities. 
See the Financial Review and the Chief Executive Officer’s Review 
for more information.

Engaged employees
The  Group  employs  over  31  500  employees  across  its  three  divisions. 
We value our employees by following fair labour practices and offering 
competitive remuneration, training and development opportunities. The 
Group overall employee engagement grand mean score increased from 
3.81 in the previous year to 3.88 in November 2017. 
During  the  year,  £1  293m  (2017:  £1  231m)    was  paid  to  employees 
as  remuneration  and  other  benefits.  Continuous  investment  in  the 
training and development of staff creates a highly trained workforce 
and talent pipeline.
See the Sustainable Development Highlights for more information.

Operational expertise
Mediclinic  has  an  experienced  Board  and  management  team.  The 
continued growth of Mediclinic is testament to their ability to execute 
the Group’s strategy. The expertise of the Group’s clinical staff is a critical 
element of its business, allowing it to provide quality healthcare services. 
Deep  operational  expertise  delivers  a  seamless  patient  experience, 
underpinned by high-quality nursing care. 
See  the  Chief  Executive  Officer’s  Review  and  Clinical  Services 
Overview for more information.

Sound relationships
Mediclinic  has  excellent  relationships  with  key  stakeholders,  regularly 
engaging  with  employees,  funders,  patients,  supporting  doctors, 
suppliers, governments and communities. It has a proven commitment 
to ensure a high standard of ethics, social responsibility, accountability, 
cooperation and transparency. 
See  the  Corporate  Governance  Statement  and  the  Sustainable 
Development Report (available on the Company’s website) for more 
information.

Responsible environmental management
The Group is committed to efficient energy use in all its hospitals and 
continuously  strives  to  reduce  its  water  consumption  and  carbon 
emissions,  with  an  increasing  number  of  its  hospitals  certified  to  the 
ISO 14001 standard.
See the Sustainable Development Highlights for more information.

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Strategic objectives
Putting Patients First
Patients are at the core of everything we do at Mediclinic.  
We  strive  to  deliver  superior  clinical  performance 
through  efficient  structures,  processes,  and  outcomes,  in 
accordance with the Group clinical performance model.

Improving efficiencies
We  strive  to  use  our  combined  international  capacity  
and  effective  collaboration  to  achieve  Group  efficiencies 
through  the  principles  of  simplification,  standardisation  
and centralisation. 

Continuing to grow 
Mediclinic  has  a  track  record  of  investing  in  carefully  

selected  capital  projects  that  deliver  satisfactory  returns 

and has demonstrated the ability to integrate and extract 
value from acquisitions and expansions of existing facilities. 

Adapt to changing business environment
We  strive  to  minimise  risk  to  the  business  by  positioning 
the Group to effectively respond to changes in the business 
environment.

Key strategic enablers

Invest in employees

Invest in information and 
communications technology

Invest in analytics

See  Our  Strategy,  Progress  and  Aims  for 
more information.

Risk management
The Group has established an integrated and effective 
risk  management  framework  where  important  and 
emerging risks are identified, assessed and managed, 
which are aligned to and supports the Group strategy.

See the Risk Management, Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties for more information.

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WHAT WE DELIVER

Quality healthcare services
During the year, the clinical performance was satisfactory 
across  all  operating  divisions,  and  several  patient  safety 
and clinical effectiveness indicators showed improvement. 
In  addition,  many 
in  support  of  clinical 
performance and quality improvement were launched and 
completed during the year. 

initiatives 

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See the Clinical Services Overview for more information.

Shareholder value
We  deliver  value  to  shareholders  through  growth  in 
capitalisation and shareholders returns, with the balance 
of  funds  retained  for  investment  in  profitable  growth 
opportunities.

A focus on disciplined cost management and improving 
efficiencies  has  delivered  a  strong  track  record  of  cash 
flow generation, with a total dividend to shareholders of 
7.90  pence per share.

See the Financial Review for more information. 

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MEDICLINIC’S 
BUSINESS MODEL 
HAS RESULTED 
IN THE DELIVERY 
OF QUALITY 
HEALTHCARE 
SERVICES AND 
GENERALLY 
A BUSINESS 
THAT SUSTAINS 
GROWTH 
AND CREATES 
VALUE FOR ITS 
STAKEHOLDERS.

12 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
OUR STRATEGY, PROGRESS 
AND AIMS

OUR OBJECTIVE

Mediclinic’s overall objective is to generate long-term shareholder value through:

 • putting Patients First;

 •

improving Group and operational efficiencies;

 • pursuing attractive growth opportunities; and

 •

leveraging our global scale;

 • continuing to invest in employees, information and communications technology and analytics.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

DESCRIPTION

PROGRESS FY18

AIMS FY19

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CSR

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Putting Patients First – superior clinical 
performance in a safe clinical environment

More information on this priority is included in the 
Clinical Services Overview and the more detailed 
Clinical Services Report available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com.

The Group strives to deliver superior clinical 
performance through efficient structures, processes, 
and outcomes, in accordance with the Group clinical 
performance model.

Putting Patients First – improved patient 
experience

More information on this priority is included in the 
Clinical Services Overview and the more detailed 
Clinical Services Report available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com.

The Group strives to deliver superior patient experience 
before, during and after hospitalisation, through 
efficient structures, processes, and outcomes to identify 
and respond to the needs of patients, family members, 
and visitors.

Putting Patients First – deliver integrated and 
coordinated care

More information on this priority is included in the 
Clinical Services Overview and the more detailed 
Clinical Services Report available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com.

Improving group and operational efficiencies

More information on this priority is included in the 
Chief Executive Officer’s Review.

The Group strives to become a horizontally integrated 
healthcare system provider by focusing on effective 
collaboration with associated doctors and allied 
healthcare professionals.

The Group strives to use combined international 
capacity and effective collaboration to achieve Group 
efficiencies through the principles of simplification, 
standardisation, and centralisation.

The Group strives to drive the continuous improvement 
of the operating divisions’ operational efficiency by 
proactively identifying and pursuing opportunities for 
improvement.

 • Restructured and strengthened clinical leadership 
at hospital and corporate level across all operating 
divisions and the Group

 • Strengthened and embedded the Clinical 

Performance Committee as a subcommittee 
of the Board

 • Established a formal Clinical Performance 
Committee for Mediclinic Southern Africa 

 • Established health technology assessment as the 
cornerstone of making clinical investment and 
process decisions for the benefit of the Group

 •

 • Managed the patient experience indices and 
worked towards improvement targets across 
the Group
Improved the patient experience index overall 
mean score for the Southern African operating 
division to 82.1% from 81.9%, and for Dubai in the 
Middle East operating division to 83.3% from 
82.5% for inpatients and to 82.8% from 81.6% for 
outpatients. The overall mean score for the first 
year of implementation in the Swiss operating 
division was 87.7%

 • Progressed well in establishing closer collaboration 
with doctors, with the aim to reduce fragmentation 
and enhance the patient value proposition across 
the Group

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 • Refer to the Divisional Reviews for progress 
relating to improved operational efficiencies

Improve patient safety throughout the Group

 •
 • Embed and improve the Group clinical  

performance model

 • Embed Group clinical governance processes  

and structures

 •

 • Establish formal Clinical Performance Committees 
for the Swiss and Middle East operating divisions 
Implement a comprehensive electronic health 
record system across Mediclinic Middle East.
 • Expand on health technology assessments for 
effective clinical decision-making and efficient 
investments throughout the Group

 • Continuously improve accommodation and ancillary 
services and clinical services, through using the 
patient experience index results across the Group
 • Establish and embed service differentiation where 

appropriate across the Group

 • Establish closer collaboration with doctors to 

reduce fragmentation and enhance the patient 
value proposition across the Group
Implement a system provider model across 
the Group
Improve clinical leadership and doctor-related 
governance across the Group

 •

 •

 • Optimise revenue (volume, tariffs and patient mix) 

across the Group

 • Optimise workforce cost and materials utilisation 

across the Group

 • Optimise infrastructure (e.g. bed and theatre) 

utilisation across the Group

 • Continue to centralise and standardise appropriate 

processes across the Group

 • Embed return on invested capital as a key financial 

metric across the Group 

14 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

15

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OUR STRATEGY, PROGRESS AND AIMS (CONTINUED)

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

DESCRIPTION

PROGRESS FY18

AIMS FY19

Continuing to grow

AR

More information on this priority is included in the 
Divisional Reviews.

The Group strives to increase the performance of 
the business by identifying and pursuing growth 
opportunities.

AR

 • Refer to the Divisional Reviews for progress 

relating to growth opportunities

AR

AR

SDR

Continuing to address the business environment

More information on this priority is included in the 
Divisional Reviews.

The Group strives to minimise risk to the business by 
positioning the Group to effectively respond to changes 
in the business environment.

 • Engaged continuously with regulators to monitor 
and influence the regulatory environment in all 
operating divisions

Investing in employees

More information on this priority is included in the 
Sustainable Development Highlights (material  
issue 1), and the more detailed Sustainable 
Development Report available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com.

The Group strives to provide human resources services 
to attract, develop, engage and retain a diverse 
workforce that effectively enables its objectives and 
performance.

 •

 •

 •

Increased the participation rate in the Your Voice 
employee engagement programme to 77% (71% in 
2017), close to the Gallup Healthcare (peer) overall 
participation rate of 80%

Increased the amount of trackable action plans 
defined by line managers for 2017, which signals 
a strong use of the results to improve employee 
engagement

Increased the grand mean score for the Southern 
African and Swiss operating divisions, as well as for 
the Group (the Middle East operating division is not 
directly comparable due to the inclusion of Al Noor)

 • Pursue opportunities for organic and inorganic 
growth in the core business of the existing 
operating divisions (e.g. day surgery, new 
service lines)

 • Pursue opportunities to expand services across the 
continuum of care (e.g. primary, sub-acute, dialyses, 
psychiatric, and out-patient care) in the existing 
operating divisions
Improve the ability to attract and retain physicians 
to support growth across the Group

 •

 • Pursue new international growth opportunities

 • Monitor and influence the regulatory environment 

 •

in all operating divisions
Identify and research potential disruptors of the 
current business model and respond appropriately 
across the Group

 • Continue to implement and measure progress on 
action plans based on the employee engagement 
survey across the Group

 • Execute talent acquisition and retention strategies 

across the Group

 • Ensure competitiveness and governance of 

remuneration across the Group

Investing in information and communications 
technology

AR

More information on this priority is included in the 
Chief Executive Officer’s Review.

The Group strives to provide information and 
technology solutions and support that effectively 
enable business objectives and performance.

 • Completed SAP GRC and BPC shared service 

implementations

 • Optimise back-office technology (SAP) for the Group
 • Enhance clinical applications capabilities (electronic 

 • Concluded global contract with InterSystems for 

health record) across the Group

Investing in analytics

AR

CSR

More information on this priority is included in the 
Clinical Services Overview and the more detailed 
Clinical Services Report available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com.

The Group strives to provide analytics solutions and 
support that effectively enable business objectives  
and performance.

electronic health record solutions

 • Extended Swiss operating division’s content 

 •

management solution for marketing functions to 
the entire Group
Implemented phase 1 of SAP SuccessFactors 
solution for the Southern African and Middle 
Eastern operating divisions

 • Establish a patient engagement architecture (digital 

marketing) for the benefit of the Group
 • Ensure information and communications 
technology governance across the Group

 • Developed a central clinical data warehouse and 
improved clinical performance measurement and 
benchmarking across the Group

 • Entrench the use of centralised analytics in all 

operating divisions

 • Develop new capabilities (e.g. machine learning) for 

 • Commenced with developing machine learning 

the benefit of the Group

capabilities for the benefit of the Group

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16 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

17

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INVESTMENT 
CASE

In  pursuit  of  our  vision  to  be  preferred  locally  and  respected  internationally,  we  offer  an  attractive  investment  case  that 
aligns with seeking to achieve long-term value creation:

Continued growth in demand for healthcare services:

STRONG MARKET 
FUNDAMENTALS 

 • Ageing population
 • Growing disease burden
 • Technological advances
 • Consumerisation of services

DIVERSIFIED 
PRESENCE

LEVERAGING  
GLOBAL SCALE

ATTRACTIVE 
GROWTH 
OPPORTUNITIES

HIGH-QUALITY 
MANAGEMENT 
TEAM WITH PROVEN 
DELIVERY

One of the largest independent pan-EMEA  

healthcare services groups:

 • Leading market positions across all divisions
 • Developed markets – Switzerland and UK 
 • Emerging markets – Southern Africa and UAE

Competitive advantage created from efficient 

integration of international operating divisions:

Internationally recognised clinical expertise
 •
 • Sustainable and efficient operating practices 

 •

Intellectual property of highly skilled and engaged 
human capital

 • Global procurement synergies
 • Powerful data analytics

Well positioned to take advantage of growth 

opportunities that generate sustainable long-term value:

 • Leveraging system relevance
 • Operational flexibility through extensive property 

ownership

 • Returns-driven organic and inorganic expansion
 • Evolving care delivery models
 • Expanding across the continuum of care

A track record of operating global private healthcare 

services for over 30 years:

 • Focused on long-term value creation
 • Financial discipline and strong cash flow generation
 • Relentless focus on patient safety and excellent clinical 

performance

 • Experienced international executive and senior 

management teams

 • Supportive long-term investor since inception – Remgro
 • Dividend pay-out ratio: 25 to 30% of adjusted EPS

18 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FIVE-YEAR 
SUMMARY

The  Five-year  Summary  is  presented  in  pounds  sterling,  rounded  to  the  nearest  million.  Financial  information  of  2014  

to 2015 was reported in South African rand and has been translated to sterling using the procedures outlined below:

 • assets and liabilities were translated at the closing sterling rates;

 •

income and expenses were translated at average sterling exchange rates; and

 • differences resulting from re-translation have been recognised in the foreign currency translation reserve.

INCOME STATEMENTS

Revenue
Operating (loss)/profit
(Loss)/profit after tax
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted earnings

EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic (loss)/earnings basis
Diluted (loss)/earnings basis
Basic adjusted earnings basis
Diluted adjusted earnings basis
Dividends declared per share

STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

ASSETS
Non-current assets

Current assets

Total assets

EQUITY
Owners of the parent

Non-controlling interest

Total equity

LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Total liabilities
Total equity and liabilities

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Operating cash flow (£'m)

Adjusted EBITDA cash conversion (%)

2018
£’m

2 870
 (288)
 (474)
370
 515
 221

2018
pence

(66.7)
(66.7)
30.0
30.0
7.90

2018
£’m

5 382

 961

6 343

3 286

 87

3 373

2 445

 525

2 970

6 343

2018

466

90%

2017
£’m

2 749
 362
 243
360
 501
 220

2017
pence

31.0
31.0
29.8
29.8
7.90

2017
£’m

6 353

1 069

7 422

4 086

 78

4 164

2 668

 590

3 258

7 422

2017

492

98%

2016
£’m

2 107
 288
 190
335
 428
 219

2016
pence

29.6
29.5
36.7
36.7
7.90

2016
£’m

5 604

 945

6 549

3 509

 61

3 570

2 192

 787

2 979

6 549

2016

411

96%

2015
£’m

1 977
 345
 254
318
 403
 193

2015
pence

44.6
43.8
35.8
35.1
9.33

2015
£’m

3 654

 742

4 396

1 779

 61

1 840

2 114

 442

2 556

4 396

2015

440

109%

2014
£’m

1 892
 342
 223
325
 401
 189

2014
pence

41.4
40.5
37.3
36.5
8.90

2014
£’m

3 368

 638

4 006

1 390

 52

1 442

2 096

 468

2 564

4 006

2014

394

98%

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER’S REVIEW

“BY FAR THE BIGGEST 
HIGHLIGHT WAS THE 
CLEAR DEMONSTRATION 
THAT WE ARE DELIVERING 
ON THE TURNAROUND OF 
THE ABU DHABI BUSINESS 
AND LAYING THE 
FOUNDATION FOR 
FURTHER SUCCESS 
IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
DIVISION.”

Danie Meintjes
Chief Executive Offi  cer

HOW WELL DO YOU FEEL THE 
GROUP PERFORMED THIS YEAR 
AGAINST ITS STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 
OF PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST?
Patients are at the core of everything we do at Mediclinic. The 
Group’s strategic focus ensures it consistently delivers high-
quality  healthcare  and  optimal  patient  experience  across 
the operating divisions in Switzerland, Southern Africa and 
the  Middle  East.  To  this  end,  Mediclinic  continues  to  invest 
in  its  people,  clinical  facilities  and  technology.  The  Group’s 
growing international scale enables it to unlock further value 
by  promoting  collaboration  and  best  practice,  extracting 
operational  synergies  and  delivering  cost  effi  ciencies 
through global procurement. 

Long-term  demand  for  Mediclinic’s  services  across  its 
operating divisions remains robust. This is underpinned by, 
inter  alia,  an  ageing  population,  growing  disease  burden, 
technological 
innovation  and  the  consumerisation  of 
healthcare  services.  The  increase  in  demand  across  the 
operating  divisions  is  contrasted  by  greater  competition 
and  lower  economic  growth  in  some  regions.  There  is  an 
increased focus on aff ordable delivery of healthcare, which 
results  in  changing  care  delivery  models  and  increased 

regulatory oversight. 

This  year,  we  progressed  in  the  key  areas  of  clinical 

performance, patient experience and staff  engagement. As 
referenced  in  the  Chairman’s  Statement  and  the  Clinical 
Services Overview, the majority of patient safety and clinical 
eff ectiveness indicators showed improvement. 

AR

Dr Felicity Harvey, who joined the Board in October 2017, has 

chaired the Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee 

since  April  2018.  The  aim  of  the  committee  is  to  promote  a 

culture  of  excellence  in  patient  safety,  quality  of  care  and 

patient experience; and ensure the Group remains a good and 

responsible corporate citizen by monitoring its sustainability 

performance.  During  the  year,  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa 

established a Clinical Performance Committee with the same 

clinical  functions  as  the  Board  committee.  This  committee 

reports  to  the  Board  committee  as  part  of  the  Group’s 

Ward-to-Board  strategy.  During  the  new  fi nancial  year, 

we  plan  to  establish  similar  committees  at  Hirslanden  and 

Mediclinic  Middle  East.  The  committees  in  the  operating 

divisions will include Group independent experts as members 

to further strengthen the oversight function. 

We rolled out the Press Ganey patient experience measurement 

system  in  a  standardised  format  to  all  operating  divisions, 

including  the  Abu  Dhabi  business  following  its  integration 

into the Group last year. We compared the Group’s results to 

20 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

tough  international  benchmarks  and  used  the  feedback  to 
deliver  specifi c  initiatives  that  matter  most  to  our  patients, 
as  we  strive  to  provide  them  with  an  improved  experience. 
As part of its commitment to the Competition Commission’s 
Health  Market  Inquiry,  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  agreed  to 
publish the detailed patient feedback on its website. I was very 
proud  that  Mediclinic  had  the  largest  representation  in  the 
annual Discovery Health Top 20 South Africa Hospital survey 
in 2017. Based on patient feedback, eight of our hospitals were 
recognised in the survey for the quality of care from doctors 
and nurses, patients’ overall experience and hospital conditions. 

Employee engagement is a key factor in ensuring we deliver 
against  our  Patients  First  strategy.  We  evaluate  this  through 
the  annual  Gallup  employee  engagement  survey.  This 
standardised  and  independent  evaluation  system  objectively 
measures employee engagement and identifi es specifi c gaps 
where  improvements  need  to  be  made  across  the  operating 
divisions. Now in its third year of use at Mediclinic, I am glad 
to report that we saw an increased participation rate of 77% 
across the Group in comparison to 71% in the previous year. We 
experienced an increase in the engagement grand mean score 
for  the  Southern  African  and  Hirslanden  divisions.  Data  for 
the Middle East division showed a slight regression, however, 
it  is  not  directly  comparable  because  the  Al  Noor  hospitals 
were  included  in  the  survey  for  the  fi rst  time.  Consequently, 
the  Mediclinic  Group  overall  employee  engagement  grand 
mean  score  increased  from  3.81  to  3.88.  Following  the  2016 
survey results, there was a signifi cant increase in the amount of 
trackable action plans, defi ned by line managers in 2017. This 
signals that the results are being used to positively impact the 

level of engagement among employees.

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE 
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE 
ACROSS MEDICLINIC’S DIVISIONS 
THIS YEAR?
Group revenue increased by 4% to £2 870m (FY17: £2 749m) 
and  adjusted  EBITDA  was  up  3%  to  £515m  (FY17:  £501m). 
On  an  adjusted  basis,  the  operating  divisions  performed 
well  overall  this  year  given  their  diff erent  market  and 
regulatory environments. The biggest highlight was the clear 
demonstration  that  we  are  delivering  on  the  turnaround 
of  the  Abu  Dhabi  business.  Once  again,  Southern  Africa 
produced  steady  revenue  growth,  and  the  team  managed 
the  cost  base  well,  despite  pressure  on  patient  volumes. 
In  Switzerland,  the  Hirslanden  team  faced  a  number 
of regulatory changes that came into eff ect during the year. 
The division will need to continue adapting to the evolving 
outpatient  environment  while  delivering  cost  savings  and 
operational  effi  ciencies.  The  Hirslanden  2020  strategic 
programme is key to addressing these factors.

In  the  Middle  East  division,  the  operational  changes 
implemented  in  the  Abu  Dhabi  business  during  the  prior 

year  to  align  with  our  established  Dubai  business,  laid  the 
foundation  for  future  growth.  I  was  encouraged  by  the 
improved  performance  this  year,  particularly  in  the  second 
half,  which  delivered  a  1%  improvement  in  revenue  and  a 
100  basis  points  improvement  in  the  adjusted  EBITDA 
margin. We welcomed a large number of new doctors into 
the  division  over  the  past  year,  and  we  continue  to  recruit 
high-quality clinical personnel to meet the future demands 
of the business. The rebranding of the Abu Dhabi business 
to  Mediclinic  was  completed  earlier  in  the  year.  We  saw  a 
strong return of Thiqa (health insurance for UAE nationals) 
patients  during  the  year  following  the  reversal  of  the  co-
payment  in  April  2017  with  Thiqa  inpatient  and  outpatient 
volumes  increasing  by  83%  and  38%  respectively.  The 
quality of our engagement with the regulator in Abu Dhabi 
advanced  during  the  year,  as  we  continue  to  demonstrate 
our  long-term  commitment  to  the  region  and  sustainable 
operating  practices.  Mediclinic  was  honoured  to  be  invited 
by  the  Department  of  Health  in  Abu  Dhabi  to  join  its 
healthcare advisory board.

This is only the start, as we enter a growth phase underpinned 
by  continued  strong  performance  in  the  established  Dubai 
business, signifi cant improvement in the Abu Dhabi business 
and  the  opening  of  several  new  facilities  over  the  coming 
years. Two of our recent expansion investments in the Middle 
East  performed  ahead  of  expectations.  The  dedicated 
cancer centre at Mediclinic City Hospital’s new North Wing 
in  Dubai  and  the  new  Mediclinic  Al  Jowhara  Hospital  in 
Al  Ain  brought  international  clinical  expertise  to  patients 
in  the  region.  Several  key  expansion  and  upgrade  projects 
underway will support future growth. The largest and most 
signifi cant of these is the new 182-bed Mediclinic Parkview 
Hospital  in  Dubai,  which  is  six  months  ahead  of  schedule 
and  due  to  open  in  October  2018.  A  special  feature  on 
this  exciting  project  is  included  in  the  Annual  Report  from 
page 64. 

AR

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  performed  well  during  the  year 
considering  the  macro  environment  and  stagnant  medical 
insurance membership. Despite patient volumes being under 
pressure due to the timing of Easter and a number of other 
public  and  school  holidays,  the  division  grew  revenue  and 
adjusted  EBITDA  by  5%  and  6%  respectively.  The  adjusted 
EBITDA  margin  improved  to  21.5%  as  a  result  of  a  strong 
focus  on  cost  management  and  effi  ciencies.  Although  we 
remain cautious of the need for additional bed capacity given 
the current macro environment, we continue to upgrade our 
facilities,  and  will  be  establishing  six  additional  day  clinic 
facilities co-located with some of our busiest hospitals over 
the coming two years. Further, as we look at expansionary 
opportunities  across  the  continuum  of  care,  the  Southern 
Africa  division  is  in  the  process  of  acquiring  a  stake  in  the 
Intercare  day  hospital  business  and  a  controlling  share  in 
Matlosana Medical Health Services in Klerksdorp, subject to 
Competition Commission approval.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REVIEW (CONTINUED)

Previously  announced  regulatory  changes 
in  the  Swiss 
healthcare system, centred around the outpatient environment, 
negatively impacted the division’s performance resulting in the 
recognition  of  impairment  charges  on  intangible  assets  and 
property  totalling  £644m.  On  1  January  2018,  the  TARMED 
tariff  revisions  were  implemented,  effectively  reducing  the 
tariff for outpatient treatments. During the year, five cantons, 
including  Zurich,  implemented  a  list  of  procedures  that 
will  be  reimbursed  at  outpatient  tariffs.  The  2%  increase  in 
revenue  was  impacted  by  the  timing  of  the  Easter  period,  a 
subdued summer market, the continued change in insurance 
mix and the evolving changes in the regulatory environment. 
The  continued  focus  on  cost-management  programmes  and 
efficiency  savings  is  a  key  priority  for  the  division,  including 
the  Hirslanden  2020  strategic  programme.  Despite  these 
initiatives,  Hirslanden’s  adjusted  EBITDA  margin  decreased 
to 18.3% as it adapts to the current trends in the market and 
regulatory environment. 

The  Hirslanden  division  completed  the  acquisition  of  the 
Linde  Private  Hospital  (“Linde”)  in  Biel  at  the  end  of  
June  2017.  Linde,  a  market-leading  115-bed  hospital,  offers 
a  wide  range  of  medical  services,  including  an  outpatient 
clinic facility, radiology and an ophthalmology centre. Linde 
delivered  a  good  operating  performance  following  its 

integration into the Hirslanden division.

WHAT KEY CHALLENGES IS THE 
GROUP ADDRESSING IN THE GLOBAL 
HEALTHCARE MARKET?
The  demand  for  healthcare  services  is  growing  worldwide. 

The  challenge  for  the  industry,  however,  is  to  ensure  those 

services  remain  affordable.  We  emphasise  the  investment 

we  make  in  our  clinical  performance  and  the  facilities  we 

operate  to  deliver  to  our  patients  the  care  we  believe  will 

improve the quality of their lives. However, we must manage 

the delivery of these services efficiently and cost-effectively 

to  ensure  sustainability.  These  efforts  are  supported  by  

two key Group functions: the Clinical Information, Advanced 

Analytics,  Health  Information  Management  and  Clinical 

Services  team,  which  was  established  and  built  up  by  

2020  strategic  programme.  This  programme  has  two  main 

goals:  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  existing  business  by 

implementing  standardised  systems  and  processes;  and  to 

develop  new  areas  of  business,  such  as  outpatient  facilities  

to  efficiently  deliver  outpatient  services.  Hirslanden 

is 

assessing the most appropriate outpatient solution for each 

hospital,  including  reconfiguring  existing  hospital  surgery 

units  and  establishing  specialised  outpatient  and  medical 

centres – moving towards a more integrated medical network 

that improves access to healthcare for all our patients.

HOW DOES THE GROUP’S ICT 
INVESTMENTS SUPPORT ITS 
STRATEGY?
Mediclinic employs various information and communications 
its 
technology  (“ICT”)  enabled  capabilities  to  pursue 
strategic  and  operational  goals.  To  this  end,  Mediclinic 
has  further  invested  over  the  past  year  in  some  significant 
capabilities and the associated technologies:

 • electronic health record (“EHR”) capability for MCME by 
acquiring  and  implementing  the  TrakCare  system  and 
related IT applications;

 • established a centralised shared services environment for 
Hirslanden with the SAP suite products at the core of this 
project;

 • advanced  Mediclinic’s  analytics  and  data  warehousing 
initiatives  by  implementing  the  SAP  HANA  enterprise 
data warehouse solution;

 • a  Global  Human  Resource  Service  Delivery  model  is 
being enabled through the roll-out of SAP’s cloud-based 
SuccessFactors HCM product;

 • collaboration for teams and individuals through the Vidyo 

and Skype-for-Business technologies; and

 •

the  safeguarding  of  Mediclinic’s  operations  and  assets 
is  supported  through  the  acquisition  and  installation  of 
various cybersecurity solutions.

that 

We  anticipate 
these  new 
and  enhanced  business  capabilities  will  benefit  clinical  
performance,  operational  efficiencies,  productivity  and 

investments 

the 

in 

Dr  Ronnie  van  der  Merwe  (CEO  Designate)  in  his  role  as 

eventually business results.

Group  Chief  Clinical  Officer;  and  the  Global  Procurement 

team. Leveraging the powerful clinical data analytics across 

the Group supports our drive to improve clinical performance 

and  efficiency  by  establishing  best  practice  pathways 

and  processes.  Our  global  procurement  approach,  using  

our  Group  scale,  resulted  in  tangible  cost  savings,  and  
we will continue to deliver on various procurement initiatives 

in future.

Regulation  in  the  healthcare  sector  continues  to  evolve. 

Governments aim to make healthcare efficient, accessible and 

affordable to their citizens. The trend of outmigration of care 

in  Switzerland  is  being  addressed  as  part  of  the  Hirslanden 

DOES MEDICLINIC BENEFIT FROM 
BEING A DIVERSIFIED GLOBAL 
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER?
Given our scale, international presence and leading market 
positions,  Mediclinic  is  uniquely  positioned  to  benefit 

from  being  an  integrated  healthcare  services  group  that 

leverages off world-class clinical expertise. We made great 

progress  on  our  strategic  priority  of  improving  efficiencies 

by  simplifying,  standardising  and  centralising  key  business 

support  processes  and  back-office  services.  Our  central 

procurement  function  continues  to  deliver  significant  cost 

22 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

savings,  using  our  Group  scale  and  international  footprint. 
Mediclinic’s  ICT  function  unlocked  meaningful  synergies 
through  standardising  the  systems  deployed  across  the 
Group.  In  future,  this  will  generate  lower  ICT  maintenance 
cost and simplify the task of ensuring we adhere to stringent 
data protection legislation.

Although clinical models differ from country to country, the 
basic  principles  are  similar.  Therefore,  we  actively  promote 
collaboration and the transfer of knowledge within the Group 
to  ensure  we  embrace  best  practice  and  deliver  clinical 
excellence. As they did last year, colleagues from Hirslanden 
are collaborating with the Middle East team as they design 
our  second  cancer  centre  at  the  Mediclinic  Airport  Road 
Hospital  in  Abu  Dhabi.  Mediclinic’s  international  reputation 
supports  our  efforts  to  attract  and  retain  highly  skilled 
people, which is key to the Group delivering on its long-term 
growth strategy.

As  part  of  the  Group’s  strategic  financial  framework, 
investment hurdle rate requirements ensure rigorous capital 
allocation  across  the  Group.  This  informs  our  decision-
making  regarding  ongoing  investment  in  the  maintenance 
and  upgrade  of  our  facilities,  in  addition  to  selective 
organic and inorganic growth opportunities. The substantial 
ownership  of  our  property  portfolio  also  allows  the  Group 
to  secure  long-term  financing  at  competitive  rates.  This 
was  demonstrated  in  Switzerland,  with  the  refinancing  of 
Hirslanden’s secured debt in October 2017. The new facility 
was  expanded  by  up  to  CHF0.45bn,  and  the  cost  of  debt 
reduced  by  25  basis  points.  The  maturity  profile  extended 
to  at  least  2023.  Efficiently  allocating  capital  across  an 
international business and appropriately managing the cost 
of  debt  will  provide  opportunities  to  improve  returns,  thus 

generating long-term value for shareholders.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST 
ACHIEVEMENTS DURING YOUR TIME 
AT MEDICLINIC?
I  have  been  with  Mediclinic  for  more  than  30  years,  and  I 
am proud to have been part of a team that grew the Group 
from  a  single  South  African  hospital  under  construction  in 
1985 to one of the largest independent pan-EMEA healthcare 
services  groups.  Our  first  venture  outside  Southern  Africa 
was the investment in Dubai. We acquired a minority interest 
in a relatively small business with one hospital. Craig Tingle, 
our former Group CFO, and I were sent to Dubai as the initial 
Mediclinic  team  to  manage  the  investment.  Despite  the 
uncertainty  of  operating  in  a  new  market,  we  overcame  a 
number of challenges and grew the modest initial investment 
to  create  a  market-leading  healthcare  services  business  in 
Dubai. In Dubai, we now have eight clinics, with two further 
additions  following  the  Majid  Al  Futtaim  acquisition  in  
May  2018,  and  there  will  soon  be  three  hospitals  with  the 
opening of the new Mediclinic Parkview Hospital later in 2018. 
The opportunity to further grow in that region is supported by 

the recent addition of the Abu Dhabi business which I believe, 
over time, will emulate the success of our Dubai business.

I am fortunate to have worked with some of the industry’s 
leading  professionals  and  an  experienced  team  of  senior 
executives.  Across  the  Group,  we  have  built  a  strong 
management team with a wealth of experience, functioning 
in  a  well-embedded  value-based  culture.  I  am  privileged 
to  have  worked  in  various  roles  during  my  career.  It  is  an 
honour for me to have been part of a team that established 
corporate  structures,  processes  and  systems  that  are 
standing the test of time. I am proud of the diverse team of 
highly skilled and experienced people in Mediclinic, who has 
the capacity and tenacity to take the Company forward as 
a  respected  international  healthcare  services  group  to  the 

long-term benefit of all the stakeholders. 

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE MEDICLINIC 
IS WELL-POSITIONED FOR FUTURE 
SUCCESS?
As  mentioned,  the  demand  for  quality  healthcare  services 
is  continuously  growing  on  an  international  basis  driven 
by  a  variety  of  factors  such  as  an  ageing  population,  new 
technology,  growing  middle  class  and  consumerism.  We 
acknowledge  that  affordability  of  healthcare  needs  to  be 
factored in to ensure long-term sustainability of the industry. 
However,  as  one  of  the  largest  independent  pan-EMEA 
healthcare  services  groups,  Mediclinic  is  well-positioned  to 
deliver  long-term  value  to  its  shareholders  through  a  well-
balanced, diversified portfolio of operations, with a leading 
position  across  attractive  healthcare  markets;  a  relentless 
focus  on  patient  safety  and  excellent  clinical  performance; 
and attractive growth opportunities.

Stepping down as CEO after eight years in the role, I depart 
as  an  executive  director  from  a  Group  that  is  established 
as  an  industry-leading  healthcare  services  provider,  with 
international  best  practice  and  processes  in  place,  and  a 
great depth in the management capacity which will support 
the growth of the business going forward. Most importantly, 
there is a positive and collaborative culture across the Group 
that  forms  the  principal  framework  for  how  we  provide 
services  to  our  patients.  I  know  that  Ronnie,  who  will  take 
over from me in June 2018, will be supported by the broader 
senior management team and will lead the Group to further 
success  to  the  benefit  of  all  our  stakeholders.  I  wish  them 
every success in the future and look forward to continuing to 
support the Group in my new role as a non-executive director.

Danie Meintjes
Chief Executive Officer

23 May 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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FINANCIAL 
REVIEW

“OUR COMMITMENT TO 
SHAREHOLDER VALUE IS 
MEASURED USING RETURNS 
ON INVESTED CAPITAL, 
THEREBY FOCUSING 
STRATEGIC DELIBERATIONS 
ON WAYS TO IMPROVE 
RETURNS ON THE 
GROUP’S INVESTED 
ASSET BASE.”

Jurgens Myburgh
Chief Financial Offi  cer

INTRODUCTION
Mediclinic  has  a  defi ned  purpose  to  enhance  the  quality 

Our  commitment  to  shareholder  value  is  measured  using 

of life of our patients and a strategic objective to generate 

returns  on  invested  capital,  thereby  focusing  strategic 

long-term shareholder value. These fundaments inform our 

deliberations  on  ways  to  improve  returns  on  the  Group’s 

daily  operational  activity  and  frame  our  fi nancial  strategy. 

invested asset base. We do this through, for example, improving 

We strive to make decisions that improve the quality of our 

effi  ciencies  or  the  use  of  technology.  Our  commitment 

business to drive sustainable, long-term value for the Group. 

also  informs  the  governance  process  around  investment 

Mediclinic operates in an industry where the combination of 

growth and dynamic disruptive and regulatory forces create 

an opportunity for investment and collaboration. The Group 

has  a  well-invested  asset  base  that  is  able  to,  by  adopting 

technology  and  operating  innovation,  drive  the  business 

to  improved  asset  utilisation  while  taking  advantage  of 

selective opportunities for value-adding growth.

decisions, which follows a framework of mandated authority 

levels and required internal rates of return. The combination 

of  improvements  in  asset  utilisation  and  application  of 

investment discipline is aimed at generating improved value 

for shareholders in the long term.

24 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

GROUP FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Group revenue increased by 4% to £2 870m (FY17: £2 749m) 

for  the  reporting  period.  In  constant  currency  terms,  FY18 

revenue was up 3%. This was as a result of marginal revenue 

growth  in  Hirslanden  and  the  Middle  East  and  modest 

revenue  growth  in  Southern  Africa,  compared  to  the 

comparative period.

Earnings  before  interest,  tax,  depreciation  and  amortisation 
(“EBITDA”) was 3% higher at £522m (FY17: £509m). Adjusted 
EBITDA  was  also  3%  higher  at  £515m  (FY17:  £501m),  with 

adjusted  EBITDA  margins  declining  from  18.2%  to  17.9%. 

EBITDA was adjusted for the following exceptional items:

 • a  past-service  cost  credit  of  £4m  relating  to  a  change 

in the Swiss pension fund conversion rate advised by an 

independent professional. The credit is not related to the 
current year performance of Hirslanden; and 

 • a  release  of  a  pre-acquisition  fair  value  adjustment  to 

debtors of £3m in Mediclinic Middle East.

Adjusted  depreciation  and  amortisation  was  up  5%  to 

£145m (FY17: £138m) in line with the continued investment 

programme  expanding  the  asset  base  to  support  growth 

and enhancing patient experience and clinical quality. 

The  Group  recorded  an  operating  loss  of  £288m  in  FY18 

(FY17: operating profi t of £362m). Adjusted operating profi t 

increased by 3% to £370m (FY17: £360m). Operating profi t 

was adjusted for the following exceptional items:

 •

recognition  of  an  impairment  charge  to  Hirslanden 

properties.  Non-fi nancial  assets  are  considered  for 

impairment  when  impairment  indicators  are  identifi ed 
at  an  individual  cash-generating  unit  (“CGU”)  level. 
During  the  year,  the  CGUs  in  Hirslanden  were  tested 

charges against goodwill and indefi nite life trade names 

of £300m and £260m, respectively. Hirslanden goodwill 

and  indefi nite  life  trade  names  were  carried  at  £307m 

and £341m, respectively, at the previous year end balance 

sheet  date  of  31  March  2017.  The  impairment  charge  is 

non-cash;

 • accelerated amortisation of £23m relating to the rebranding 

of the Al Noor hospitals to Mediclinic;

 •

release  of  unutilised  pre-acquisition  Swiss  provision  of 

£9m; and 

 • a  loss  on  disposal  of  certain  non-core  businesses  in 

Mediclinic Middle East of £7m.

Adjusted  net  fi nance  costs  benefi ted  from  the  refi nance 

in  Switzerland  and  were  down  13%  at  £70m  (FY17:  £80m). 

The  Group's  reported  eff ective  tax  rate  is  signifi cantly 

skewed  by  exceptional  non-deductible  expenses  which 

include  impairment  of  goodwill;  impairment  of  the  equity 

investment  and  accelerated  amortisation.  The  rate  is  also 

aff ected  by  unrelievable  losses  on  disposals  of  non-core 

businesses. Adjusted taxation was £64m (FY17: £58m) with 

an adjusted eff ective tax rate for the period of 20.8% (FY17: 

20.4%).  After  adjusting  for  the  amortisation  of  intangible 

assets  recognised  in  the  notional  purchase  price  allocation 

of the equity investment, the FY18 income from associates 

was £2.8m (FY17: £12.4m).

The  Group  recorded  an  earnings  loss  of  £492m  in  FY18 

(FY17:  earnings  of  £229m).  Adjusted  earnings  increased 

by 1% to £221m (FY17: 220m). Adjusted earnings per share 

were  1%  higher  at  30.0  pence  (FY17:  29.8  pence).  Earnings 

were adjusted for the following exceptional items:

 •

fair  value  gains  on  ineff ective  cash  fl ow  hedges  of  £4m 

(FY17: £13m) in Hirslanden;

for  impairment.  For  one  CGU  in  particular,  the  carrying 

 • derecognition of unamortised fi nance expenses of £19m 

value  was  determined  to  be  higher  than  its  recoverable 

following the refi nance in Switzerland; and

amount  and  as  a  result  an  impairment  charge  of  £84m 

 •

recognition  of  an  impairment  charge  on  the  equity 

was recognised in the income statement;

investment  in  Spire  of  £109m.  During  the  year,  the 

 •

recognition  of  an  impairment  charge  to  Hirslanden 

Group  performed  an  impairment  test  updating  the 

intangible assets of £560m. In line with the requirements 

key  assumptions  applied  in  the  value  in  use  calculation 

of  IFRS,  the  Group  performed  an  annual  review  of  the 

performed  at  31  March  2017.  In  particular,  the  Group 

carrying  value  for  goodwill  and  other  intangible  assets. 

adjusted  the  value  in  use  calculation  for  the  guidance 

In Switzerland, the changes in the market and regulatory 

announced by Spire in September 2017 about the current 

environment,  that  became  evident  during  the  annual 

fi nancial  performance  and  about  the  related  impact  on 

fi nancial planning exercise for 2019 and future years which 

short- and medium-term growth rates and revisited other 

was  completed  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  FY18,  aff ected 

key assumptions in this context. As a result, an impairment 

key  inputs  to  the  review  that  gave  rise  to  impairment 

loss of £109m was recorded against the carrying value.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)

EARNINGS RECONCILIATION

2018 STATUTORY 
RESULTS

Revenue

Operating (loss)/profit
(Loss)/profit attributable  
to equity holders

Reconciliations

Total
£’m

2 870
 (288)

 (492)

Hirslanden
£’m

1 349
 (470)

 (471)

Southern
 Africa
£’m

 877
 160

 72

Middle
East
£’m

 643
 25

 17

Operating (loss)/profit

 (288)

 (470)

 160

Add back:

– Other gains and losses
–  Depreciation and  

amortisation

–  Impairment of properties
–  Impairment of intangible 

assets

EBITDA

Exceptional items:

– Past service cost credit
–  Pre-acquisition fair value 
adjustment to debtors

Adjusted EBITDA

Operating (loss)/profit

Exceptional items:

– Past service cost credit
–  Pre-acquisition fair value 
adjustment to debtors

–  Impairment of properties
–  Impairment of intangible 

assets

–  Accelerated amortisation
–  Release of pre-acquisition 

Swiss provision

–  Loss on disposal of 

businesses

Adjusted operating  
profit/(loss)

 (2)

 168
 84

 560
 522

 (4)

 (3)

 515

 (9)

 86
 84

 560
 251

 (4)

–

 247

 (288)

 (470)

 (4)

 (3)
 84

 560
 23

 (9)

 7

 (4)

–
 84

 560
–

 (9)

–

–

 29
–

–
 189

–

–

 189

 160

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

 370

 161

 160

 25

 7

 53
–

–
 85

–

 (3)

 82

 25

–

 (3)
–

–
 23

–

 7

 52

Spire
£’m

Corporate
£’m

–
–

 (106)

–

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–

 1
 (3)

 (4)

 (3)

–

–
–

–
 (3)

–

–

 (3)

 (3)

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

 (3)

26 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

EARNINGS RECONCILIATION (CONTINUED)

2018 STATUTORY 
RESULTS

Reconciliations

(Loss)/profit attributable  
to equity holders

Exceptional items

– Past service cost credit
–  Pre-acquisition fair value 
adjustment to debtors

– Impairment of properties
–  Impairment of intangible 

assets

– Accelerated amortisation
–  Release of pre-acquisition 

Swiss provision

–  Loss on disposal of 

businesses

–  Fair value gains on 

ineffective cash flow 
hedges

–  Derecognition of 

unamortised finance 
expenses

– Impairment of associate

– Tax on exceptional items

Adjusted earnings

Weighted average number  
of shares (millions)
Adjusted earnings per  
share (pence)

 (4)

–
 84

 560
–

 (9)

–

 (4)

 19
–
 (69)

 106

 (4)

 (3)
 84

 560
 23

 (9)

 7

 (4)

 19
 109
 (69)

 221

737.1

30.0

Total
£’m

Hirslanden
£’m

Southern
 Africa
£’m

Middle
East
£’m

Spire
£’m

Corporate
£’m

 (492)

 (471)

 72

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–

 17

–

 (3)
–

–
 23

–

 7

–

–
–
–

 (106)

 (4)

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–

–
 109
–

 3

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–

 (4)

 72

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27

 
 
 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)

EARNINGS RECONCILIATION (CONTINUED)

2017 STATUTORY 
RESULTS

Revenue

Operating profit/(loss)
Profit attributable to  
equity holders

Reconciliations

Operating profit/(loss)

Add back:

– Other gains and losses
–  Depreciation and 

amortisation

EBITDA

Exceptional items

– Past service cost credit

– Restructuring costs

Adjusted EBITDA

Operating profit/(loss)

Exceptional items

– Past service cost credit

– Restructuring costs

– Other gains and losses

– Accelerated amortisation

Adjusted operating  
profit/(loss)

Profit attributable to  
equity holders

Exceptional items

– Past service cost credit

– Restructuring costs
–  Fair value gains on 

ineffective cash flow hedges

– Other gains and losses

– Accelerated amortisation

– Tax on exceptional items

Adjusted earnings

Weighted average number  
of shares (millions)
Adjusted earnings per  
share (pence)

Total
£’m

2 749
 362

 229

 362

 2

 145
 509

 (13)
 5

 501

 362

 (13)
 5
 (1)
 7

 360

 229

 (13)
 5

 (13)
 (1)
 7
 6

 220

736.9

29.8

Hirslanden
£’m

Southern
 Africa
£’m

1 321
 201

 141

 201

–

 76
 277

 (13)
–

 264

 201

 (13)
–
–
–

 188

 141

 (13)
–

 (13)
–
–
 6

 121

 780
 140

 67

 140

–

 25
 165

–
–

 165

 140

–
–
–
–

 140

 67

–
–

–
–
–
–

 67

Middle
East
£’m

 648
 28

 22

 28

 (1)

 44
 71

–
 5

 76

 28

–
 5
 (1)
 7

 39

 22

–
 5

–
 (1)
 7
–

 33

Spire
£’m

Corporate
£’m

–
–

 12

–

–

–
–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–
–

–

 12

–
–

–
–
–
–

–
 (7)

 (13)

 (7)

 3

–
 (4)

–
–

 (4)

 (7)

–
–
–
–

 (7)

 (13)

–
–

–
–
–
–

 12

 (13)

28 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

ADJUSTED NON-IFRS FINANCIAL 
MEASURES
The Group uses adjusted income statement reporting as non-

IFRS measures in evaluating performance and as a method 

to provide shareholders with clear and consistent reporting. 

The  adjusted  measures  are  intended  to  remove  volatility 

associated  with  certain  types  of  exceptional  income  and 

is important to allow shareholders to better understand the 

Group’s  trading  performance  for  the  reporting  period.  It  is 

the Group’s intention to continue to consistently apply this 

definition in the future.

SPIRE HEALTHCARE GROUP
Mediclinic has a 29.9% investment in Spire. 

charges  from  reported  earnings.  Historically,  EBITDA  and 

Spire’s  underlying  performance  for  the  twelve  months 

adjusted EBITDA were disclosed as supplemental non-IFRS 

to  31  December  2017  resulted  in  revenue  increasing  1.0%, 

financial performance measures because they are regarded 

EBITDA decreasing 4.7% and the underlying EBITDA margin 

as useful metrics to analyse the performance of the business 

decreasing to 17.3%. Adjusted EPS (excluding exceptional and 

from  period  to  period.  Measures  like  adjusted  EBITDA  are 

tax one-off items) decreased by 25.0%. Underlying inpatient 

used by analysts and investors in assessing performance. 

and  day  case  admissions  declined  1.8%  driven  by  PMI  and 

The rationale for using non-IFRS measures:

 •

it tracks the adjusted operational performance of the Group 

and its operating segments by separating out exceptional 

items;

 • non-IFRS measures are used by management for budgeting, 

planning and monthly financial reporting; and

 • non-IFRS  measures  are  used  by  management 

in 

presentations and discussions with investment analysts.

The Group’s policy is to adjust, inter alia, the following types 

of income and charges from the reported IFRS measures to 

present adjusted results:

 •

significant restructuring costs;

 • profit/loss on sale of significant assets;

NHS volume declines more than offsetting growth in self-pay. 

Mediclinic’s  investment  in  Spire  is  equity  accounted.  Spire 
reported profit after tax of £16.8m for Spire’s financial year 

ended  31  December  2017  (31  December  2016:  £53.6m). 

Spire’s  adjusted  profit  after  tax  for  the  year  was  £57.9m 

(31 December 2016: £76.6m). The principal differences related 

to  a  £28.7m  provision  for  the  potential  cost  of  a  civil 

litigation  settlement  against  a  consultant  who  previously 

had practicing privileges at Spire and a charge relating to a 

decision  to  cease  the  provision  of  radiotherapy  services  at 

the Spire Specialist Cancer Care Centre in Baddow (Essex). 

The exceptional items materially impacted Mediclinic’s FY18 

equity  accounted  share  of  reported  profit  after  tax  from 

Spire.  After  adjusting  for  the  amortisation  of  intangible 

assets recognised in the notional purchase price allocation 

 • past  service  cost  charges/credits  in  relation  to  pension 

of  the  equity  investment,  the  FY18  income  from  associate 

fund conversion rate changes;

 • accelerated IFRS 2 charges;

 • accelerated amortisation charges;

was  £2.8m  (FY17:  £12.0m).  The  underlying  and  adjusted 

measures referenced above have been extracted from Spire’s 

results announcement for the year ended 31 December 2017.

 • mark-to-market fair value gains/losses, relating to ineffective 

As  previously  disclosed,  under  the  UK  Takeover  Code, 

 •

 •

 •

 •

 •

interest rate swaps;

significant impairment charges; 

reversal of significant impairment charges;

significant insurance proceeds;

significant transaction costs incurred during acquisitions; and

significant prior year tax adjustments and tax impact of 

the above items.

EBITDA  is  defined  as  operating  profit  before  depreciation 

and  amortisation  and  impairments  of  non-financial  assets, 

excluding other gains and losses.

Non-IFRS  financial  measures  should  not  be  considered  in 

isolation  from,  or  as  a  substitute  for,  financial  information 

presented in compliance with IFRS. The adjusted measures 

Mediclinic is presumed to be acting in concert with a number 

of entities in which its major shareholder, investment holding 
company Remgro Limited (“Remgro”), has a direct interest 
of 20%. or more and/or other entities in which such investee 

companies  (or  their  investee  companies  and  so  on  down 

the chain) have an interest of 20%. or more. Some of these 

entities deal in listed securities during the ordinary course of 

their businesses.

On 6 November 2017, Mediclinic announced that it had become 

aware  that  two  such  entities  (Kagiso  Asset  Management 
(Pty)  Ltd  (“KAM”)  and  Truffle  Asset  Management  (Pty)  Ltd 
(“Truffle”))  had  acquired  shares  in  Spire  Healthcare  Group 
plc (“Spire”) which, together with Mediclinic's 29.9% interest, 
meant  that  the  presumed  concert  party  group  held,  in 

used  by  the  Group  are  not  necessarily  comparable  with 

aggregate, shares representing over 30% of the voting rights 

those used by other entities.

The Group has consistently applied this definition of adjusted 

measures as it has reported on its financial performance in 

the past as the directors believe this additional information 

of  Spire.  It  was  also  announced  that  the  UK  Takeover  Panel 

had ruled that the aggregate presumed concert party holding 

in  Spire  must  be  reduced  to  below  30%,  through  a  sale  of 

Spire shares by the entities or Mediclinic. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)

Following further discussions with the Panel, the Panel has 

agreed that the presumption of concertedness between each 

of KAM and Truffle, on the one hand, and each of Mediclinic 

and  Remgro,  on  the  other  hand,  has  been  rebutted,  and 

consequently no longer requires any Spire shares to be sold 

in respect of those holdings.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
Although the Group reports its results in pounds sterling, the 

divisional profits are generated in Swiss franc, UAE dirham 

and  South  African  rand.  Consequently,  movements  in 

exchange rates affected the reported earnings and reported 

balances in the statement of financial position. Exchange rate 

movements also had a significant impact on the statement 

CASH FLOW
The  Group  continued  to  deliver  strong  cash  flow  and 
converted  90%  (FY17:  98%)  of  adjusted  EBITDA  into  cash 
generated from operations, impacted by accounts receivable 
build  ups  in  Switzerland  (billing  process  changes)  and  the 
Middle  East  (increase  in  credit  sales  in  the  final  quarter) 
towards  the  end  of  the  financial  year.  Cash  conversion  in 
FY17 has been adjusted because of a reclassification between 
cash flow categories with no impact on net cash. Refer to the 
basis of preparation in note 2 to the condensed consolidated 
financial information for an explanation of this reclassification.

2018
£’m

466
515

90%

2017
£’m

492
501

98%

of  financial  position.  The  resulting  currency  translation 

Cash from operations (a)

difference, which is the amount by which the Group’s interest 
in the equity of the operating divisions increased because of 

spot  rate  movements,  amounted  to  £310m  (2017:  increase  

Adjusted EBITDA (b)
Cash conversion  
((a)/(b) x 100)

of £388m) and was debited (2017: credited) to the statement 

of comprehensive income. The main reason for the decrease 

was the weakening of the period end Swiss franc and UAE 

dirham rates against sterling. 

Foreign exchange rate sensitivity:

 • The  impact  of  a  10%  change  in  the  GBP/CHF  exchange 

rate  for  a  sustained  period  of  one  year  is  that  profit 

for  the  year  would  increase/decrease  by  £12m  (2017: 

increase/decrease  by  £14m)  due  to  exposure  to  the  

GBP/CHF exchange rate.

INTEREST-BEARING BORROWINGS
Interest-bearing  borrowings  decreased  from  £2  030m  at 
31  March  2017  to  £1  937m  at  31  March  2018,  largely  due  to 
closing exchange rate differences.

The cash and cash equivalents balance reduced predominantly 
because  of  the  acquisition  of  Linde  as  well  as  expansion 
projects in the Middle East.

 • The  impact  of  a  10%  change  in  the  GBP/ZAR  exchange 

rate  for  a  sustained  period  of  one  year  is  that  profit 

for  the  year  would  increase/decrease  by  £9m  (2017: 

increase/decrease  by  £8m)  due  to  exposure  to  the  

GBP/ZAR exchange rate.

Borrowings
Less: cash and cash 
equivalents

Net debt

Total equity

 • The  impact  of  a  10%  change  in  the  GBP/AED  exchange 

Debt-to-equity capital ratio

2018
£’m

1 937

 (261)
1 676
3 373

49.7%

2017
£’m

2 030

 (361)
1 669
4 164

40.1%

rate  for  a  sustained  period  of  one  year  is  that  profit 

for  the  year  would  increase/decrease  by  £4m  (2017: 

increase/decrease  by  £2m)  due  to  exposure  to  the  

GBP/AED exchange rate.

During  the  period  under  review,  the  average  and  closing 

exchange rates were the following:

Average rates
Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

Period end rates
Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

2018

2017

1.29
17.22
4.87

1.34
16.57
5.15

1.29
18.41
4.80

1.25
16.74
4.59

30 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

ASSETS
Property, equipment and vehicles decreased from £3 703m 
at 31 March 2017 to £3 590m at 31 March 2018. This included 
an  increase  of  £223m  on  capital  projects  and  fixed  asset 
additions in line with the continued investment programme 
expanding the asset base to support growth and enhancing 
patient  experience  and  clinical  quality.  In  addition,  the 
closing balance increased by £110m as a result of the Linde 
acquisition. In addition to the depreciation and amortisation 
charge, the balance was further reduced by the impairment 
charge of £84m recognised on properties in the Hirslanden 
division and the change in the closing exchange rate. 

Intangible assets decreased from £2 156m at 31 March 2017 to 
£1 406m at 31 March 2018 due to the impairment of goodwill 
(£300m)  and  trade  names  (£260m)  in  the  Hirslanden 
division. The accelerated amortisation of the Al  Noor trade 
name  of  £23m  (FY17:  £7m),  reducing  the  balance  to  nil, 
decreased the closing balance further.

Adjusted  depreciation  and  amortisation  was  calculated  

as follows:

Depreciation and 
amortisation

Accelerated amortisation
Adjusted depreciation  
and amortisation

2018
£’m

168
(23)

145

2017
£’m

145
(7)

138

HIRSLANDEN PENSION PLAN
Hirslanden  provides  defined  contribution  pension  plans  in 

terms  of  Swiss  law  to  employees,  the  assets  of  which  are 

held  in  separate  trustee-administered  funds.  These  plans 

are  funded  by  payments  from  employees  and  Hirslanden, 
taking  into  account  the  recommendations  of  independent 

qualified actuaries. Because of the strict definition of defined 

contribution  plans  in  IAS  19,  in  terms  of  IFRS,  these  plans 

are  classified  as  defined  benefit  plans,  since  the  funds  are 

obliged to take some investment and longevity risk in terms 

of Swiss law.

The  IAS  19  pension  liability  was  valued  by  the  actuaries  at 

the  end  of  the  year  and  amounted  to  £4m  (2017:  £73m), 

included  under  “Retirement  benefit  obligations”  in  the 

Group’s statement of financial position. The decrease in the 

pension liability was largely due to increase of the discount 

rate  from  0.55%  to  0.75%  as  well  as  changes  in  actuarial 

assumptions.

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES
The deferred tax liability balance decreased from £527m in 

the prior year to £467m at 31 March 2018. The impairment 

of  the  trade  names  and  properties  in  Hirslanden  led  to 

INCOME TAX
The  Group’s  effective  tax  rate  changed  significantly  for 

the  period  under  review  to  1.1%  (FY17:  20.8%),  mainly  due 

to  exceptional  non-deductible  expenses  which  include  the 

impairment of goodwill, impairment of the equity investment 

and  accelerated  amortisation.  The  rate  is  also  affected  by 

unrelievable  losses  on  disposals  of  non-core  businesses. 

Excluding  these  exceptional  non-deductible  charges,  the 

effective tax rate would be 20.8% (FY17: 20.4%) for the year 

ended 31 March 2018. The higher proportional contribution 

to  profits  from  the  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  operations 

increased the effective tax rate. 

Adjusted income tax was calculated as follows:

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

Income tax (credit)/expense 

Tax on exceptional items 

– Past service cost credit

– Impairment of properties
–  Impairment of intangible 

assets

–  Release of unutilised pre-

acquisition Swiss provision

–  Fair value gains on 

ineffective cash flow 
hedges

–  Derecognition of 

unamortised finance 
expenses

Adjusted income  
tax expense

(5)
69
(1)
13

55

(2)

–

4

64

64
(6)
–
–

–

–

(3)

(3)

58

TAX STRATEGY
The Group is committed to conduct its tax affairs consistent 

the  release  of  deferred  tax  liabilities  of  £55m  and  £13m 

with the following objectives:

respectively which caused the decrease in the deferred tax 

liability balance.

 • comply with relevant laws, rules, regulations, and reporting 

and  disclosure  requirements  in  whichever  jurisdiction  it 

FINANCE COSTS
Adjusted  net  finance  costs  benefited  from  the  refinance 

in  Switzerland  and  were  down  13%  at  £70m  (FY17:  £80m). 

Adjusted net finance cost was calculated as follows:

operates; and

 • maintain mutual trust and respect in dealings with all tax 

authorities in the jurisdictions the Group does business.

Whilst  the  Group  aims  to  maximise  the  tax  efficiency  of 

Finance cost 

Finance income 

Net finance cost
Derecognition of 
unamortised financing costs
Fair value gains on 
ineffective cash flow hedges

Adjusted finance cost

2018
£’m

94
(9)
85

(19)

4
70

2017
£’m

its  business  transactions,  it  does  not  use  structures  in  its 

tax  planning  that  are  contrary  to  intentions  of  relevant 

legislation. The Group interprets relevant tax laws to ensure 

74
(7)
67

–

13
80

that transactions are structured in a way that is consistent 

with  a  relationship  of  co-operative  compliance  with  tax 
authorities. It also actively considers the implications of any 

planning for the Group’s wider corporate reputation.

In  order  to  meet  these  objectives,  various  procedures  are 

implemented. The Audit and Risk Committee has reviewed 

the Group’s tax strategy and related corporate tax matters.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)

REFINANCING OF SWISS DEBT
At the end of October 2017, the elective refinancing of the 

Group’s  Swiss  debt  was  successfully  completed.  The 

refinanced Swiss debt funding comprises up to CHF2.0bn of 

property-backed facilities:

 • Mediclinic  Middle  East:  In  FY19,  the  Middle  East  division 

is  expected  to  deliver  revenue  growth  (adjusted  for  the 

adoption of IFRS 15) in the low double-digit percentage 

range reflecting the underlying operating performance of 

the business and additional bed capacity coming online 

in the second half of the year. The EBITDA margin of the 

 • CHF1.5bn senior term loan facility with a partially amortising 

existing  operations  is  expected  to  increase  by  around 

repayment profile over six years and priced at Swiss Libor 

250bps  and  to  continue  improving  year-on-year  to 

plus a margin of 1.25%;

around 20% in FY22. As a result of the early opening of 

 • CHF0.4bn  capex  facility,  priced  at  Swiss  Libor  plus  a 

Mediclinic’s Parkview Hospital and the updated schedule 

margin of 1.25%, but which could increase funding costs 

for the planned upgrade and expansion projects in Abu 

up to a maximum of Swiss Libor plus a margin of 1.65% 

Dhabi, the ramp-up costs associated with these projects 

at  the  time  of  drawing,  depending  on  the  loan-to-value 

are expected to offset the margin of the existing business 

at that time;

by  around  250bps  per  annum  between  FY19  and  FY21, 

 • CHF0.1bn  revolving  facility,  priced  at  Swiss  Libor  plus  a 

reducing thereafter.

margin of 1.25%;

 •

 •

the new financing results in future finance cost savings; and

the existing ineffective interest rate swap was settled at 

CHF5m  and  no  new  hedging  was  entered  into  for  the 

time being.

OUTLOOK
The Group provides the following guidance for FY19, unless 

otherwise stated:

 • Hirslanden:  In  FY19,  Hirslanden  expects  modest  revenue 

growth supported by an increase in average bed capacity 

for  the  year,  largely  related  to  Linde.  As  a  result  of  the 

regulatory  and  market  trends  more  than  offsetting  the 

benefits  of  cost  savings  and  efficiency  initiatives,  the 

FY19 EBITDA margin is expected to contract by around 
100 basis points (“bps”) from the prior year. However, the 
EBITDA  margin  is  targeted  to  gradually  improve  from 

FY20 onwards.

 • Mediclinic  Southern  Africa:  FY19  revenue  growth  will 

be  driven  by  an  expected  increase  in  bed  days  sold  of 

1-2%, largely as a result of an increase in productive days 

compared to the prior year, combined with tariff increases 

 • The  Group’s  capital  expenditure  budget,  in  constant 
currency,  for  FY19  is  expected  to  increase  by  18%  to  

£289m  (FY18:  £245m).  This  comprises  £102m 

in 

Hirslanden  (FY18:  £101m),  £76m  in  Mediclinic  Southern 

Africa  (FY18:  £62m),  £110m  in  Mediclinic  Middle  East 

(FY18:  £80m)  and  £1m  (FY18:  £2m)  for  Corporate.  The 

increase  is  largely  driven  by  expansion  in  the  Middle  

East and an upgrade cycle in Southern Africa.

DIVIDEND POLICY AND PROPOSED 
DIVIDEND 
The  Group’s  dividend  policy  is  to  target  a  pay-out  ratio  of 

between 25% and 30% of adjusted earnings. The Board may 

revise the policy at its discretion.

The  Board  proposes  a  final  dividend  of  4.70  pence  per 

ordinary  share  for  the  year  ended  31  March  2018  for 

approval  by  the  Company’s  shareholders  at  the  annual 

general  meeting  on  Wednesday,  25  July  2018.  Together 

with the interim dividend of 3.20 pence per ordinary share 

for  the  six  months  ended  30  September  2017  (paid  on 

18 December 2017), the total final proposed dividend reflects 

a  26%  distribution  of  adjusted  Group  earnings  attributable 

broadly  in  line  with  inflation.  The  medium-term  EBITDA 

to ordinary shareholders. 

margin is expected to be broadly in line with recent years.

Shareholders on the South African register will be paid the 

ZAR  cash  equivalent  of  79.52400  cents  (63.61920  cents 

net  of  dividend  withholding  tax)  per  share.  A  dividend 

withholding tax of 20% will be applicable to all shareholders 

on the South African register who are not exempt therefrom. 

The  ZAR  cash  equivalent  has  been  calculated  using  the 

following exchange rate: GBP1:ZAR16.92, being the five-day 

average ZAR/GBP exchange rate on Friday, 18 May 2018 at 

3:00pm GMT Bloomberg.

32 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

VALUE ADDED 
STATEMENT

The Value Added Statement depicts the economic benefit created by the Group and how that is distributed amongst the 
various stakeholders, comprising employees, shareholders, banks, government, creditors and the economic value retained 
in the business.

VALUE CREATED
Revenue

Cost of materials and services

Finance income

Share of net profit of equity accounted investments

DISTRIBUTION OF VALUE
To employees as remuneration and other benefits

Tax and other state and local authority levies (excluding VAT)

To suppliers of capital:

Non-controlling interests 

Finance cost on borrowed funds

Distributions to shareholders 

VALUE RETAINED
To maintain and replace assets

Income retained for future growth

2018
£’m

%

2017
£’m

%

2 870

(1 022)

9

3

2 749

(1 000)

7

12

1 860

100.0

1 768

100.0

1 293

75

18

94

58

69.5

4.0

1.0

5.1

3.1

1 231

75

14

74

62

69.7

4.2

0.8

4.2

3.5

1 538

82.7

1 456

82.4

159

163

322

8.5

8.8

17.3

154

158

312

8.7

8.9

17.6

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DISTRIBUTION OF VALUE

To employees as remuneration and other benefits

4.0%

1.0%

5.1%

3.1%

8.5%

8.8%

69.5%

2018

69.7%

2017

4.2%

0.8%

4.2%

Tax and other state and local authority levies
(excluding VAT)

3.5%

Non-controlling interests

8.7%

Finance cost on borrowed funds

Distributions to shareholders

8.9%

To maintain and replace assets

Income retained for future growth

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CLINICAL SERVICES 
OVERVIEW

“MEDICLINIC HAS 
DEVELOPED A STRONG 
FOCUS ON CLINICAL 
PERFORMANCE TO 
ENSURE EFFICIENT, 
EFFECTIVE AND SAFE 
PATIENT CARE OF THE 
HIGHEST STANDARD.”

Dr Ronnie van der Merwe
Chief Clinical Offi  cer and CEO Designate

INTRODUCTION
Mediclinic  provides  a  wide  range  of  clinical  services 

throughout  its  operating  divisions.  These  services  include 

acute  care  inpatient  services,  highly  specialised  services, 

day  case  surgery,  hospital-based  emergency  centres,  pre-

hospital  emergency  services,  and  outpatient  consultation 

services.  Support  services  include  laboratories,  radiology 

and nuclear medicine. 

Mediclinic strives to ensure that the clinical services provided 

throughout  the  Group  are  effi  cient,  eff ective,  appropriate, 

evidence-based,  and  in  line  with  modern  technological 

During the year under review, the clinical performance of the 

business across all operating divisions was satisfactory. We 

made considerable progress in further developing underlying 

structures  and  processes  to  enable  clinical  performance 

improvements.  Much  of  the  progress  can  be  attributed  to 

the strong collaborative eff ort of the clinical services teams 

of the divisions. 

All indicators included in this Clinical Services Overview are 
reported  per  calendar  year  to  ensure  completeness  and 

consistency, as a signifi cant time lag needs to be provided 

for in the collection of clinical data. 

advances.  To  this  end,  we  emphasise  measuring  and 

Mediclinic  developed  a 

framework 

to 

support  a 

improving clinical performance throughout our organisation. 

structured  approach  to  clinical  management,  the  clinical 

On  a  monthly  basis,  a  comprehensive  set  of  clinical 

management  model.  The  model  comprises  two  elements: 

performance  indicators  are  collected,  measured,  analysed 

clinical  governance  and  clinical  performance.  The  clinical 

and  reported  on.  These  clinical  performance  reports  outline 

governance foundation layer provides the structure required 

and  track  the  performance  of  healthcare  facilities,  inform 

for clinical performance. Mediclinic does not use the standard 

operational decisions, identify opportunities for clinical quality 

defi nition  for  clinical  governance.  We  defi ne  and  stratify  it 

improvement initiatives, and inform our strategic direction. 

as: governance including oversight and assurance; systems 

improvement; medico-legal processes and ethics; research; 

clinical  information;  clinical  processes  and  education;  and 

continued medical education. 

34 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT MODEL

SUPERIOR CLINICAL PERFORMANCE

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE

PATIENT SAFETY
(including infection  
prevention and control)

EFFECTIVENESS

EFFICIENCY

VALUE-BASED CARE

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

Clinical  performance  refers  to  the  quality  of  the  clinical 

The  fall  rate  increased  by  6.36%  compared  to  2016.  The 

processes  and  outcomes  and  is  supported  by  the  clinical 

increase  in  the  rate  is  believed  to  be  due  to  increased 

performance  model.  The  four  components  of  the  model 

awareness and better reporting. The prevention of falls and 

are  patient  safety,  effectiveness,  cost  efficiency  and  value- 

a  reduction  in  the  reported  rate  remain  focus  areas.  The  

based care. 

This  report  provides  an  overview  of  the  Group’s  clinical 

CSR

performance  for  the  year  under  review.  The  detailed  
Clinical  Services  Report,  available  on  the  Company’s 
website  at  www.mediclinic.com,  provides  a  more  in-depth 
description. 

FIGURE 1:  ADVERSE EVENTS – MEDICLINIC 

SOUTHERN AFRICA

s
y
a
d
t
n
e
i
t
a
p
0
0
0

r
e
p
e
t
a
R

HIRSLANDEN

8
1
.
1

Clinical performance 
Hirslanden has the highest case mix in the Group, reflecting 

2016

7
0
.
1

4
1
.
1

the complexity of cases treated. However, clinical outcomes 

remain  excellent,  as  evidenced  by  low  infection  rates  and 

.

6
8
0

other  outcome  measures,  e.g.  patient  falls,  healthcare-
associated infections (“HAI”), etc.

1

2015

2017

Patient safety

A patient safety culture is well established in the operating 

division as reflected by the low rate of never events (serious 

incidents, such as wrong site surgery and retained instrument 

6
2
0

.

post  operation,  that  are  wholly  preventable)  and  serious 
adverse  events  (“SAE”).  We  report  near  misses,  or  critical 
incidents  routinely,  and  lessons  learnt  are  disseminated  to 
Falls

In-hospital
make systems safer and to improve patient outcomes.
pressure 
ulcers

Medication 
errors

Adverse event type

in-hospital  pressure  ulcer  rate  decreased  by  23.9%  (see 
Figure  1).  This  decrease  is  statistically  significant  and  in 
line with focused initiatives to decrease the incidence of in-

hospital pressure ulcers.

FIGURE 1: WEIGHTED AVERAGE IN-HOSPITAL 
PRESSURE ULCER RATE – HIRSLANDEN

2016'

2015'
s
y
a
d
2014'
t
n
e
i
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a
p
0
0
0

1

r
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p
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a
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0
0
.
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6
9
0

.

3
7
0

.

2015

2016

2017

Calendar year

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

35

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I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CLINICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

FIGURE 2: DEVICE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS – HIRSLANDEN

i

s
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e
c
v
e
d
0
0
0

1

r
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p
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0
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1
9
0

.

3
4
0

.

0
7
.
1

5
3
0

.

8
3
0

.

2016'

2015'

0
3
4

.

4
4
4

.

7
2
2

.

2015

2016

2017

Catheter-
associated urinary 
tract infections

Central 
line-associated 
bloodstream 
infections

Ventilator-
associated 
pneumonia

Device–associated infection type

Infection prevention and control 
Healthcare-associated infections 

Progress against objectives
Patients First at Mediclinic

The HAI and related conditions rate remained stable in 2017. 

As these conditions are rare, a single infection causes a high 

rate based on small denominators. 

Figure  2  reflects  an  increase  in  the  catheter-associated 
urinary tract infections (“CAUTI”) and ventilator-associated 
pneumonia (“VAP”) rates compared to the prior year. Neither 
of these increases is statistically significant. The central line-
associated bloodstream infections (“CLABSI”) rate remains 
stable.

Clinical effectiveness
The SAPS II is used to measure clinical outcomes of critical 
care units (“CCU”). The SAPS II mortality rate remains low at 
2.50% and the index is well below the Swiss benchmark of 

0.42 at 0.32.

 • Reviewed  the  compliance  of  the  hospitals  with  the 

patient  safety  policy  –  the  majority  of  the  hospitals 

implemented  every  item  of  the  policy  or  was  busy  with 

the implementation of the remaining items.

 • Checked the adherence to safe surgery checklist during 

unannounced  inspections  –  compared  to  the  previous 

inspection, further improvement was noted.

 •

Initiated  a  pilot  project  on  patient-related  outcome 

measurement – patients were surveyed on quality of life 

before  and  after  joint  replacement.  The  results  show  a 

significant improvement of pain and movement after the 

procedure.

Value-based care

 • Compiled a policy on indication quality and introduction 

of  indication  boards  –  the  implementation  is  planned  

In-hospital  mortality  is  reported  as  a  crude  rate,  and 

for 2018.

remained low at 0.93%, a decrease of 2.1% when compared 

to 2016.

 • Successfully  started  the  project  on  the  introduction 

of  fast-track  orthopaedics  in  one  of  the  orthopaedic 

The  re-admission  rate  is  reported  as  a  15-day  unscheduled 

hospitals of the group.

re-admission  rate,  as  defined  by  the  International  Quality 

 •

Introduced  a  common  structure  for  highly  specialised 

Indicator Project. The 15-day interval was chosen according 

medicine services.

to  the  18-day  re-admission  criteria  of  the  SwissDRG 

(diagnosis-related  groups)  system  to  provide  input  to  the 

case  management  process.  The  rate  increased  by  19.4%,  is 

not statistically significant, and no concerns were raised.

36 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
FIGURE 3: ADVERSE EVENTS – MEDICLINIC SOUTHERN AFRICA

2015

2016

2017

0
6
.
1

8
1
.
1

6
8
0

.

s
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a
p
0
0
0

1

r
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p
e
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a
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4
1
.
1

7
0
.
1

1
0
.
1

Medication
errors

Falls

Adverse event type

6
2
0

.

7
2
0

.

2
2
0

.

In-hospital
pressure
ulcers

Clinical information systems

 • Compiled  the  definition  of  the  future  documentation 

in 

catheterisation 

laboratories 

and 

emergency 

departments – the manufacturer is implementing this in 

 •

Introduce  a  standardised  documentation  approach  for 

doctors in the electronic patient record.

 • Continue with the rollout of the patient data management 

system (“PDMS”).

our electronic patient record.  

 • Conceptualise  the  integration  of  the  PDMS  and  the 

 • Completed the re-evaluation of the radiology information 

system  and  selected  a  new  system  –  the  pilot  project  

has started.

 • Reviewed  the  integration  of  medical  source  data  – 

Hirslanden  decided  to  connect  this  project  to 

its 

transformation exercise.

Future objectives 
Patients First at Mediclinic

electronic patient record.

MEDICLINIC SOUTHERN AFRICA

Clinical performance 
Mediclinic  and  the  greater  Southern  Africa  healthcare 

community experienced significant and ever-increasing cost 

pressures;  continued  shortage  of  healthcare  professionals 

(especially  specialised  disciplines);  outmigration  of  care, 

resulting in hospitals caring for more complex cases; and an 

 •

Identify patient pathways qualifying for standardisation.

increase in the elderly population. Despite these challenges, 

 • Complete  the  introduction  of  a  continuous  patient 

Mediclinic Southern Africa improved clinical performance of 

experience survey for all inpatients.

the operating division compared to the 2016 calendar year.

Value-based care

Patient safety

Hirslanden  will  continue  with  the  definitions  of  the 

requirements  of  the  system  provider  model;  and  develop 

evaluation  criteria  to  determine  the  introduction  status  

We prioritise the continuous improvement of patient safety. 
Adverse  events,  as  illustrated  in  Figure  3,  are  reported  and 
tracked as a barometer of safe patient care. 

per hospital.

Clinical information systems

 • Continue  with  the  rollout  of  the  radiology  information 

system in a second hospital.

In 2017, we reported a significant increase of 35.59% in the 

medication  error  rate,  mainly  due  to  increased  awareness 

and reporting, driven by focused audits. This rate is expected 
to increase even further as additional sources of information, 

obtained from the audits, are included in the report.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

37

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CLINICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

The fall rate and in-hospital pressure ulcer rate are regarded 

preventing  multidrug  resistance  are  critical.  Antimicrobial 

as nursing sensitive indicators and correlate with the number 

resistance  increases  with  using  all  antimicrobials  and  not 

and  skills  of  available  nursing  staff.  The  fall  rate  decreased 

only certain classes of antimicrobials. The total antimicrobial 

by  7%  in  2017,  however,  the  decrease  is  not  statistically 

consumption  needs  to  be  reduced.  The  total  antimicrobial 

significant. The prevention of falls remains a priority.

usage and utilisation decreased by 1.6% in 2017.

The  in-hospital  pressure  ulcer  rate  decreased  by  25.92%. 

This  decrease  is  statistically  significant,  and  is  mainly  due 

to continued focus on the early detection and prevention of 

incontinence-associated dermatitis, one of the main drivers 

of in-hospital pressure ulcers.

Infection prevention and control
Healthcare-associated infections 

Clinical effectiveness
The clinical performance measurement of CCUs was refined 

by  implementing  the  Simplified  Acute  Physiology  Score 
(“SAPS”) 3 physiological mortality prediction model, instead 
of  the  previously  used  APACHE®IV.  SAPS  3  is  statistically 

better  suited  to  the  Mediclinic  population  and  predicts 

mortality more accurately. During 2017, the average mortality 

HAI  remain  one  of  the  highest  risks.  Hand  hygiene 

rate for patients admitted to CCUs was 16.97% compared to 

compliance,  which  is  a  focus  area  for  improvement,  is  an 

the expected mortality rate of 17.85%. The resultant SAPS 3 

important measure in the prevention of HAI, and remained 
stable at 75.3%.

mortality index was 0.95.

The  in-hospital  mortality  prediction  model  calculates  the 

The  HAI  rate,  reflected  in  Figure  4,  increased  by  7.57% 
over  the  2017  calendar  year.  The  increase  is  statistically 

expected  mortality  rate  based  on  administrative  data.  This 

model  was  reviewed  and  refined  in  2016.  The  2015  values 

significant.  The  adherence  to  evidence-based  practices, 

can  therefore  not  be  compared  directly  to  the  2016/2017 

such as care bundles to reduce device-associated infections, 

values due to the change in methodology. When compared 

remain  a  focus  area.  HAI  rates  and  compliance  with  hand 

hygiene  principles  are  closely  monitored  by  audits,  and 

hospitals are supported in dealing with outbreaks timeously 

and efficiently.

Antimicrobial stewardship 

to  the  2017  index,  a  6%  decrease  is  noted.  This  decrease  is 
statistically significant (see Figure 5).

The  30-day  all-cause  re-admission  rate  increased  by  0.08% 

in  2017.  Re-admissions  within  seven  days  of  discharge 

account for half the re-admissions, and remains a focus area 

Considering the high burden of infectious disease in Southern 

for improvement. The extended stay rate is expressed as an 

Africa,  effectively  managing  antimicrobial  resources  and 

index, and decreased by 0.88% compared to 2016.

FIGURE 4: HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS – 
MEDICLINIC SOUTHERN AFRICA

FIGURE 5: INPATIENT MORTALITY – MEDICLINIC
SOUTHERN AFRICA

2016'

2015'
s
y
a
d
2014'
t
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e
i
t
a
p
0
0
0

1

r
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p
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9
1
.
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6
9
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.

5
8
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9
9
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)
%
(
o
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y
t
i
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a
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r
o
M

.

6
0

1.00

3
.
1

7
5
.
1

7
5
.
1

0.94

2
7
.
1

1
6
.
1

.

4
0

Crude 
mortality 
rate

Expected 
mortality 
rate

Mortality 
index

2015

2016

2017

Calendar year

2016

2017

Calendar year

38 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FIGURE 1:  ADVERSE EVENTS – MEDICLINIC 

SOUTHERN AFRICA

4

1

.

1

7

0

.

1

2015

2016

2017

8

1

.

1

6

8

.

0

s

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0

0

0

1

r

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p

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a

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Adverse event type

Medication 

Falls

errors

6

2

.

0

In-hospital
pressure 

ulcers

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Progress against objectives
Patients First at Mediclinic

Future objectives
Patients First at Mediclinic

 •

 •

Implemented the surgical safety checklist in all hospitals.

 • Complete  the  implementation  of  specific  patient  safety 

Improved reporting of SAE through many initiatives and 

initiatives aimed at preventing adverse events.

valuable  information  was  gathered  that  will  guide  the 

 •

Implement  specific  training  initiatives  that  will  further 

future strategy.

enable staff to drive quality improvement continuously.

 •

Implemented  a  successful  quality  improvement  project, 

 • Develop  and  implement  action  plans  that  will  improve 

which enhanced patient safety and patient care further.

hand hygiene compliance further.

 • Developed  and  implemented  a  new  nursing  workforce 

 • Develop action plans to improve medication safety.

model 

to  ensure  accurate  allocation  of  scarce  

 • Further refine clinical performance measures.

nursing skills.

 • Successfully 

launched  a  national  hand  hygiene 

campaign; and developed compliance measures to track 

 • Share more detailed clinical information with doctors.

 • Further reduce infection rates through the implementation 

of  a  comprehensive  infection  prevention  and  control 

improvement.

strategy.

 •

Implemented  the  combined  BetterObs  and  Mediclinic 
obstetric  enhancement  projects,  which  will  further 

Value-based care

mitigate risks identified in obstetric care.

 • Proceed  with  further  appointments  of  hospital  clinical 

 •

Implemented a specific infection prevention and control 

managers.

strategy,  which  was  critical  in  managing  the  ever-

increasing  risk  of  infectious  diseases  and  multidrug-

 • Proceed  with  the  further  implementation  of  the  new 

clinical performance, oversight and governance model in 

resistant organisms.

Value-based care

 •

Implemented  a  new  clinical  performance  oversight  and 

governance  model  in  collaboration  with  supporting 

doctors.

 • Developed  (in  collaboration  with  supporting  doctors) 

collaboration with supporting doctors.

 • Develop  (in  collaboration  with  supporting  doctors)  and 

implement more clinical pathways led by doctors.

 • Develop  a  structured 

implementation  plan  for  the 

integrated comprehensive critical care strategy.

 •

Implement the national stroke management strategy.

and implemented two clinical pathways led by doctors.

Clinical information systems

 • Developed  a  comprehensive  and  integrated  critical  

Mediclinic Southern Africa will engage with specific service 

care strategy.

 • Developed a national stroke management strategy.

Clinical information systems

Mediclinic Southern Africa developed a clinical information 

readiness strategy and a proposed roadmap for evaluating 

potential solutions.

providers  to  evaluate  potential  solutions  for  the  South 

African  market  and  commence  a  thorough  assessment  of  

proposed solutions.

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CLINICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST

Clinical performance
Mediclinic Middle East has the lowest case mix index in the 

Group,  and  serves  a  younger,  healthier  community.  The 

clinical performance is satisfactory as demonstrated by low 

infection  rates  and  other  outcome  measures,  e.g.  patient 

The in-hospital pressure ulcer rate increased by 150%, when 

compared with the 2016 rate, which is statistically significant. 

The division initiated various quality improvement projects, 

specifically  in  the  CCUs,  where  the  patient  population  has 

higher  acuity  levels  with  multiple  co-morbidities.  A  steady 

decline in the in-hospital pressure ulcer rate was noted in the 

latter part of 2017 and the trend will be closely monitored.

falls, HAI, etc.

Patient safety

Infection prevention and control
Healthcare-associated infections

Providing safe care remains a priority across the division and 

Preventing  HAI  remains  a  key  patient  safety  objective 

is  reflected  in  a  “Just  Culture”  supported  by  management. 

for  Mediclinic  Middle  East.  This  includes  standardised 

“Just  Culture”  is  a  culture  in  which  staff  are  not  punished 

processes  around  infection  control  (based  on  international 

for actions, omissions or decisions taken by them which are 

best  practices),  implementing  care  bundles  (Surgical  Site 

in  line  with  their  experience  and  training,  but  where  gross 

Infections,  VAP,  CLASBI  and  CAUTI),  and  a  surveillance 

negligence and wilful violations are not tolerated.

Figure  6  reflects  the  rate  of  adverse  events  per  
1 000 patient days.

Medication  errors  increased  significantly  by  169.23%  when 

compared  to  2016.  The  increase  is  due  to  an  auditing 

and  reporting  drive,  with  the  main  contributor  being 

prescribing errors. Most medication errors are identified and 

reported  by  the  pharmacy  and  prevented  from  reaching  

patients. Medication management remains a key focus area 

for the group.

programme with a multilayer methodology. This methodology 

includes surveillance that is active and passive, patient and 

laboratory-based,  prospective  and  retrospective,  priority-

directed and comprehensive.

When compared to 2016, the HAI rate decreased by 12.5%;  

the  CAUTI  rate  decreased  by  15.9%;  the  CLABSI  rate 

decreased by 13.6%; and VAP rate decreased by 76.1% (see 
Figure 7). Although the decrease in the CLABSI and CAUTI 
rates are not statistically significant, the decrease in the VAP 

rate  is.  A  change  in  the  Centres  for  Disease  Control  and 

Prevention definition of HAI, especially for VAP, contributed 

The  fall  rate  increased  by  25%  but  is  not  statistically 

significantly to the decline in the rate.

significant. Fall awareness and prevention remain a key focus 

area for Mediclinic Middle East. The fall awareness campaign 

includes educational videos for staff, fall prevention posters 

Clinical effectiveness
SAPS 3 was implemented in all the CCU in Mediclinic Middle 

in  patient  rooms  and  a  fall  prevention  booklet  for  patients 

East since October 2016. It replaced the APACHE IV Scoring 

and visitors. 

system, which was implemented only in the Dubai facilities. 

FIGURE 6: ADVERSE EVENTS – MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST

s
y
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4
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Medication
errors

Falls

Adverse event type

40 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

4
4
4

.

2015

2016

2017

.

7
9
2
4
2
9 0

.

0
3
4

.

0
5
0

.

1
.
0

In-hospital
pressure
ulcers

 
 
 
 
 
This will ensure that outcomes can be benchmarked across 

 •

Implemented the Vermont Oxford Network databases in 

the Mediclinic Group. The data collected for 2016 was only 

all facilities.

part  of  the  calendar  year  and  not  suitable  for  including 

 • Combined the clinical services departments of the group, 

as  a  comparative  value  for  2017.  The  performance  of  the  

which was implemented, expanded and embedded all the 

SAPS  3  model  was  calibrated.  Even  though  the  mortality 

clinical oversight committee structures.

index  is  1.4,  the  crude  mortality  rate  is  low  at  3.0%.  

The  predicted  mortality  rate  is  influenced  by  the  accuracy 

of the data and the validation of data quality is a focus area 

 • Developed  clinical  key  performance 

indicators 

for 

doctors, and will be part of the formal doctors’ appraisal 

process implementation plan for 2018.

for 2018.

The in-hospital mortality rate decreased by 4.16% during the 

period under review and remained low at 0.23% in line with 

the  young  population  and  low  case  mix  of  the  operating 
division (see Figure 8).

FIGURE 1:  ADVERSE EVENTS – MEDICLINIC 

SOUTHERN AFRICA

The re-admission rate increased by 12.24% when compared 

FIGURE 8: INPATIENT MORTALITY – MEDICLINIC 
MIDDLE EAST

2016'

to  2016.  The  increase  is  not  statistically  significant  and  no 

8
1
.
1

concerns were raised.

s
y
a
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Progress against objectives
e
i
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a
Patients First at Mediclinic 
p
0
0
0

6
8
0

7
0
.
1

4
1
.
1

.

2015

2016

2017

 • Appointed quality and patient safety officers, established 

a quality department on corporate level and updated its 

1

r
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a
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patient safety strategy.

by JCI in November 2017.

 • Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital was successfully re-accredited 

2015'
)
%
(

s
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2014'
o
i
s
s
i
m
d
a

f
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n
e
c
r
e
P

 • Standardised  clinical  indicators  across  the  group;  and 

created a central repository.

6
2
0

.

 •

Implemented SAPS 3 in all CCUs across all the division’s 

hospitals.

Adverse event type

Medication 
errors

Falls

In-hospital
pressure 
ulcers

FIGURE 7: DEVICE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS – MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST

6
2
0

.

6
9
0

.

4
2
0

.

3
7
0

.

3
2
0

.

2015

2016

2017

Calendar year

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4
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7
3
0

.

0
3
0

.

0
4
2

.

7
4
.
1

7
2
.
1

2015

2016

2017

0
6
7

.

6
2
2

.

4
4
4

.

4
5
0

.

Catheter-
associated urinary 
tract infections

Central 
line-associated 
bloodstream 
infections

Ventilator-
associated 
pneumonia

Device–associated infection type

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

41

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CLINICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

Value-based care

 • The division expanded the affiliation agreement with the 

Mohammed  Bin  Rashid  University  of  Health  Sciences 
(“MBRUHS”)  in  Dubai.  Mediclinic  City  Hospital  is  an 
accredited external training facility for medical students, 

and the second intake of medical students was enrolled 

in September 2017.

 • Mediclinic  Middle  East  hosted  a  successful  first  annual 

research day in February 2018 at MBRUHS.

 • We developed the current breast and metabolic centres 

at Mediclinic City Hospital to streamline clinical processes.

 • The division commissioned a stroke centre at Mediclinic 

City Hospital and achieved the certification of the German 

Stroke Association in January 2018.

 • Mediclinic  Middle  East  successfully  commissioned  and 

opened  the  new  Comprehensive  Cancer  Centre  in  the 

north wing expansion at Mediclinic City Hospital. 

 • The  division  signed  off  a  cancer  strategy  that  includes 

the  clinical  oversight  structure,  site-specific  tumour 

board structure and function, as well as scope of service 

delivery at the different facilities.

Future objectives
Patients First at Mediclinic

 •

Implement  the  standardised  doctors’  appraisal  process 

across the group.

 • Finalise  the  scope  and  project  plan  for  the  nursing 

performance management system.

 • Expand  and  implement  new  clinical  indicators  across  

the group.

 • Expand the outcome database participation and roll out 

the obstetrics dashboard.

 • Formulate the JCI re-accreditation preparedness plan for 

all facilities in the group.

 • Update  the  quality  and  patient  safety  strategy  for  

the group.

 • Develop  a  strategy  for  managing  quality  indicators 
(as  defined  by  the  regulators)  and  agree  on  a  quality 

management framework for the group.

 • Align the clinical risk management strategy to the Group.

 • Define a clear strategy for the establishment of centres of 

excellence in the division.

 • The  division 

implemented 

the  centralisation  and 

Value-based care

consolidation strategy of laboratory services for the group.

 • Mediclinic  City  Hospital  laboratory  was  successfully  

re-accredited  by  The  College  of  American  Pathologists  

in August 2017.

 • Successfully  obtained  the 

ISO  certification  for  all 

laboratories in the Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region.

 • Mediclinic  Middle  East  relocated  and  commissioned 
the  in-vitro  fertilisation  (“IVF”)  and  dialysis  centres 
(previously located in Mediclinic Al Noor hospital in Abu 

Dhabi) to Mediclinic Al Ain hospital.

 • Finalise the formulation of the clinical strategy for certain 

key  service  lines  for  the  group  (IVF,  metabolic  centre, 

vascular surgery, cosmetics, etc.).

 • Continue  developing  the  metabolic  surgery  service  at 

Mediclinic  Airport  Road  hospital  and  prepare  for  the 

accreditation of the centre.

 • Further develop and expand coordinated care initiatives 

across  the  group  (breast  centre,  comprehensive  cancer 

centre, metabolic centre, etc.).

 • Continue the centralisation and consolidation strategy for 

 • Mediclinic  is  in  the  process  of  reviewing  the  existing 

laboratory services in the division.

clinical  pathways  and  developed  additional  pathways 

in  preparation  for  the  implementation  of  DRG  and 

implementing 
(“EHR”) system.

the  new  electronic  health 

record  

Clinical information systems

 • Mediclinic  Middle  East  selected  a  new  EHR  system  

for the group.

 • Define a strategy for doctors benchmarking.

 • Develop a strategy to centralise radiology services across 

the division.

Clinical information systems

Mediclinic  Middle  East  will 

implement 

the  newly  

selected  EHR  system  across  the  group  as  per  the  agreed 

project plan.

42 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

MEDICLINIC INTERNATIONAL
Mediclinic International’s clinical services department consists 

Future objectives

 •

Implement  a  clinical  adverse  event  and  clinical  risk 

of a small team that coordinates clinical services across the 

management across the Group. 

divisions. The team provides strategic direction, oversight and 

 • Further  refine  and  optimise  the  clinical  performance 

accountability;  coordinates  collaboration  across  operating 

model and clinical performance indicators.

divisions; and is directly involved in selected projects.

Progress against objectives
 • A  master  data  management  programme,  compiling  and 

governing  data  relating  to  doctors,  was  implemented  in 

Southern Africa.

 • Clinical performance measures and operational dashboards 

were refined.

 • We  established  a  patient  safety  sub-committee  to 

standardise and enhance collaboration across the Group. 

 • An  initiative  was  started  to  coordinate  collaboration  of 

nursing services across operating divisions.

 • Further drive collaboration on nursing across the Group.

 • Support  the  operating  divisions  in  eradicating  never 

events and decreasing the number of SAE. 

 • Refine and optimise the medication management process 

across the Group.

 • Develop an integrated clinical digital roadmap, including 

artificial intelligence, machine learning and telemedicine. 

 • Continue  to  collaborate  with  and  provide  support 

to  Mediclinic  Middle  East  and  Hirslanden  with  the 

implementation of their EHR systems.

 • Refine  and  optimise  the  clinical  governance  structure 

to enforce  the Ward-to-Board accountability framework 

 • We  established  a  collaborative  forum  for  clinical  risk 

across the Group.

management across the Group.

 • Centrally  advise  and  coordinate  clinical  research  across 

 • We  sourced  a  clinical  adverse  event  and  clinical  risk 

the Group.

management solution suitable for the Group. 

 •

Initiatives are underway to coordinate health technology 

assessments  centrally.  These  initiatives  will  be  further 

refined. 

 • Thought  leadership,  oversight  and  close  collaboration 

were  provided  in  the  selection  of  an  EHR  system  in  the 

Middle East and Southern Africa divisions. 

 • Continued  collaboration  and  support  are  provided  to 

Hirslanden with the implementation of its EHR systems.

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

43

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RISK MANAGEMENT,  
PRINCIPAL RISKS  
AND UNCERTAINTIES

The  Board  believes  that  effective  risk  management  and  internal  control  systems  underpin  a  successful  business  and  are 
integral to realising the Group’s overall objective of delivering value to its shareholders. The Board is ultimately responsible for 
monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of these systems and reporting on its review in the Annual Report. The Board has 
delegated to the Audit and Risk Committee the tasks of evaluating the Group’s risk management procedures, assessing the 
effectiveness of the internal controls and monitoring the integrity of the Group’s reporting, but maintains strong and regular 
oversight of the outcome of the Audit and Risk Committee’s work.

RISK MANAGEMENT 
The  objective  of  risk  management  in  the  Group  is  to  identify  and  assess  important  and  emerging  risks.  To  this  end,  the 
Group  has  established  an  Enterprise-wide  Risk  Management  (“ERM”)  policy  which  follows  the  international  Committee  of 
Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) framework and is aligned to the Group’s operations and 
strategy. The Group ERM framework defines the risk appetite, risk management objectives, methodology, risk identification, 

assessment and treatment processes and the responsibilities of the various risk management role-players in the Group. The 

ERM policy is embedded in the Group’s daily management and operational processes. It provides a robust structure within 

which  management  can  operate  and  which  directors  can  oversee  without  stifling  the  core  activities  of  the  business.  The 

policy reinforces a strong risk management culture within the Group by setting the tone and acting as the starting point for 
all components of risk management and internal control. It is subject to annual review, and any amendments are submitted 
to the Audit and Risk Committee for approval. In accordance with the recommendations of the Financial Reporting Council’s 
UK Code on Corporate Governance and Guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial and Business 
Reporting, the Board annually reviews the Group’s principal risks and ERM policy and processes, taking account of the Audit 
and Risk Committee’s recommendations and assessment. 

An ERM software application supports the Group’s risk management process in all three operating divisions. The Group’s 
principal risk items (grouped by category, business process and strategic priorities), the movement in risk during the financial 
year, and key measures taken to mitigate these risks, are listed in the table below.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

PRINCIPAL 
RISK

MOVEMENT 
IN 2018

Economic 
and business 
environment risk

1

Economic growth 
in Switzerland and 
in South Africa 
continued to be 
weak, resulting 
in increased risk 
exposure.

Business 
investment and 
acquisition risks 

1

  2

The investments 
and governance 
processes were 
strengthened 
during the year. 

44 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

DESCRIPTION OF RISK

MITIGATION OF RISK 

The risk relates to the 
downturn in the general 
economic and business 
environment, including all those 
factors that affect a company’s 
operations, customers, 
competitors, stakeholders, 
suppliers and industry trends.

The business environment risk 
includes the power of funders 
and the potential negative 
impact on tariffs and fees 
resulting from the shift of the 
relative negotiating power 
towards funders, away from 
healthcare service providers.

This is the risk of increased 
financial exposure relating 
to major strategic business 
investments and acquisitions.

 • Systems to monitor developments 
in the economic and business 
environment of trends and early-
warning indicators

 • Proactive monitoring and 

negotiation by Group’s funder 
relations departments

 • Focus on quality and continuum 

of care to reinforce the 
Company’s position

 • Strategic planning processes
 • Due diligence processes
Investment mandates 

 •
 • Board oversight
 • Post-acquisition management 

processes

A
N
D
U
N
C
E
R
T
A
N
T
E
S

I

I

PRINCIPAL 
RISK

Competition

1

Availability and 
cost of capital
(including financing 
and liquidity risk)

2

MOVEMENT 
IN 2018

Healthcare 
providers market 
continued to 
grow through 
normal channels 
of acquisitions, 
expansions, new 
facilities etc. There 
were no major 
changes to impact 
risk exposure.

Interest rates are 
expected to rise 
in the year ahead, 
which may lead to 
an increase in the 
cost of capital.

Operational and 
credit risks

2   3

The risk exposure 
was reduced 
following the 
successful 
integration of the 
Al Noor business.

DESCRIPTION OF RISK

MITIGATION OF RISK 

The risk relates to the 
uncertainty created by the 
existence of competitors or the 
emergence of new competitors 
with their own strategies. 

The risk includes the 
outmigration of care, partly 
driven by further technological 
developments and the 
development of alternative 
care models.

These risks involve the cost, 
terms and availability of capital 
to finance strategic expansion 
opportunities and/or the 
refinancing or restructuring of 
existing debt which has been 
affected by prevailing capital 
market conditions.

Operational risk refers to 
diverse types of operational 
events with the potential for 
financial loss, operational 
interruptions or reputational 
damage. 

Credit risk is the risk of loss due 
to a funder’s inability to pay 
the outstanding balance owing, 
default by banks and/or other 
deposit-taking institutions, 
or the inability to recover 
outstanding amounts due from 
patients.

 • Proactive monitoring
 • Strategic planning processes
 • Quality and value of care 

processes

AR

 • Long-term planning of capital 
requirements and cash-flow 
forecasting

 • Scrutiny of cash-generating 
capacity within the Group
 • Proactive and long-term 

agreements with banks and 
other funders relating to funding 
facilities

 • Monitoring compliance with 

requirements of debt covenants

 • Further details on capital risk 
management and the Group’s 
borrowings are contained in the 
annual financial statements

 • Preservation of a sound internal 
financial control environment

 • Effective operational risk 
management processes

 • Extensive combined assurance 

processes

 • Monitoring operations through 
key performance indicators 
(“KPIs”)

 • Continuous enhancement of 

operational efficiency and cost 
reduction

 • Regulated minimum solvency 

requirements for funders
 • Monitoring approved funders
 • Treasury policy
 • Executive and board level 

oversight

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

45

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RISK MANAGEMENT, PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES (CONTINUED)

PRINCIPAL 
RISK

MOVEMENT 
IN 2018

DESCRIPTION OF RISK

MITIGATION OF RISK 

Quality and 
stability of 
operational 
services risk

3

The operational 
services risk 
did not change 
significantly and 
remained stable 
throughout the 
year.

Information 
systems security 
and availability 
risk

4

The increased 
risk relates to the 
continued external 
threats arising 
from cyberattack.

Regulatory and 
compliance risk

5

The increased 
risk relates to the 
introduction of 
new regulations 
which includes 
TARMED (Tariff 
System for 
Outpatient 
Medical Services) 
in Switzerland and 
the EU General 
Data Protection 
Regulation 
(“GDPR”).

The risk refers to the quality of 
service and the stability of the 
operations. It includes but is 
not limited to:

 •

incidents of poor service or 
incidents where operational 
management fails to respond 
effectively to complaints;
 • operational interruptions 

which refers to any 
disruption of the facility and 
may include the threat of 
disrupted power or water 
supply; and

 • fire and allied perils causing 

damage or business 
interruption.

Information systems security 
risk (including cyber risk) 
relates to unauthorised access 
to information systems, 
failure of data integrity and 
confidentiality. Availability 
risk relates to instances where 
systems are not available for 
use by its intended users.

Project delivery risk, closely 
associated with information 
systems risk, refers to issues 
or occurrences that could 
potentially interfere with 
completion of projects, 
including scope, timeliness and 
appropriateness of delivery.

The risk involves adverse 
changes in laws and regulations 
impacting the Group or failure 
to comply with laws and 
regulations which may result 
in losses, fines, prosecution or 
damage to reputation. 

The risk includes ethical and 
governance risks that refer 
to the unexpected negative 
consequences of unethical 
actions or the failure of 
the control and oversight 
mechanisms which were 
designed and implemented to 
uphold the ethical standards 
and controls  
of the organisation.

 • Patient satisfaction surveys 

(internal and external)
 • Complaints monitoring
 • Training programmes
 • Supervising service levels
 • Emergency backup power 

generation

 • Emergency planning
 • Plans to deal with disasters
 • Extensive fire-fighting and 

detection systems, including 
comprehensive maintenance 
processes

 • Comprehensive insurance to deal 
with financial impact of potential 
disasters

 • Comprehensive information 

systems logical access, change 
and physical access controls

 • Disaster recovery planning
 • System design and architecture
 • Group ICT Security Committee
 • Experienced project management 

teams

 • Proactive monitoring and 

oversight

 • Proactive engagement strategies 

with stakeholders

 • Health policy units created to 
conduct research and provide 
strategic input into reform 
processes

 • Active industry participation 

across all divisions

 • Company Secretarial and/

or Legal departments support 
operational management, monitor 
regulatory developments and, 
where necessary, obtain expert 
legal advice for the effective 
implementation of compliance 
initiatives

 • Compliance risks identified and 
assessed as part of compliance 
management processes
 • Visible ethical leadership
 • Monitoring and investigation  
of incidents reported on the  
ethics line 

 • Executive and Board level 

oversight

46 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

PRINCIPAL 
RISK

Clinical risks

6

MOVEMENT 
IN 2018

Clinical processes 
across operating 
divisions 
continued to be 
a key focus area 
for the Group. 
Risk exposure 
remained at a 
comparable level 
to the previous 
year.

Risk of availability, 
recruitment and 
retention of 
skilled resources 
and medical 
practitioners

7

Vacancies and 
turnover ratios 
in respect of 
skilled resources 
and medical 
practitioners 
are expected to 
remain at similar 
levels to the prior 
year.

DESCRIPTION OF RISK

MITIGATION OF RISK 

Clinical risks are associated 
with the provision of clinical 
care and may result in 
undesirable quality of care or 
clinical outcomes.

The risks include a pandemic 
and disease outbreak. A 
pandemic is an epidemic of 
infectious disease that spreads 
through human populations 
across a large region. Disease 
outbreak involves highly 
infectious diseases with a high 
mortality rate.

Such risks may also result in 
damage to the Mediclinic brand 
equity, which is the value of the 
Group’s brand names.

The availability and support 
of admitting doctors, whether 
independent or employed, 
are critical to the services the 
Group provides.

There is a shortage of skilled 
labour, particularly a shortage 
of qualified and experienced 
nursing staff in Southern Africa.

CSR

 • Refer to the Clinical Services 
Report for a detailed analysis 
of the strategies to manage and 
monitor clinical risks

 • A Group-wide clinical risk 

registers per operating division

 • Accreditation processes
 • Clinical governance processes
 • Monitoring clinical performance 

indicators

 • Comprehensive processes for 

infection control and prevention 

 • Marketing and communication 

strategies

 • Quality management processes
 • Stakeholder engagement and 

disclosure strategies

 • Monitoring doctor satisfaction, 
movement and doctors’ profiles

 • Details on the relationship 

with doctors are provided in 
the Sustainable Development 
Report.

 • The employment, recruitment and 
retention strategies are explained 
in the Sustainable Development 
Report.

 • The extensive training and 

skills development programme, 
and the foreign recruitment 
programme are further explained 
in the Sustainable Development 
Report.

SDR

SDR

SDR

KEY

 REFERENCE

CATEGORY

BUSINESS PROCESSES

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

1

2

3

4

Strategic 
and business 
environment

Financial and 
reporting risks

Operational risks

 • Strategy formulation and 

implementation

 • Delivering business value
 • Continuing to expand as a successful 

 • Strategic investments and strategic 

international healthcare group

projects

 • Revenue cycle
 • Procure to pay cycle
 • Financial management and control
 • Treasury
 • Health information (including 

coding)

Infrastructure

 •
 • Marketing and corporate 

communication

 • Operations

Information 
technology risks

 •

 •

Information and communications 
technology (“ICT”)
ICT projects

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

47

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RISK MANAGEMENT, PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES (CONTINUED)

 REFERENCE

CATEGORY

BUSINESS PROCESSES

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

5

6

7

Regulatory 
compliance risks

Clinical risks

 • Legal and secretarial
 • Governance, risk and compliance
 • Environmental management 

 • Ensuring good corporate governance
 • Acting as a responsible corporate 

citizen

 • Clinical
 • Nursing
 • Pharmacy
 • Coding

 • Delivering superior value to its 

patients

 • Delivering integrated healthcare in 

collaboration with doctors and allied 
healthcare professional communities

People risks

 • Human resources
 • Compensation and benefits cycle

 • Being an employer of choice
 • Having constructive relationships with 

all stakeholders

 • Being a valued member of the 

community

Risk exposure increased due to change in business environment, increased investments, increased dependency 
of operations on information technology, information sensitivity and cost involved.

Proactive and continuous monitoring, favourable results of negotiations, effective treasury and risk 
management processes resulted in lowering of risk exposure.

Risk exposure has not changed significantly as the operating and regulatory environment has remained mostly 
the same and enhanced risk mitigation measures have kept the risk at same level.

INTERNAL CONTROLS
The  Group  upholds  an  effective  control  environment 
designed to ensure risks are mitigated and the Group attains 
its  objectives,  including  the  accuracy  and  reliability  of  the 
Group’s financial reporting. The system includes monitoring 
mechanisms and ensures that appropriate actions are taken 
to correct deficiencies when they are identified. 

The  key  features  of  the  Group’s  internal  control  and  risk 
management  systems  in  relation  to  the  financial  reporting 
process include: 

 • clearly  defined  matters  reserved  for  the  Board  or  its 
lines  of 

Committees,  delegations  of  authority  and 
accountability; 

 • policies and procedures covering:

 – the  Group’s  approach  to  treasury  activities  and  tax 

matters; 

 – internal and external audit mandates;

 – preparation of financial reports; 

 – governance of key projects; and

 – ICT security; 

 • periodic audits conducted by the Internal Auditor; 

 •

 •

representation letters from the divisional CEOs regarding 
the key risks and mitigating actions for their division; and

review of disclosures in financial reports by the divisional 
CEOs  and  CFOs  and  the  Group  senior  management  as 
relevant, as well as the Audit and Risk Committee and the 
Board, to ensure that they fulfil the relevant requirements.

During  the  year,  the  Group  and  each  operating  division 
executed their assurance plans. These plans comprise various 
assurance  processes,  including  internal  and  external  audit 
processes  which  are  in  place  to  evaluate  the  effectiveness 
of  key  controls  designed  to  mitigate  the  significant  risks 
identified in each operating division. 

The  Group  makes  use  of  an  outsourced  internal  audit 
is  closely  aligned  to  the  Group  risk 
function  which 
management  function.  It  reports  independently  to  the 
Audit and Risk Committee of the Board. At each operating 
division, the effectiveness of the system of internal financial 
control is independently evaluated through the internal and 
external audit programmes. In addition to these audits, the 
effectiveness of operational procedures is examined internally 
through  various  peer  review  and  control  self-assessment 
processes.  The  results  of  these  assurance  processes  are 
monitored  by  the  Group’s  risk  management  function  and 
reported to each operating division’s management team. 

Each  operating  division  has,  in  addition  to  the  above 
mentioned  assurance  processes, 
further 
independent  assurance  processes  with  professional 
organisations, as summarised in the table on page 49.

implemented 

The  company  secretaries  at  Group  and  operating  division 
level, as well as the internal legal advisors, are responsible for 
providing guidance in respect of compliance with applicable 
laws and regulations. 

EFFECTIVENESS OF RISK 
MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND 
SYSTEM OF INTERNAL CONTROL
The  Board,  via  the  Audit  and  Risk  Committee,  regularly 

receives  reports  on,  and  considers  the  activities  of,  the 

internal  and  external  auditors  of  Hirslanden,  Mediclinic 

Southern  Africa  and  Mediclinic  Middle  East,  and  the 

Group’s risk management function. The Board, via the Audit 

and  Risk  Committee,  is  satisfied  that  there  is  an  effective 

risk  management  process  in  place  and  that  there  is  an 

adequate  and  effective  system  of  internal  control  in  place 

to  appropriately  mitigate  the  significant  risks  faced  by  

the Group.

48 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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COMBINED ASSURANCE

ASSURANCE OUTPUT*

External calculation of carbon 
footprint based on carbon emissions 
data of Mediclinic Southern Africa

BUSINESS PROCESSES 
ASSURED

PROVIDER/STANDARD

Carbon footprint calculation

Carbon Calculated

ISO 14001:2004 certification of 
42 of Mediclinic Southern Africa’s 
52 hospitals

Environmental management 
system

British Standards Institute, as 
accredited by United Kingdom 
Accreditation Service (“UKAS”)

COHSASA accreditation of 34  
of Mediclinic Southern Africa’s  
37 participating hospitals

Quality standards of healthcare 
facilities

Council for Health Services 
Accreditation of Southern Africa 
(“COHSASA”), which is accredited 
by the International Society for 
Quality in Health Care (“ISQua”)

B-BBEE verification

Broad-based black economic 
empowerment

Empowerdex

ISO 9001:2008 certification of all 
Hirslanden hospitals and Hirslanden 
Corporate Office. Five hospitals are 
already ISO 9001:2015 certified with 
the remainder to be concluded by 
September 2018

Self-assessment against EFQM 
Excellence Model by all Hirslanden 
hospitals and Hirslanden  
Corporate Office 

Process and Quality 
management

Swiss Association for Quality 
and Management Systems 
(“SQS”)

Assessment against the EFQM 
Excellence Model, a framework 
for organisational management 
systems aimed at promoting 
sustainable excellence within 
organisations

European Foundation for 
Quality Management (“EFQM”) 
Excellence Model

ISO 14001:2015 certification of 
Hirslanden Klinik Belair

Environmental management 
system

SQS 

JCI reaccreditation of Mediclinic 
Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi in 
November 2017

JCI accreditation and re-accreditation 
of all Mediclinic Middle East facilities 
(hospitals and clinics) is scheduled for 
mid-2019

Quality and safety of patient 
care

Joint Commission International 
(“JCI”) Accreditation

All Mediclinic Middle East laboratories 
operating within Mediclinic hospital 
and clinic facilities are ISO 15189:2012 
accredited.

Pathology laboratories of 
Mediclinic Middle East hospitals 
and clinics in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, 
Al Ain and Western Region

International Organisation for 
Standardisation (“ISO”)

CAP re-accreditation of the laboratory  
of Mediclinic City Hospital in 2017

Pathology laboratory of 
Mediclinic City Hospital

College of American 
Pathologists (“CAP”)

*    The flags indicate the operating division where the assurance process is in place  

Key: 

 = Mediclinic Southern Africa  

 = Hirslanden  

 = Mediclinic Middle East

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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VIABILITY
STATEMENT

The  assessment  of  viability  is  an  extension  of  the  risk 

would  be  refinanced  broadly  in  line  with  the  terms  and 

management  and  annual  financial  planning  processes 

conditions  of  the  existing  facilities.  The  Group  successfully 

which translate into each of the Group’s operating divisions’ 

refinanced CHF1.9bn and R4.2bn in 2012; CHF1.7bn in 2015; 

business plans. The business plans reflect the current Group 

and in 2016 refinanced the UK bridge facility of £266m with 

strategies  and  their  associated  risks  and  the  directors’ 

facilities amounting to R2.7bn in South Africa and US$155m 

best  estimations  of  their  prospects.  Fundamental  to  the 

in the Middle East. At the end of October 2017, the elective 

assessment  of  the  Group’s  prospects  is  the  long-term 

refinancing  of  the  Group’s  Swiss  debt  was  successfully 

business  model  of  quality  service  delivery  and  revenue 

completed.  The  refinanced  Swiss  debt  funding  comprises 

growth under manageable risk tolerance. 

up  to  CHF2bn  of  property-backed  facilities  for  a  minimum 

The  annual  financial  planning  process  includes  a  detailed 

period of six years and up to a maximum of 10 years.

bottom-up  approach  per  division  for  the  budget  year 

The Audit and Risk Committee monitors the Group’s robust 

(performed by each clinic and hospital) and the extension of 

risk  management  process  and  system  of  internal  control 

AR

the key assumptions to the forecast period. The budgets are 

via a mandate from the Board (see pages 124 and 125). The 

subject to review and, if necessary, re-budgeting. The annual 

principal risks as detailed on pages 44 to 47 were identified 

financial  planning,  including  the  strategic  Group  goals  and 

by  these  systems  and,  for  the  purposes  of  the  viability 

objectives,  are  reviewed  and  approved  by  the  divisional 
Executive  Committees,  Mediclinic  International  Executive 

assessment,  severe  but  plausible  scenarios  reflecting  the 
risks  that  could  impair  the  viability  of  the  Group  were 

Committee and Mediclinic International plc Board.

identified  for  each  of  the  operating  divisions  to  form  the 

The  Board  has  adopted  a  five-year  time  frame  for  the 

basis for stress testing.

assessment, in line with the Group’s business planning period 

On  a  divisional  level  the  potential  impact  of  each  scenario 

which reflects the impact of investments made in the present 

and  certain  scenarios  in  combination,  were  modelled  and 

period. The five-year period extends beyond the maturities 

assessed on EBITDA or profit after tax (as appropriate), net 

of  a  material  portion  of  the  Group’s  borrowings.  Under 

debt and debt covenants over the five-year forecast period. 

current operating and market circumstances, as well as the 

existing levels of debt and the forecast headroom in respect 

of debt covenants, the assumption is that these borrowings 

The principal risks and related key assumptions underlying 

each  of  the  operating  divisions’  business  plans  that  were 

flexed in the stress testing are set out below:

KEY ASSUMPTION STRESS 
TESTED

PRINCIPAL RISK

DIVISIONS STRESS TESTED

Reductions in tariffs and fees

Economic and business environment

Switzerland; Southern Africa; UAE

Regulatory and compliance risk

Reduction in volumes

Competition

Switzerland; Southern Africa; UAE

Economic and business environment

Regulatory and compliance risk

Change in (insurance patient) mix

Regulatory and compliance risk

Switzerland; UAE

Interest rate increases

Availability and cost of capital

Switzerland

A downturn in the macroeconomic 
and business environment

Availability and cost of capital

Southern Africa

Economic and business environment 

The shortage and availability of 
qualified and experienced  
healthcare staff

Availability, recruitment and 
retention of skilled resources and 
medical practitioners

Southern Africa

Adverse regulatory changes

Regulatory and compliance risk

Switzerland; Southern Africa; UAE

Outmigration of care

Economic and business environment

Switzerland

The investment in Group initiatives 
not being successfully implemented

Information systems security and 
availability risk

Switzerland

50 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

KEY ASSUMPTION STRESS 
TESTED

Delays in expansion projects

Accounts receivable book tracks 
above expectation and relationship 
with key funders deteriorates

PRINCIPAL RISK

DIVISIONS STRESS TESTED

Information systems security and 
availability risk which includes 
project delivery risk

UAE

Operational and credit risk

UAE

This analysis showed that the business, in its geographically 

31  March  2023.  In  making  their  assessment,  the  Directors 

diverse portfolio, would be able to withstand any individual 

have  assumed  that  there  will  be  no  material  change  in  the 

and  certain  combinations  of  the  severe  but  plausible 

business  environment  as  such  assumptions  are  subject  to 

scenarios by taking management action, ceteris paribus, with 

a  level  of  uncertainty  and  judgment  for  which  outcomes 

the key mitigating steps being a reduction in discretionary 

cannot be projected and foreseen.

investment,  obtaining  a  new  facility  (GBP±100m)  at  Group 
level  (subject  to  being  able  to  agree  appropriate  terms 

and  conditions  and  subject  to  market  conditions),  cost 

management  initiatives  and  improvement  in  net  working 

The analysis does not take account of any changes arising 

from the introduction of new accounting standards over the 

forecast period.

capital  days.  The  Directors  therefore  have  a  reasonable 

Having  considered  the  principal  risks  and  the  viability 

expectation  that  the  Group  will  be  able  to  continue  in 

assessment,  the  Board  also  considers  it  appropriate  to 

operation  and  meet  its  liabilities  as  they  fall  due  over  the 

adopt  the  going  concern  basis  of  accounting  in  preparing 

five-year  period  of  their  detailed  assessment,  ending  in 

the financial statements.

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW 
SWITZERLAND

17

NUMBER OF 
HOSPITALS

4

NUMBER OF 
CLINICS

1 805

NUMBER OF 
BEDS

104

NUMBER OF 
THEATRES

+2%

REVENUE 
CHF1 735M 

-7%

ADJUSTED
EBITDA CHF318M

+2%

BED DAYS SOLD

87.7%

PATIENT EXPERIENCE 
INDEX

Dr Ole Wiesinger
Chief Executive Offi  cer: Hirslanden

CEO’S STATEMENT

“This  year  was  a  particularly  challenging  one  with  a  number  of  Swiss  healthcare  regulatory  changes  impacting 
Hirslanden. To address the trends in inpatient and outpatient activity driven by this evolving regulatory environment, 
Hirslanden is adapting its business model. We are continuing to transform from being a pure acute hospital operator 
to an integrated healthcare service provider that off ers medical services across various levels of care. During the 
year we opened the Bellaria Outpatient Surgery Unit in Zurich, which allows procedures to be carried out safely 
and effi  ciently in an ambulatory environment that aligns with the regulatory changes. Through our Hirslanden 2020 
strategic  programme  we  are  accessing  the  most  appropriate  outpatient  solution  for  each  hospital  and  seeking 
to increase the effi  ciency of the existing business by implementing standardised systems and processes. Despite 
these challenges and the mature, saturated market, as the largest private healthcare service provider in Switzerland, 
Hirslanden is well positioned to take advantage of future opportunities for growth through selective investments. In 
July, we successfully completed the acquisition of the 115-bed Linde Private Hospital in Biel which has performed well 
since its integration. Throughout all this fl ux, patients remain at the core of Hirslanden’s long-term strategy and we 
remain focused on providing them with excellent clinical care.”

52 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 KEY FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL 
HIGHLIGHTS 
As at the end of the reporting period, Hirslanden operated 

 17  hospitals  and   4  outpatient  clinics  with  a  total  of 

 1 805 inpatient beds and  9 635 employees ( 7 633 full-time 

equivalents).  It  is  the  largest  private  acute  care  hospital 

group  in  Switzerland  servicing  approximately  one  third  of 

inpatients  treated  in  Swiss  private  hospitals.  Hirslanden 

accounted for 47% of the Group’s revenues (FY17: 48%) and 

48% of its adjusted EBITDA (FY17: 53%).

Eff ective  1  July  2017,  Hirslanden  acquired  Linde  Holding 
Biel/Bienne  AG  (“Linde”)  for  a  total  consideration  of 
CHF107m. Linde is a leading private hospital in the Biel region 

of  Switzerland  off ering  a  wide  range  of  medical  services 

with  115  beds,  an  outpatient  clinic  facility,  emergency  unit, 
six  operating  theatres,  physiotherapy,  radiology  and  an 

ophthalmology  centre.  In  March  2017,  the  hospital’s  main 

building  was  expanded  with  a  new  wing  which  provides 

the  opportunity  for  future  growth.  Linde  delivered  a  good 

operating performance following its successful integration. 

Hirslanden’s  FY18  revenues  were  impacted  by  the  timing  of 

the Easter period, a subdued summer market, the continued 

change  in  insurance  mix  and  the  evolving  changes  in  the 

regulatory  environment.  Revenue  in  FY18  was  up  2%  to 

9 635

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

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-1.5%

AVERAGE REVENUE PER BED DAY

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BED OCCUPANCY

Net  fi nance  costs  increased  by  42%  to  CHF81m  (FY17: 

CHF57m), mainly due to the derecognition of unamortised 

fi nance expenses of CHF24m due to the refi nance of debt 

facilities implemented during the year. 

CHF1  735m  (FY17:  CHF1  704m)  as  a  result  of  fl at  inpatient 

Hirslanden  contributed  £106m  to  the  Group’s  adjusted 

revenues  and  an  8%  increase  in  outpatient  revenues,  which 

earnings 

(representing  48%)  compared 

to  £121m 

contributed  around  19%  of  the  division’s  total  revenue.  The 

(representing  55%)  in  the  prior  year.  Hirslanden  converted 

gradual insurance mix change continued, with a 10% increase 

81%  (FY17:  96%)  of  adjusted  EBITDA  into  cash  generated 

in general insured patients and a 3% decline in supplementary 

from operations, down from 96% in FY17 due to an increase in 

insured patients. This, together with the integration of Linde, 

trade receivables largely caused by billing process changes.

contributed  to  the  1.5%  decline  in  revenue  per  bed  day. 

Bed days sold and inpatient admissions were up 1.6% and 2.6% 

respectively. Excluding Linde, Hirslanden revenue was down 

1% and outpatient revenue was up 3% with bed days sold and 

inpatient admissions down 2.6% and 2.1% respectively. 

Adjusted  EBITDA  decreased  by  7%  in  FY18  to  CHF318m 

(FY17:  CHF340m)  with  the  adjusted  EBITDA  margin 

decreasing  to  18.3%  from  20.0%.  This  refl ects  the  impact 

on  revenue  of  current  trends  in  the  market  and  regulatory 

environment  as  well  as  the  continued  investment  costs 

relating to the Hirslanden 2020 strategic programme off set 

by  the  benefi ts  from  cost-management  programmes  and 

effi  ciency savings. 

In  October  2017,  the  Group  completed  the  refi nancing  of 

Hirslanden’s  secured  long-term  bank  loans  with  a  25bps 

reduction in the cost of debt on a like for like basis and an 

extended maturity profi le to at least 2023. The new facilities 

total CHF2.0bn.

In  line  with  the  requirements  of  IFRS,  the  Group  performs 

an  annual  review  of  the  carrying  value  for  goodwill  and 

other  intangible  assets.  In  Switzerland,  the  changes  in  the 

market  and  regulatory  environment  aff ected  key  inputs  to 

the  review  that  gave  rise  to  impairment  charges  recorded 

against  properties  and  intangible  assets  of  £84m  and 

£560m, respectively. Hirslanden's goodwill and indefi nite life 

trade names were carried at £307m and £341m, respectively, 

Depreciation and amortisation increased by 12% to CHF110m 

at the previous year end balance sheet date of 31 March 2017. 

(FY17:  CHF98m)  refl ecting  the  incorporation  of  Linde 

The  impairment  charges  are  non-cash  and  excluded  from 

and  ongoing  fi xed  asset  investments.  Adjusted  operating 

the  adjusted  earnings  metrics.  The  remaining  trade  names 

profi t  decreased  by  14%  to  CHF208m  (FY17:  CHF242m). 

will be amortised over their respective estimated useful lives.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW – SWITZERLAND (CONTINUED)

programme. This programme has two main goals: to increase 

the  efficiency  of  the  existing  business  by  implementing 

standardised  systems  and  processes;  and  to  develop  new 

areas of business, such as outpatient facilities to efficiently 

service day case patients. During the year, a new corporate 

office  was  opened  in  Zurich  which  will  support  the  drive 

to deliver efficiencies across the division in addition to the 

roll  out  of  standardised  systems  across  the  Zurich  based 

hospitals  in  April  2018  that  will  continue  across  the  rest 

of  the  division  over  the  coming  three  years.  Hirslanden  is 

assessing  the  most  appropriate  outpatient  solution  to 

implement  for  each  hospital,  including  the  reconfiguration 

of  existing  hospital  surgery  units  and  the  establishment  of 

specialised outpatient and medical centres moving towards 

a more integrated medical network that facilitates the access 

to  healthcare  for  patients.  New  medical  centres  where 
doctors’  practices  will  be  located  are  planned  to  open  in 

Zurich, Cham and St. Gallen during the financial year ending  
31 March 2019 (“FY19”).

INVESTING FOR FUTURE GROWTH 
In  FY18,  Hirslanden 

invested  CHF47m 

in  expansion 

capital  projects  and  new  equipment  and  CHF82m  on  the 

replacement  of  existing  equipment  and  upgrade  projects. 

The  division  continues  to  invest  in  Hirslanden  2020. 

Hirslanden  Klinik  Im  Park  in  Zurich  opened  its  new  Bellaria 

outpatient  surgery  centre  in  April  2017,  which  includes  a 

ward for procedures requiring short inpatient stays. In FY19, 

Hirslanden  expects  to  invest  CHF55m  and  CHF77m  on 

expansion  and  maintenance  capex,  respectively.  Building 

work  continues  on  an  expanded  emergency  department 

for Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich and a new ward at Hirslanden 

Klinik  St.  Anna  in  Lucerne  which  are  both  expected  to  be 

completed  in  FY19.  Other  key  projects  in  the  year  ahead 

include  Hirslanden  2020,  the  new  Birshof  medical  centre 

and intermediate care facility, new emergency units at Klinik 

Linde  and  Andreas  Klinik  as  well  as  an  outpatient  surgery 

unit and medical centre at the train station in Lucerne.

REGULATORY UPDATE
On  1  January  2018,  the  transitional  solution  to  the  national 
outpatient  tariff  (“TARMED”)  became  effective.  After 
improved  utilisation  and 
mitigating  actions, 

including 

increased  efficiencies,  Hirslanden  expects  the  annualised 

impact  on  adjusted  EBITDA  to  be  around  CHF25m.  The 

Federal  Government  has  also  been  preparing  a  national 

framework for the outmigration of basic medical treatments 

transferring from an inpatient to an outpatient tariff, which is 

expected to be implemented from 1 January 2019. The final 

list of interventions will be agreed following the conclusion 

of a recent working group review. In the Canton of Lucerne, 

similar measures were implemented on 1 July 2017 and in four 

further Cantons (Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Aargau) on  

1  January  2018.  Although  the  Federal  Government  is 

from  
expected  to 
1  January  2019,  a  number  of  insurance  companies  in 

implement  a  national 

framework 

Switzerland  are  already  applying  certain  elements  of  the 

framework in some further cantons.

ADAPTING TO THE CURRENT 
MARKET AND REGULATORY TRENDS
Hirslanden continues to adapt its business model to address 

the  trends  in  inpatient  and  outpatient  activity  driven  by 

the  evolving  regulatory  environment  in  Switzerland  and 

the  ongoing  insurance  mix  change  whilst  maintaining 

excellent  clinical  performance.  The  continued  investment 

in  the  Hirslanden  2020  strategic  programme  is  a  key 

building  block  of  the  long-term  strategy  to  adapt  to  this 

changing  environment,  whilst  also  delivering  cost  savings 

and  operational  efficiencies  for  the  division  over  time.  The 

pace  of  regulatory  change  and  its  impact  on  the  business 

continues  to  evolve  and  we  are  monitoring  it  closely  to 

adapt accordingly.

The  growing  outmigration  of  care  trend  in  Switzerland  is 

being  addressed  as  part  of  the  Hirslanden  2020  strategic 

54 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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The Swiss healthcare market is one of the best funded in the 

OUTLOOK
There continues to be a significant focus on the shift of basic 

developed world and continues to grow steadily. Hirslanden 

is  the  largest  medical  network  and  the  largest  private 

hospital group in Switzerland, and operates effectively within 

medical  treatments  from  the  inpatient  to  the  outpatient 
sector  (“outmigration”).  The  Federal  Government 
preparing  a  framework  for  the  outmigration  of  services, 

is 

a  high-quality  healthcare  system  where  the  population 

likely  to  be  ready  for  implementation  from  1  January  2019, 

enjoys freedom of choice and high-quality services in both 

across  Switzerland.  Having  opened  the  new  Outpatient 

the  public  and  private  sector.  A  survey,  financed  by  the 

Surgery  Unit  at  Klinik  Im  Park,  Hirslanden  will  also  open  a 

Commonwealth Fund and conducted in 11 countries, found 

new medical centre in Zurich (Seefeldstrasse) in spring 2018 

that 60% of respondents in Switzerland rated the functioning 

and  further  ones  at  Schuppis  (canton  of  St.  Gallen)  and 

of  the  Swiss  healthcare  system  as  “good”  or  “very  good”.  

Cham (canton of Zug) early in 2019.

66%  considered  the  medical  care  provided  as  either 

“excellent”  or  “very  good”.  Of  the  11  countries  surveyed, 

Switzerland had the best response.

Given  the  current  market  and  regulatory  trends,  the 

investment programme within Hirslanden and the potential 

for  increased  synergies,  the  division  is  well  positioned  to 

Hirslanden’s  main  competitors  are  the  public  hospitals. 

adapt  its  business  model  and  maintain  its  status  as  the 

Many of these will improve their infrastructure in the coming 

largest medical network in Switzerland while continuing to 

years.  According  to  publicly  available  sources,  CHF16bn  is 

improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

earmarked  for  the  construction  and  renovation  of  hospital 

buildings.

There are 26 cantons that supervise and manage hospitals 

and ensure their funding in collaboration with the mandatory 

health  insurance.  Besides  the  regulation  of  the  inpatient 

sector,  the  cantons  increasingly  intervene  by  defining  lists 
of  medical  procedures  to  be  performed  ambulatory  or  by 

establishing a moratorium for foreign doctors. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW 
SOUTHERN AFRICA

52

NUMBER OF 
HOSPITALS

2

NUMBER OF 
DAY CLINICS

8 131

NUMBER OF 
BEDS

278

NUMBER OF 
THEATRES

+5%

REVENUE 
R15 106M 

+6%

ADJUSTED EBITDA 
R3 245M

-1.5%

BED DAYS SOLD 

82.1%

PATIENT EXPERIENCE 
INDEX

Koert Pretorius
Chief Executive Offi  cer: Mediclinic Southern Africa

CEO’S STATEMENT

“Mediclinic Southern Africa delivered good operational and fi nancial results for the period under review despite some 
weaker patient volumes. We have continued to make good progress with the rollout of further strategic initiatives to 
improve the value proposition that we off er to our patients, focusing on patient safety initiatives, improving patient 
experience and initiatives to improve collaboration with our supporting doctors. We have continued to invest in the 
maintenance and upgrade of our facilities and will add six new day clinics to our portfolio in the next few years to 
provide the most appropriate range of care for our patients in the future. We continued to address a number of 
matters  in  the  wider  business  environment,  specifi cally  the  Health  Market  Inquiry  and  National  Health  Insurance 
developments.”

 KEY FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL 
HIGHLIGHTS 
In  Southern  Africa  (including  South  Africa  and  Namibia), 

as  at  the  end  of  the  reporting  period,  Mediclinic  operated 

52 hospitals and 2 day clinics with a total of 8 131 beds and 

16 068 employees (19 795 full-time equivalents). Mediclinic 

Southern  Africa  is  the  third  largest  private  healthcare 

provider  in  Southern  Africa  by  number  of  licensed  beds. 

Mediclinic Southern Africa accounted for 31% of the Group’s 

revenues  (FY17:  28%)  and  37%  of  its  adjusted  EBITDA 

(FY17: 33%).

Following  a  fi rst  half  performance  where  patient  volumes 

were  impacted  by  the  timing  of  Easter  and  other  public 

holidays,  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  delivered  an  improved 

and  stronger-than-expected  second  half  performance. 

Despite  a  continued  weak  macroeconomic  environment, 

stable  medical  insurance  membership  and  certain  funder 
interventions, revenue in Southern Africa increased by 5% to 

ZAR15 106m (FY17: ZAR14 367m). Bed days sold decreased 

by 1.5% and average revenue per bed day increased by 6.7%. 

Admissions decreased by 2.2% with the greatest decline in 

surgical day cases as the outmigration trend continues. The 

average length of stay increased by 0.8% whilst occupancy 

rates were 69.7% (FY17: 71.5%). 

56 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Adjusted  EBITDA 

increased  by  6%  to  ZAR3  245m 

(FY17: ZAR3 049m) resulting in the adjusted EBITDA margin 

increasing to 21.5% from 21.2% as the ongoing shift in case 

mix towards medical versus surgical cases and lower patient 

volumes  were  more  than  off set  by  cost  management  and 

effi  ciency initiatives.

Depreciation and amortisation increased by 7% to ZAR495m 

(FY17: ZAR465m) mainly because of an increased spend on 

medical  equipment.  Operating  profi t  increased  by  6%  to 

ZAR2 749m (FY17: ZAR2 584m).

Net  fi nance  costs 

increased  by  6% 

to  ZAR526m 

(FY17:  ZAR496m),  helped  by  interest  received  on  cash 

balances.  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  contributed  £72m  to 

the Group’s adjusted earnings (representing 33%) compared 

to £67m (representing 30%) in the comparative period.

The  division  converted  103%  (FY17:  104%)  of  adjusted 

EBITDA into cash generated from operations.

INVESTING TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM 
GROWTH
Medi clinic Southern Africa invested ZAR423m on expansion 

capital projects and new equipment and ZAR634m on the 

replacement  of  existing  equipment  and  upgrade  projects. 

16 068

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

3.85

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
(grand mean score based on a 1 to 5 rating scale)

+6.7%

AVERAGE REVENUE PER BED DAY

69.7%

BED OCCUPANCY

In  August  2017,  Mediclinic  announced  it  had  agreed  to  an 
investment in the Intercare group of companies (“Intercare”). 
The  Intercare  group  was  founded  in  2000  and  currently 

The  total  number  of  licensed  beds  increased  marginally 

manages 20 multi-disciplinary primary care medical centres 

during  the  year  to  8  131  (FY17:  8  095)  as  existing  hospital 

(which includes 15 dental centres), as well as 4 day hospitals 

expansion work in the second half of the year at Mediclinic’s 

and 4 sub-acute and rehabilitation hospitals in South Africa, 

Thabazimbi  and  Newcastle  hospitals  was  completed. 

servicing over 1 million patients per annum. The investment 

In  addition  to  these  modest  expansion  works,  other 

in Intercare comprises a minority shareholding in the multi-

projects  during  the  year  included  expansion  of  Mediclinic 

disciplinary  medical  and  dental  centres  and  a  controlling 

Bloemfontein and Mediclinic Vergelegen. In FY19, Mediclinic 

shareholding  in  the  day  hospitals  and  sub-acute  and 

Southern Africa expects to invest ZAR472m and ZAR846m 

rehabilitation hospitals. Intercare will continue to manage all 

on  expansion  and  maintenance  capex  respectively.  Several 

its facilities under the Intercare brand. Mediclinic’s proposed 

existing  hospital  and  day  clinic  projects  are  due  for 

acquisition of the controlling shareholding in the day hospital 

completion  in  FY19  and  FY20,  which  are  expected  to  add 

and  sub-acute  and  rehabilitation  hospitals  remains  subject 

some  300  additional  operational  beds.  In  line  with  our 

to Competition Commission approval.

commitment  to  provide  quality  clinical  care,  we  expect  to 

invest  during  the  year  in  additional  resources  to  deliver 

further improvements across the division.

Mediclinic’s  day  clinic  roll-out  is  unique  and  premised  on 

co-locating  the  facilities  with  the  main  hospitals  to  adapt 

Mediclinic’s  proposed  acquisition  of  a  controlling 

shareholding in Matlosana Medical Health Services (Pty) Ltd 
(“MMHS”), based in Klerksdorp in the North West Province 
of  South  Africa,  has  been  referred  to  the  Competition 

Tribunal  by  the  Competition  Commission  with  the  case 

to the outmigration of care trend in Southern Africa where 

expected to be heard in the fi rst quarter of FY19.

admissions  across  the  division  have  been  impacted  by 

declining day cases. The six day clinics Mediclinic now plans 

to open during FY19 and FY20 are at Mediclinic Newcastle, 

Nelspruit, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg and 

Cape  Gate,  which  will  provide  an  additional  15  theatres  to 

the  Southern  African  operations.  The  fi rst  of  these  will  be 

Mediclinic Newcastle Day Clinic which is scheduled to open 

in  September  2018  with  Mediclinic  Nelspruit  Day  Clinic  to 

follow next in 1H20.

EFFICIENCY AND OTHER 
DEVELOPMENTS
Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  progressed  with  several 

improvements to its core processes during the period under 

review.  A  particular  focus  on  optimising  nurse  utilisation 

without  compromising  on  the  quality  of  care  enabled  the 

operating division to manage nursing cost particularly well 

during the period under review. 

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW – SOUTHERN AFRICA (CONTINUED)

In  addition,  the  operating  division  introduced  action  plans 

eight of Mediclinic’s hospitals were recognised in the survey 

to improve employee engagement and conducted the third 

for the quality of care they receive from doctors and nurses, 

survey  through  its  employee  engagement  index.  Detailed 

patients’ overall experience and hospital conditions.

plans  to  improve  employee  engagement  were  successful 

in  improving  employee  engagement  to  3.85  (2017:  3.73)  

during  the  year  (the  grand  mean  score  based  on  a  1  to  

5 rating scale).

As  part  of  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  commitment  to 

the  Competition  Commission’s  Health  Market 

Inquiry, 

the  operating  division  agreed  to  publish,  in  an  open  and 

transparent  way,  the  detailed  patient  feedback  from  Press 

Ganey  on  its  website.  The  division  also  had  the  largest 

representation in the annual Discovery Health Top 20 South 

Africa  Hospital  survey  in  2017.  Based  on  patient  feedback, 

REGULATORY UPDATE
The  Competition  Commission  is  currently  undertaking  a 

market  inquiry  into  the  private  healthcare  sector  in  South 

Africa  to  understand  both  whether  there  are  features  of 

the  sector  that  prevent,  distort  or  restrict  competition 

and  how  competition  in  the  sector  can  be  promoted.  The 

inquiry  is  due  to  publish  its  provisional  recommendations 

by  the  end  of  May  2018,  having  been  further  delayed.  The 

final  publication  is  expected  by  the  end  of  August  2018. 

Mediclinic has submitted documentation and participated in 

numerous seminars and discussions during the inquiry.

Mediclinic Otjiwarongo

Mediclinic Swakopmund

Mediclinic Windhoek

Pretoria hospitals:

•  Mediclinic Gynaecological Hospital
•  Mediclinic Heart Hospital
•  Mediclinic Kloof
•  Mediclinic Medforum
•  Mediclinic Midstream
•  Mediclinic Muelmed

Mediclinic Limpopo Day Clinic

Nelspruit

Mediclinic Morningside
Mediclinic Sandton
Wits Donald Gordon 
Medical Centre

Mediclinic 
Lephalale

Mediclinic Upington

Mediclinic Kimberley and 
Mediclinic Gariep

KwaZulu-Natal

Western Cape hospitals:

•  Mediclinic Cape Gate
•  Mediclinic Cape Town
•  Mediclinic Constantiaberg
•  Mediclinic Durbanville
•  Mediclinic Durbanville Day Clinic
•  Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt
•  Mediclinic Milnerton
•  Mediclinic Panorama

Mediclinic Paarl

Mediclinic Worcester

Mediclinic Klein Karoo

Vergelegen

Mediclinic Vergelegen

Strand
Mediclinic Strand

Mediclinic Stellenbosch

Mediclinic Plettenberg Bay

Mediclinic George
Mediclinic Geneva

Hermanus
Mediclinic Hermanus

58 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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The  South  African  Government 

is  seeking  a  phased 

introduction  of  a  National  Health  Insurance  system  over 

a  14-year  period.  The  latest  White  Paper  was  released  in 

June  2017  for  consultation.  Mediclinic  has  engaged  with 

the  Department  of  Health  with  regards  to  the  functioning 

of the proposed seven institutions, bodies and commissions, 

submitting  comments  on  the  draft  guidelines  and  making 

nominations  to  the  committees.  Mediclinic  will  continue  to 

closely  monitor  the  process  and  seeks  further  clarity  on  a 

large number of matters that still need to be addressed.

MARKET OVERVIEW
In  recent  years,  growth  in  the  South  African  private 

healthcare market has stagnated due to political uncertainty, 

low  economic  growth  and  a  lack  of  job  creation.  However, 

latest  economic  forecasts  indicate  improving  GDP  growth 
rates  which  may  provide  the  opportunity  for  insured  lives 

in Southern Africa to increase. In the meantime, the market 

offers isolated incremental growth opportunities to expand 

existing  hospitals,  and  to  build  new  hospitals  and  day 

clinics.  The  focus  remains  on  improving  the  efficiency  of 

healthcare  delivery  across  the  value  chain  in  a  fragmented 

market  to  ensure  services  remain  affordable.  At  the  same 

time  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  is  committed  to  improving 

outcomes  for  patients,  attracting  and  retaining  qualified 

staff and investing in infrastructure and medical technology.

OUTLOOK
Mediclinic Southern Africa remains well positioned for future 

success  in  the  current  market  and  regulatory  environment. 

The  private  healthcare  industry  has  reached  maturity 

with  limited  opportunities  for  material  growth  in  the  large 

multi-disciplinary  acute  care  hospital  environment  given 

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  extensive  footprint.  Future 

growth  will  focus  on  related  business  opportunities  across 

the continuum of care.

The focus in the coming year will be on further developing 
Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  strategy  to  position  itself  for 

future value-based contracting opportunities. The operating 

division will continue to focus strategically on the value that 

it  delivers  to  patients,  by  continuing  to  improve  the  safety 

and  quality  of  its  clinical  care,  the  quality  of  the  patient 

experience,  and  opportunities  to 

improve  operational 

efficiency.  The  division  will  also  continue  to  focus  on 

opportunities  to  develop  an  integrated  Southern  African 

private  healthcare  delivery  model  through  collaboration 

with doctors.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

6

NUMBER OF 
HOSPITALS

22

NUMBER OF 
CLINICS

748

NUMBER OF 
BEDS

29

NUMBER OF 
THEATRES

+1%

REVENUE 
AED3 134M 

+9%

ADJUSTED
EBITDA AED397M

-3.5%

BED DAYS SOLD

83.3%

INPATIENT 
EXPERIENCE INDEX

David Hadley
Chief Executive Offi  cer: Mediclinic Middle East

CEO’S STATEMENT

“Following the challenges faced by the Middle East division last year, we are succeeding with the turnaround of the 
Abu Dhabi business and laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable performance. We reached an infl ection point 
this year in Abu Dhabi driven by the successful implementation of business and operational alignment initiatives, an 
improved regulatory environment and better-than-expected results from the new Mediclinic Al Jowhara Hospital and 
Mediclinic Al Yahar Clinic in Al Ain. The Middle East division is entering a growth phase underpinned by continued 
strong performance in the established Dubai business, signifi cant improvement in the Abu Dhabi business and the 
planned opening of several new facilities over the coming years. In Dubai, the 182-bed Mediclinic Parkview Hospital is 
progressing ahead of schedule and is now expected to be commissioned in October 2018.”

 KEY FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL 
HIGHLIGHTS 
Mediclinic Middle East, as at the end of the reporting period, 

operated 6 hospitals and 22 clinics with a total of 748 beds 
and 5 801 employees (5 830 full-time equivalents). Mediclinic 

Middle East is one of the leading private healthcare providers 

in  the  UAE  with  the  majority  of  its  operations  in  Dubai 

and  Abu  Dhabi  (including  Al  Ain).  Mediclinic  Middle  East 

accounted for 22% of the Group’s revenues (FY17: 24%) and 

16% of its adjusted EBITDA (FY17: 15%).

After  reaching  an  infl ection  point,  second  half  revenue  in 

the  Middle  East  division  increased  6%  comparatively  and 

12%  sequentially.  Continued  strong  delivery  in  Dubai  was 

supported by a signifi cantly improved operating performance 

in  Abu  Dhabi  with  Mediclinic  Al  Jowhara  Hospital  and 

Mediclinic Al Yahar, which opened in Al Ain during the prior 

year, exceeding expectations. FY18 revenue increased by 1% 

to AED3 134m (FY17: AED3 109m). Inpatient and outpatient 

volumes were up 3.3% and down 9.7% respectively in FY18, 

impacted largely by the business and operational alignment 

initiatives  and  non-core  asset  disposals  in  Abu  Dhabi. 

60 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  former  includes  strategies  to  actively  migrate  away 

from  Basic  to  Thiqa  (health  insurance  for  UAE  nationals) 

and Enhanced insured patients in Abu Dhabi and to invest 

in higher acuity inpatient services, generating higher-quality 

revenue and margin improvement. 

Following  a  strong  second  half  operating  performance, 

FY18  adjusted  EBITDA  increased  by  9%  to  AED397m 

(FY17:  AED364m).  The  adjusted  EBITDA  margin  was 

ahead  of  expectations,  increasing  to  12.7%  (FY17:  11.7%). 

The  ongoing  effi  ciency  and  cost-management  initiatives 

implemented  since  the  combination  in  February  2016  is 

expected to support margin improvement in the Middle East 

operating division as revenues increase. 

In  line  with  guidance,  a  provision  for  trade  receivables 

impairment  of  AED88m  (FY17:  AED113m)  was  charged  to 

the  income  statement.  This  represents  3%  of  Middle  East 

revenue  where  the  practice  of  disallowances  is  common. 

This  matter  receives  ongoing  attention  as  part  of  the 

revenue  management  cycle  improvement  programme.  The 

Group  will  adopt  the  new  IFRS  15  accounting  standard 

(Revenue from Contracts with Customers) from 1 April 2018. 

Under  IFRS  15,  revenue  is  recognised  at  an  amount  that 

refl ects the consideration to which an entity expects to be 

entitled to in exchange for transferring goods or services to 

a customer. Whilst this will not have an impact on the Middle 

5 801

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

3.86

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
(grand mean score based on a 1 to 5 rating scale)

+4.4%

AVERAGE REVENUE PER BED DAY

53%

BED OCCUPANCY

INVESTING IN A DYNAMIC AND 
GROWING MARKET
Mediclinic Middle East is succeeding with the turnaround of the 

East  division’s  EBITDA,  certain  operating  expenses  will  be 

Abu Dhabi business, laying broader foundations for growth in 

reclassifi ed  and  set  off   against  revenue  in  future  periods. 

the region. In February 2017, the important strategic decision 

Further disclosure is contained in the notes to the accounts.

was taken to rebrand the Abu Dhabi business to Mediclinic. 

Depreciation  and  amortisation 

increased  by  22%  to 

AED256m  (FY17:  AED210m),  mainly  due  to  accelerated 

amortisation  of  AED107m  in  relation  to  the  Al  Noor 

trade  name,  resulting  from  the  rebranding  exercise  that 

commenced  in  February  2017.  This  asset  has  now  been 

fully  amortised  and  the  charge  is  excluded  from  adjusted 

earnings. Depreciation increased due in part to the opening 

of the new North Wing at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai 

and the Mediclinic Al Jowhara Hospital in Abu Dhabi during 

FY17. Operating profi t was AED122m (FY17: AED134m).

This exercise was successfully completed at the end of 2017 

and  has  started  to  deliver  the  desired  eff ect  of  enhancing 

the  brand  reputation  and  recognition  of  the  Mediclinic 

hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi. Whilst doctor recruitment 

continues, supporting the growing business, vacancies have 

normalised  compared  to  the  prior  year,  and  the  focus  has 

shifted  to  supporting  doctors  to  grow  their  patient  activity. 

This included the roll-out of a new remuneration policy, similar 

to  that  established  in  Dubai,  that  is  fundamentally  based 

on  doctors’  professional  services  and  the  quality  of  care 

provided. Aligned with this strategy is the target in Abu Dhabi 

Net  fi nance  costs 

increased  by  9% 

to  AED34m 

of increasing the ratio of inpatient volumes, similar to that in 

(FY17:  AED31m)  due  to  the  June  2016  increase  in  debt 

Dubai, through the continued investment in doctors, services 

facilities  by  AED567m  (of  which  AED220m  remains 

and facilities. The divestment strategy was concluded during 

undrawn)  to  refi nance  the  Group  bridge  loan  facility  fund 

the year, with the successful sale of fi ve clinics and closure of 

expansion  projects.  The  division  contributed  £44m  to  the 

four others that were considered non-core.

Group’s adjusted earnings (representing 20%) compared to 

£33m (representing 15%) in the prior year. 

Since  the  Thiqa  co-payment  requirement  in  Abu  Dhabi 

was  removed  in  April  2017,  the  business  continues  to  see 

The  d ivision  converted  74%  (FY17:  121%)  of  adjusted 

an  improving  trend  in  Thiqa  patient  activity.  FY18  Thiqa 

EBITDA  into  cash  generated  from  operations.  The  decline 

inpatient  and  outpatient  volumes  in  Abu  Dhabi  increased 

was  largely  due  to  the  signifi cant  increase  in  revenue

by  83%  and  38%  respectively  compared  to  the  prior  year. 

in the fi nal quarter.

The  removal  of  the  Thiqa  co-payment  has  enabled  the 

business to accelerate its strategy of migrating activity away 

from  Basic,  towards  Enhanced  and  Thiqa  insured  patients. 

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DIVISIONAL REVIEW – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (CONTINUED)

In  January  2018,  the  strategy  was  fully  implemented  at 

Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital is ongoing with the expectation 

Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, resulting in a revenue uplift 

that a decision will be made in the third quarter of 2018. 

for the fourth quarter, despite a drop in volumes. In Abu Dhabi, 

the business expects the positive momentum in higher tariff 

patient volumes to continue to grow in FY19, as the recently 

appointed doctors increase their patient activity.

In  May  2018,  Mediclinic  Middle  East  completed  the 

acquisition of the Dubai based City Centre Clinics Deira and 

Me’aisem from Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, 

retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North 

The  Middle  East  division  is  now  entering  an  expansionary 

Africa. Under the terms of the agreement, Mediclinic Middle 

phase that is expected to drive an increase in revenue and 

East will acquire City Centre Clinic Deira, a large outpatient 

improvement in EBITDA margins over time. In Abu Dhabi, the 

facility  which  opened  in  2013  with  two  day-care  surgery 

growth will be driven by an improved operating performance 

theatres  and  18  medical  disciplines,  and  City  Centre  Clinic 

in the existing business and strategic expansion projects at 

Me’aisem,  a  smaller  community  clinic  focusing  on  six  core 

the Mediclinic Airport Road, Mediclinic Al Noor and the new 

disciplines. The clinics serve strategic geographic locations 

Mediclinic Western Region hospitals. In Dubai, the ongoing 

and  offer  the  opportunity  to  refer  higher  acuity  inpatient 

performance  of  the  existing  business  will  be  supported  by 

cases  to  existing  Mediclinic  Middle  East  hospitals  and  the 

significant growth from the new 182-bed Mediclinic Parkview 

forthcoming  Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital.  Significant 

Hospital.  Recruitment  of  doctors  and  staff  for  the  new 
hospital is on track to support the 100 beds that will initially 

potential  also  exists  to  attract  additional  doctors  and  over 
time  to  grow  patient  volumes  and  revenues  as  well  as 

be opened before ramping up to full bed capacity over some 

allowing  Mediclinic  Middle  East  the  opportunity  to  partner 

three years. 

with Majid Al Futtaim in the future.

During the year, Mediclinic Middle East invested AED358m 

on  expansion  capital  projects  and  new  equipment  and 

AED31m  on  the  replacement  of  existing  equipment 

and  upgrade  projects.  The  major  component  of  the 

expansion capital expenditure was the Mediclinic Parkview 

Hospital  project 

in  Dubai.  Construction  of  the  new  

182-bed Mediclinic Parkview Hospital, the seventh hospital 

in  the  Middle  East  operations,  is  progressing  well  and  is 

ahead  of  schedule,  expected  to  now  open  in  October  2018.  

Other  expansion  capex  in  FY18  included  projects  at 

Mediclinic  Airport  Road  Hospital,  Mediclinic  City  Hospital, 

Mediclinic  Al  Ain  Hospital  and  Mediclinic  Khalifa  City.  In 
September  2017,  the  Electronic  Health  Record  (“EHR”) 
project, Mediclinic International’s largest ever IT investment, 

was launched in conjunction with InterSystems. A team of 

some 200 members of staff, are currently engaged in the 

project design process. The EHR will be systematically rolled 

out across the Mediclinic Middle East division during FY19 

and  FY20.  The  EHR  is  expected  to  deliver  seamless  care  

and  improved  service  quality  for  patients  as  well  as 

improved administration efficiency for the division.

In  FY19,  Mediclinic  Middle  East  expects  to  invest  AED455m 

and  AED84m  on  expansion  and  maintenance  capex 

respectively.  During  the  year,  ground  floor  and  mezzanine 

renovations at the Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital will be carried 

out with expected completion of the work by the end of 2018. 

Looking further ahead, as part of the division’s expansionary 

phase,  the  Mediclinic  Airport  Road  100-bed  expansion  and 

cancer  centre  project  has  been  further  re-configured  with 

work commencing imminently ahead of an expected opening 

in  2020.  The  project  to  construct  a  new  40-bed  hospital  in 

the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, which was postponed last 

year,  has  been  re-initiated  with  project  planning  currently 

underway. A review of the long-term options to enhance the 

REGULATORY UPDATE
The  division  continues  to  maintain  an  active  dialogue  with 

government  authorities  on  regulatory  changes  within 

the  UAE  healthcare  sector.  Preparations  are  ongoing  for  
the implementation of Diagnosis Related Groups (“DRG”) in 
Dubai  which  is  now  expected  to  be  implemented  in  early 

2019 with Mediclinic commencing a shadow billing process 
in  February  2018.  The  Dubai  Health  Authority  (“DHA”) 
is  following  a  collaborative  approach  in  the  design  and 

implementation  of  the  DRGs  and  in  addition  to  sharing  

and  discussing  the  test  version  of  the  DRG  methodology 

with  the  market,  they  also  shared  hospital  level  results 

and impact studies. Currently it is expected that the DRGs 

will  have  a  revenue  neutral  impact  on  the  division,  as 

prescribed  by  the  DHA.  At  the  end  of  January  2018,  the 

DHA also announced they are in the process of developing 

a  comprehensive  Dubai  Healthcare  Facilities  Performance 

Framework  in  collaboration  with  IBM  Watson,  which  will 

contain clinical and financial key performance indicators.

During  the  year,  Mediclinic  was  privileged  to  be  invited  by 

the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi to join its healthcare 

advisory  board.  There  were  some  significant  changes  to 

the regulatory environment in Abu Dhabi at the start of the 

year. On 26 April 2017, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin 

Zayed  Al  Nahyan,  Crown  Prince  of  Abu  Dhabi  and  Deputy 

Supreme  Commander  of  the  UAE  Armed  Forces,  ordered 

the  waiving  of  the  20%  Thiqa  co-payment  when  receiving 

treatment  at  private  healthcare  facilities  in  Abu  Dhabi, 

with  immediate  effect.  This  rule  had  been  in  place  since  

1 July 2016, substantially impacting the division. At the same 

time the 50% co-insurance applicable for the Thiqa plan for 

the  cost  if  patients  sought  medical  services  outside  Abu 

Dhabi  (including  Dubai  and  the  Northern  Emirates)  was 

62 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

reduced to 10%. In Dubai, UAE nationals are covered under 

and utilisation, which are still prevalent in some areas of the 

the  ENAYA  and  SAADA  health  insurance  programmes, 

market  and  to  focus  on  quality  performance  and  outcome 

under the supervision of the Dubai Health Authority, with a 

measures.  The  senior  management  of  Mediclinic  Middle 

10% co-payment for inpatient and outpatient services in the 

East  continues  to  forge  ever  deeper  relationships  with  the 

public and private sectors. 

authorities  to  ensure  Mediclinic  remains  an  integral  part  of 

The  Gulf  Corporation  Council  Value-Added  Tax  (“VAT”) 
framework  agreement  was  published  in  April  2017  and 

subsequently in August 2017 healthcare was confirmed as a 

zero-rated service. Mediclinic completed its VAT registration 

ahead of the 1 January 2018 implementation of the tax.

MARKET OVERVIEW
The  Middle  East  remains  a  long-term  growth  market  for  the 

provision of high-quality private healthcare services, driven by 

a growing expatriate market and ageing local population facing 

an increased incidence of lifestyle-related medical conditions 

and a maturing  regulatory environment which is increasingly 

focused on quality and clinical outcomes measures. Mediclinic 

has  confidence  in  its  Middle  East  growth  strategy,  which 

the healthcare delivery system in the region.

OUTLOOK 
The economic outlook for the UAE is more positive for 2018 

and 2019. This is premised on greater stability in the oil price, 

increased  government  expenditure  likely  as  Expo  2020 

draws  closer,  non-oil  revenues  increase  from  new  forms  of 

direct  and  indirect  taxation  and  a  predicted  rise  in  foreign 

trade.  Economically,  there  is  still  opportunity  for  greater 

diversification  away  from  hydrocarbons  in  Abu  Dhabi  than 

in Dubai, which in turn can create new opportunities for the 
private  healthcare  industry.  Mediclinic’s  strategy  to  reduce 

reliance on the low-priced insurance sector in Abu Dhabi has 

proved successful and will continue to be rolled out. 

includes the opening of new hospitals and clinics in addition to 

With the operational integration following the combination 

expansion and upgrades to existing facilities.

now largely complete and the focus now on bringing newly 

Within the region’s healthcare market, government authorities 

remain heavily involved in the private sector and continue to 

introduce controls in order to reduce levels of over-servicing 

opened facilities to capacity and ensuring timely delivery of 

projects  under  construction,  Mediclinic  Middle  East  is  now 

well positioned to consider further appropriate opportunities 

for growth.

ARABIAN GULF

QATAR

Mediclinic Al Qusais

Mediclinic Welcare Hospital

Mediclinic City Hospital

Mediclinic Dubai Mall

Mediclinic Al Sufouh

Mediclinic Ibn Battuta

Mediclinic Meadows

Mediclinic Arabian Ranches

Mediclinic Al Bahr

Mediclinic Mirdif

OMAN

RAS AL-KHAIMAH

AJMAN

SHARJAH

DUBAI

FUJAIRAH

ADU DHABI

AL AIN

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ENEC

Mediclinic Ghayathi

Mediclinic Al Musaffah

Mediclinic Al Bateen

Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital

Mediclinic Madinat Zayed (2)

Mediclinic Al Mamora

Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital

Mediclinic Khalifa City

Mediclinic Baniyas

I

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Mediclinic Al Ain Hospital

Mediclinic Zakher

Mediclinic Al Jowhara Hospital

Mediclinic Bawadi

Mediclinic Al Yahar

Mediclinic Al Madar

Mediclinic Aspetar

OMAN

SAUDI ARABIA

CLINICS

HOSPITALS

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

63

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MEDICLINIC 
PARKVIEW HOSPITAL

 BRINGING OUR NEXT STATE-OF-THE-ART 
HEALTHCARE FACILITY TO DUBAI

Announced  in  2015  and  due  to  open  in  October  2018,  the 
Announced  in  2015  and  due  to  open  in  October  2018,  the 

182-bed Mediclinic Parkview Hospital is Mediclinic Middle East’s 
182-bed Mediclinic Parkview Hospital is Mediclinic Middle East’s 

third hospital in Dubai and its seventh across the UAE. This major 
third hospital in Dubai and its seventh across the UAE. This major 

investment  will  deliver  high-level  clinical  care  and  treatment  to 
investment  will  deliver  high-level  clinical  care  and  treatment  to 

the region, further underpinning Mediclinic Middle East’s leading 
the region, further underpinning Mediclinic Middle East’s leading 

market position in the UAE.

David Hadley

Chief Executive Offi  cer: 
Mediclinic Middle East

HOSPITAL BEDS

Dubai:

Mediclinic City Hospital 278

Mediclinic Welcare Hospital 121

Abu Dhabi:

Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital 136

Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital 85

Mediclinic Al Ain Hospital 78

Mediclinic Al Jowhara Hospital 43

64 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE

MEDICLINIC PARKVIEW HOSPITAL

impressed  with 

“I  have  been  extremely 
the 
collaborative  effort  of  all  involved  in  this  major 
investment project that will provide residents in Dubai 
with  unparalleled  healthcare  services.  Departments 
and  individuals  from  across  the  business  have  been 
instrumental bringing this project to fruition, including 
marketing,  who  carried  out  extensive  research  to 
establish  the  viability  and  suitability  of  the  location; 
our  Executive  Director,  Ahmed  Ali,  who  facilitated 
the  acquisition  of  the  land;  operations,  who  were 
heavily  involved  in  the  initial  design  and  equipment 
selection; the clinical team who shaped the framework 
of  the  hospitals  services;  and  of  course  engineering, 
who  turned  the  vision  into  reality.  I  would  also  like 
to  thank  HH  Sheikh  Mansoor  bin  Mohammed  bin  
Rashid  Al  Maktoum,  for  his  unwavering  support.  
With Mediclinic Parkview Hospital due to open ahead 
of  schedule  in  October  2018,  the  foundations  are 
in  place  as  Mediclinic  enters  its  next  exciting  stage  
of growth in the Middle East.”

David Hadley
Chief Executive Officer, Mediclinic Middle East

A KEY ADDITION TO THE MEDICLINIC 
MIDDLE EAST DIVISION 
Mediclinic first entered the Dubai healthcare market in 2007, 

growing  to  become  the  largest  provider  of  high-quality 

private healthcare services in Dubai today. In 2016, Mediclinic 

Middle East significantly expanded its footprint in the UAE 

through  the  combination  with  Al  Noor  Hospital  Group  in 

Abu Dhabi. The core purpose of the Group is to enhance the 

quality of life of its patients through a clear focus on clinical 

excellence. 

Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital  is  one  of  the  largest  capital 

investment  projects  undertaken  by  the  Mediclinic  Group.  

Its  construction  is  testament  to  Mediclinic’s  confidence  in 

the  UAE’s  economy  and  continued  growth  opportunities. 

The new hospital will deliver the same international standard 

healthcare services and procedures that patients have come 

to  expect  from  Mediclinic’s  existing  hospitals  and  clinics. 

Located in the rapidly growing “New Dubai” area in the south 

of Dubai, where new schools and commercial developments 

are  being  built,  the  hospital  will  provide  services  to  a 
currently  estimated  population  of  800  000  UAE  nationals 

and expatriates living in a 10km radius.

KEY PROJECT FACTS

AED680m

PROJECT INVESTMENT 

58 737m²

TOTAL AREA

8

NUMBER OF FLOORS

700

NUMBER OF STAFF

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

65

THE PROGRESS OF MEDICLINIC 
PARKVIEW HOSPITAL
In May 2015, Mediclinic Middle East purchased three adjacent 

plots of land in the expanding area of Al Barsha South. The 

plots are located on one of the main arterial routes between 

Dubai,  Abu  Dhabi  and  the  Northern  Emirates,  in  addition 

to  being  a  key  thoroughfare  between  the  affluent  areas 

of  Jumeirah,  Umm  Suqeim  and  a  number  of  flourishing 

inland  communities.  The  subsequent  announcement  of 

the  construction  of  Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital  on  the 

site,  supported  by  the  opportunities  presented  by  the 

UAE’s  growing  healthcare  sector,  represented  the  largest 

ever  greenfield  investment  by  Mediclinic  International. 

Construction  has  progressed  smoothly  and  is  ahead  of 

schedule.  The  Hospital  Director  was  appointed  in  August 

2017  and  other  core  members  of  the  team,  including  the 

Medical Director, were announced in early 2018. 

PROJECT TIMELINE

May  

2015

July  

2015

Purchase of land

Appointment of lead designers 

(Stantec)

February 

2016

Appointment of enabling works 

contractor (Swissboring)

February 

2016

Ground breaking

October 

2016 

Appointment of main  

contractor (ASGC)

May  

2017

August 

2017

October 

2017

Coming out of the ground

Appointment of Hospital Director

Completion of the concrete 

structure

December 

External walls for the facade 

2017

completed

October 

2018

Projected opening

A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

“Seeing  Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital  rise  literally  from  the  dust  has  been  a  source  of  great  pride  for  me 
personally,  for  Mediclinic  Middle  East  as  a  company,  and  for  the  myriad  of  contractors  and  suppliers  who  
have worked so tirelessly to ensure that this hospital, upon opening, will be everything that we envisaged.

“I would like to recognise the efforts of all those who have been involved in the project, their professionalism and 
their high standard of working practice. A greenfield construction project of this scale in Dubai is not without its 
challenges, but I am proud to report that there have been no major incidents in 4.37 million man hours to date. 
The team has exceeded expectations in their efficiency, speed and attention to detail and safety throughout the 
project, all of which have been instrumental in the project nearing completion sooner than expected.

“With just a few months remaining ahead of commissioning in October 2018, we will be focusing on the final 
technical specifications in sensitive areas such as theatres and the adult and neonatal intensive care units. I look 
forward  to  the  ongoing  management  of  the  hospital  as  we  bring  this  respected  tertiary  healthcare  facility  to 
capacity over the coming years.”

Alan Wilkinson
Senior Director: Engineering Services, Mediclinic Middle East

66 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

KEY CLINICAL FACTS

182

NUMBER OF BEDS

15 (8 ON OPENING)

ICU BEDS

5

OPERATING THEATRES

1 3T MRI & 1 256-SLICE CT

NUMBER OF SCANNERS/MRI

150 (80 ON OPENING)

NUMBER OF DOCTORS

SPECIAL FEATURE

MEDICLINIC PARKVIEW HOSPITAL

SPECIALITIES AT MEDICLINIC 
PARKVIEW HOSPITAL:

 • Accident and emergency
 • Anaesthesiology
 • Bariatric surgery
 • Breast surgery
 • Cardiology
 • Dentistry
 • Dermatology
 • Endocrinology
 • ENT
 • Family medicine
 • Fetal medicine
 • Gastroenterology and 

hepatology
 • General surgery
Intensive care
Internal medicine

 •

 •
 • Laboratory
 • Neonatology

 • Nephrology
 • Neurology
 • Neurosurgery
 • Obstetrics and 
gynaecology

 • Oncology
 • Ophthalmology
 • Orthopaedics
 • Paediatric surgery
 • Plastic surgery
 • Pulmonary medicine
 • Radiology
 • Rheumatology
 • Sports medicine
 • Urology
 • Vascular surgery
 • Wound care

CONSULTANT-LED CARE

“Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital  will  provide  consultant-
led  primary,  secondary  and  tertiary  level  care  in  over 
30 disciplines. Under the leadership of Dr Albert Oliver, 
Medical  Director  of  Mediclinic  Parkview  Hospital  and 
previously  Head  of  the  Emergency  Department  at 
Mediclinic  City  Hospital,  our  team  of  internationally 
trained doctors has been carefully selected to meet the 
requirements of the area’s unique demographic profile. 
The  expertise  of  our  doctors  is  supported  by  state-of-
the-art  technology  and  equipment  including  a  3T  MRI,  
256 slice CT and cath lab.

“We  look  forward  to  welcoming  our  first  patients  to 
Mediclinic Parkview Hospital and demonstrating to them 
the Mediclinic philosophy of Expertise you can Trust.”

Barry Bedford
Hospital Director, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

67

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 
HIGHLIGHTS

Mediclinic takes a sustainable, long-term approach to business, 

putting patients at the heart of its operations and consistently 

delivering high-quality healthcare services. In order to deliver 

on these priorities, the Group upholds the highest standards 

of  clinical  governance  and  ethical  behaviour  across  its 

divisions, invests significant time and resources in recruiting 

and retaining skilled staff, makes considerable investment into 

its facilities and equipment and respects the communities and 

environment in the areas in which it operates. 

SDR

AR

AR

This  report  provides  an  overview  of  the  Group’s 

sustainability  initiatives,  with  specific  reference  to  our 

material sustainability issues. For more information, please 
refer  to  the  detailed  Sustainable  Development  Report 
and the GRI Standards Disclosure Index, available on the 
Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

This is the first year that the Company is required to include 

a  non-financial  information  statement  in  the  strategic 

report  in  accordance  with  the  Companies,  Partnerships 

and  Groups  (Accounts  and  Non-financial  Reporting) 

Regulations  2016.  The  regulations  implemented  the  EU 

Non-financial  Reporting  Directive  2014/95/EU  requiring 

disclosure  of 

information  about  policies,  risks  and 

outcomes regarding:

 • environmental matters – refer to our Material issue 2: 

Minimising our environmental impacts;

 • employee  matters  –  refer  to  our  Material  issue  1: 
Developing  an  engaged  and  productive  workforce; 
and

 •

AR

SDR

social,  human  rights,  as  well  as  anti-corruption  and 
anti-bribery  matters  –  refer  to  our  Material  issue  3: 
Being an ethical and responsible corporate citizen).

This  report,  read  with  the  Sustainable  Development 
Report, constitutes the Group’s non-financial information 
statement. 

During the reporting process, minor corrections have been 

made  to  the  prior  year  data  as  reported  in  the  previous 

reports.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 
Mediclinic  recognises  its  accountability  to  its  stakeholders 

and is committed to effective and regular engagement with 

them, and to publicly report on its sustainability performance. 

Mediclinic’s  key  stakeholders  are  those  groups  who  have  a 

material impact on, or are materially impacted by, Mediclinic 

and its operations, including: patients, doctors, employees and 

trade unions, suppliers, healthcare funders, government and 

authorities,  industry  associations,  investors,  the  community 

and  the  media.  The  Group’s  key  stakeholders,  methods  of 

engagement, topics discussed or concerns raised are outlined 
in  the  Sustainable  Development  Report,  available  on  the 
Company’s  website  at  www.mediclinic.com.  The  Board’s 
engagement  with  stakeholders  is  also  reported  on  in  the 
Corporate Governance Statement on pages 102 to 104. 

SDR

AR

Effective  communication  with  stakeholders  is  fundamental 

in maintaining Mediclinic’s corporate reputation as a trusted 

and respected provider of healthcare services and positioning 

itself  as  a  leading  international  private  healthcare  group. 

Mediclinic’s  commitment  to  its  stakeholders  to  conduct  its 

business in a responsible and sustainable way, and to respond 

to  stakeholder  needs,  is  entrenched  in  the  Group’s  values 

and  supported  by  the  Group  Code  of  Business  Conduct 

and  Ethics.  A  wide  variety  of  communication  vehicles  are 

used to engage with stakeholders, which serve as an impact 

assessment to assess stakeholders’ needs and to effectively 

respond  thereto.  Stakeholders’ 

legitimate  expectations 

have  been  taken  into  account  in  setting  the  Group’s  key 

sustainability priorities, as reported on throughout this report. 

The  Group  continually  looks  for  ways  to  improve  its  use  of 

online channels to communicate with its stakeholders through 

the corporate website and webcasting.

68 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

GROUP

 • Mediclinic International confirmed as a FTSE4Good* constituent, which index recognises the performance of companies 

demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices. 

 • Mediclinic International confirmed as a FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index constituent, which index recognises 

such companies listed on the JSE who meet the required FTSE Russell ESG rating.

 • Mediclinic International achieved global A List status from CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) for water conservation.

SWITZERLAND

 • Hirslanden ranked first in the healthcare sector and among over 500 enterprises in Switzerland and Liechtenstein by 

Best Recruiters, an independent recruitment study.

 • All 17 Hirslanden hospitals are registered as CO2-reduced businesses by the Energy Agency of the Swiss Private Sector 

on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.

SOUTHERN AFRICA

 • Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  brand  ranked  16th  in  the  Top  20  Brand  South  Africa  rankings  for  2017,  being  the  only  

South African healthcare provider recognised by Brand Finance and Brand Africa.

 • Eight Mediclinic Southern Africa hospitals included in Discovery Health’s Top 20 Private Hospitals in South Africa 2017, 

based on the results of their patient surveys.

 • Eight Mediclinic Southern Africa hospitals awarded the Katrin Kleijnhans Quality Trophy from the Council for Healthcare 
Services  Accreditation  of  Southern  Africa  (“COHSASA”)  during  2017,  recognising  their  substantial  contribution  to 
quality improvement during the COHSASA accreditation process.

 • Mediclinic awarded Go-Live Project of the Year at the OpenText Digiruption Indaba Awards for 2017 for the successful 
integration OpenText Extended ECM and SAP SuccessFactors consolidating human resources record keeping into a single, 
trusted database.

UAE

 • Mediclinic  Dubai  Mall  Clinic  recognised  as  the  best  Medical  Clinic  of  the  Year  at  the  Mother,  Baby  and  Child  

Awards 2017.

 • David  Hadley,  CEO  of  Mediclinic  Middle  East,  recognised  as  the  Healthcare  Business  Leader  of  the  Year  at  the  

Gulf Business Awards 2017.

*    FTSE Russell (the trading name of FTSE International Limited and Frank Russell Company) confirms that Mediclinic has been independently 
assessed according to the FTSE4Good criteria, and has satisfied the requirements to become a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index 
Series.  Created  by  the  global  index  provider  FTSE  Russell,  the  FTSE4Good  Index  Series  is  designed  to  measure  the  performance  of 
companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The FTSE4Good indices are used by a wide 
variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.

I

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69

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

MATERIALITY ASSESSMENT
Mediclinic  has  many  economic,  social  and  environmental 

impacts, 

including  creating  employment  opportunities, 

training  and  developing  employees,  responsible  use  of 

natural resources, investing in local communities and black 

economic empowerment in South Africa. 

In terms of the Group Sustainable Development Policy, the 

the following three material issues, as illustrated in Figure 1, 
which constitute the focus of this report:

 • developing an engaged and productive workforce;

 • minimising our environmental impacts; and

 • being an ethical and responsible corporate citizen.

Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee annually 

The  Group’s  strategy,  performance,  risks  and  sustainability 

reviews the Group’s material sustainability issues to ensure 

are inseparable. The link between the Group’s three material 

management  initiatives  are  directed  at  those  sustainable 

development issues that are most signifi cant to the business, 

and which directly aff ect the Group’s ability to create value 

for its key stakeholders. The materiality assessment identifi ed 

sustainability  issues  and  the  Group’s  strategy  (as  further 
detailed in Our Strategy, Progress and Aims from page 14 
of the Annual Report) is indicated. 

AR

FIGURE 1: MATERIALITY ASSESSMENT MATRIX

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L ISSUE 1: DEVELOPING AN ENGAGED A N D   P R O D U C T I V E   W O R

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70 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MATERIAL ISSUE 1:  
DEVELOPING AN ENGAGED AND PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE

HIGHLIGHTS

 •

Implementation of world-class workforce optimisation initiatives and the integration of these principles in the relevant 

business processes 

 • Continued investment in training and skills development to maintain and improve quality service delivery 

 • Entrenching the employee engagement survey and embedding follow up actions across the Group

 • Continued people management development for line managers 

 • Ongoing implementation of a standardised human resources ICT system

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO  
THE BUSINESS
The attraction of suitably qualified healthcare professionals 

is essential in delivering the Group’s Patients First strategy. 

We aim to provide a working environment with a supporting 

culture  where  employees  can  thrive.  The  continued 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

CONTROLLABLE EMPLOYEE  
TURNOVER RATE*

Switzerland

investment  in  initiatives  that  support  this  overarching  goal 

Southern Africa

is  visible  in  the  turnover  of  scarce  skills  that  has  shown  a 

significant  decline.  These  initiatives  include  engagement, 

corporate  health  and  wellness,  continuous  development, 

UAE

mentoring and coaching. It requires a long-term focus and 

8.7% 
(2017: 7.2%)

7.7% 
(2017: 6.3%)

10.3%  
(2017: 8.4%)

genuine transformation of practices in order to be successful. 

*    Refer to page 72 for more on the increase in the turnover rate.

These  initiatives  will  be  continued  and  expanded  to  create 

a  diverse  and  inclusive  environment  that  enables  optimal 

performance of employees.

Workforce  optimisation  has  been  a  key  focus  for  the  year. 

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT  
(GRAND MEAN SCORE)  
(MAXIMUM SCORE OF 5)

Resources  were  allocated  to  analyse  current  workforce 

practices  with  the  intention  to  optimise  the  utilisation  of 

Group

human  resources  especially  in  the  clinical  environment.  

A new methodology of workforce planning and scheduling 

Switzerland

was  piloted  and  integrated  during  the  annual  budgeting 

process.  Continued  focus  on  workforce  planning  and 

Southern Africa

forecasting will ensure that the goal of operational efficiency 

is  achieved  as  required  in  order  to  deliver  on  the  Patients 

First strategy.

UAE*

3.88 
(2017: 3.81)

3.93 
(2017: 3.91)

3.85  
(2017: 3.73)

3.86  
(2017: 3.92)

LINK TO GROUP STRATEGY

 •

 •

 •

 •

Invest in employees

Improve safe, quality clinical care

Improve patient experience

Improve efficiency

KEY STAKEHOLDERS
 • Employees and trade unions

 • Doctors

 • Patients

*    The  prior  year  employee  engagement  index  of  Mediclinic  Middle 

East excluded the employees of its Abu Dhabi operations.

TRAINING SPEND AS APPROXIMATE 
PERCENTAGE OF PAYROLL

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

4.6 
(2017: 4.8)

3.5% 
(2017: 3.2%)

0.2%  
(2017: 0.1%)

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

71

I

S
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S
T
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I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

RISKS TO THE BUSINESS

 •

Inability  to  recruit  healthcare  practitioners  to  meet 

business demand

 • Poor clinical outcomes and services

 • Medical malpractice liability 

 • Reputational damage

Through the internalisation of the human resources strategy, 

the focus remains on the harmonisation and embedding of 

enhanced  human  resources  processes  and  practices.  This 

internalisation  is  achieved  through  the  standardisation  of 

processes  where  possible,  sharing  of  best  practice,  and 
system integration. The Human Resources (“HR”) function is 
thereby positioned as an enabling partner delivering visible, 

 • Delayed  new  nursing  qualifications  framework,  causing  

credible  and  value-adding  services  to  the  business  where 

a gap in the education pipeline

required on a continuous basis.

 • Ageing nursing workforce and noticeable trend of earlier 

retirement of nursing professionals

 •

Ineffective management teams

 • Poor staff engagement and wellness

 • Fraud and ethics failures

RISK MITIGATION
 • Extensive training and skills development programmes

 • Governance  of  suitable  selection  processes  with  focus 

Employee recruitment and retention
The  talent  supply  of  scarce  skills  remains  on  the  strategic 

agenda  of  the  Group  and  is  regarded  as  a  key  enabler  of 

reaching  the  goals  of  the  Patients  First  strategy.  The  ever-

increasing risk of not obtaining the right skills in the future 

due  to  a  variety  of  reasons,  is  clearly  evident  in  a  global 
context.  This  has  urged  the  Group  to  take  deliberate  and 

proactive action in building a secure talent pool in the areas 

on  skills  assessments,  employment  references  and 

where necessary. 

verification of credentials

The  globalisation  of  relevant  human  capital  management 

 • Targeted  sourcing  and  recruitment  initiatives,  with  a 

processes  will  continue  to  put  emphasis  on  talent  metrics 

strong focus on agile sourcing techniques ensuring that 

and  measurable  data  across  divisions,  which  enables  the 

best  fit  candidate  talent  is  channelled  to  appropriate 

identification of trends and risks to be addressed proactively. 

vacancies, supported by a seamless hiring process

 • Proactive 

international 

recruitment 

programme 

supplementing anticipated medium-term skills gaps

 • Tailored retention strategies, supporting the retention of 

priority audiences within each business unit

 • Succession  planning  and/or  career  management 

initiatives  within  scarce  skills  disciplines,  ensuring 

proactive  development  of  high-performing  employees 

with potential to supervisory and leadership roles

 • Deployment of integrated talent strategies in support of 

core business areas

 • Employee  engagement  and  satisfaction  monitoring 

through standardised process

POLICY, APPROACH AND 
PERFORMANCE
The  human  capital  environment  is  strongly  supported 

The  implementation  of  an  integrated  human  resources 

management  system  has  gained  momentum  and  line 

managers  and  employees  alike  are  positively  impacted. 

Further  rollout  of  additional  modules  is  scheduled  to  be 

phased in over a three-year period. 

The Group’s workforce composition is provided in  Figure 2. 
Controllable employee turnover rate is provided on page 71, 

AR

indicating  an  increase  across  all  divisions.  Although  not  a 

significant  increase,  the  reasons  for  employee  turnover  are 

monitored in a rigorous manner and themes are proactively 

addressed to minimise the loss of employees. With the ever-

increasing  shortage  of  qualified  staff,  we  are  experiencing 

increased competition in the market place for quality staff. 

As  a  result,  emphasis  is  placed  on  retention  and  effective 

utilisation of available skills. To address this, various measures 

are  in  place  with  the  aim  to  be  regarded  as  an  employer 

of  choice:  regular  engagement,  offering  attractive  working 

by  policies  and  best  practice  guidelines  and  is  governed 

conditions,  career  development,  a  consistent  performance 

to  ensure  compliance  to  achieve  best  practice  globally 

management  system,  fair  remuneration  practices.  The 

and  to  minimise  possible  risks  within  the  human  resource 

divisions’  turnover  rate  by  age  group  and  gender,  new 

environment. 

employees  versus  employee  terminations  and  return  to 
work  after  maternity  leave  are  provided  in  the  Sustainable 
Development Report, available on the Company’s website. 

SDR

72 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FIGURE 2: WORKFORCE COMPOSITION

2
3
8
6
1

0
2
1
9

0
6
.
1

2
3
9
6

8
4
8
6
1

4
1
.
1

2
0
4
9

0
0
.
1

5
7
3
6

2016
Total: 32 884

2017
Total: 32 625

Calendar year

8
6
0
6
1

5
3
6
9

1
0
8
5

2018
Total: 31 504

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

Training and skills development
The  Group  continues  to  invest  significantly  in  training  and 

skills development to maintain and improve quality service 

delivery. The Group’s commitment to provide quality care for 

its patients can only be ensured if its staff have appropriate, 

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  received  formal  performance 

reviews.  At  Hirslanden, 

100%  of  employees  received 

formal  performance  reviews  during  the  year;  and  at 

Mediclinic  Middle  East,  81%  of  employees  received  formal  

performance reviews.

evolving  skill  sets,  which  is  reflected  in  the  number  of 

Succession planning and career management

learning  initiatives  undertaken  each  year.  The  percentage  

of payroll invested in training and skills development by each 

AR

of the Group’s operating divisions is provided on page 71. 

Performance management

A  consistent  performance  management  system  is  applied 

throughout the Group, which allows us to identify and manage 

the  training  needs  of  individual  employees,  and  to  discuss 

career  development.  Performance  tracking  discussions  take 

place on a continuous basis throughout the Group. There is 

a  dedicated  commitment  to  optimise  the  quality  of  these 

discussions  where  expectations  regarding  performance  and 

development  are  shared  and  personal  development  plans 

compiled  accordingly.  These  discussions  also  provide  the 

opportunity  to  translate  the  organisational  strategic  goals 

to individual employee objectives, activities and deliverables. 

Mediclinic Southern Africa continuously enhances the support 

provided to line managers. There is an e-learning tool which 

helps new and existing managers to enhance their knowledge 

about the process in a self-paced manner. 

Strong  leaders  have  proven  to  be  of  great  value  to  the 

business  and  therefore  resources  have  been  invested 

to  embed  sufficient  succession  planning  and  career 

management  towards  key  functional  roles  across  the 

business.  This  will  proactively  enhance  and  develop 

leadership.  Succession  planning  is  standardised  on  an 

organisational  level  in  all  three  operating  divisions  and  a 

Group  talent  review  is  performed  annually.  Critical  talent 

as  well  as  high-performing  individuals  with  potential  are 

identified  and  supported  through  tailored  development 

initiatives. An inter-division development programme which 

offers  a  series  of  secondments  across  divisions  has  been 

designed  to  help  these  individuals  excel  at  Mediclinic.  The 

programme  is  currently  implemented  at  organisational 

level for talent with the potential to be successors to a key 

position in their own division or across divisions within the 

larger Group. The programme aims to provide priority talent 

(either critical talent or high performers with potential), the 

opportunity  to  gain  cross-division  exposure.    All  divisions 

have  received  the  programme  with  great  enthusiasm  and 

Formal performance reviews are conducted on a bi-annual 

the  Group  is  proud  to  continue  to  grow  this  development 

basis.  During  the  past  12  months,  88.3%  of  employees  at 

opportunity to the benefit of all.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

73

I

S
U
S
T
A
N
A
B
L
E
D
E
V
E
L
O
P
M
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I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

Employee remuneration, recognition 
and benefits 
The  Group  remunerates  employees  in  a  manner  that 

supports  the  achievement  of  the  Group’s  vision  and 

strategic  objectives,  while  attracting  and  retaining  scarce 

skills  and  rewarding  high  levels  of  performance.  This  is 

achieved  through  establishing  remuneration  practices  that 

are  fair,  reasonable  and  market-related  while  at  the  same 

time maintaining an appropriate balance between employee 

and  shareholder  interest.  To  encourage  a  performance-

driven  organisation,  the  Group  rewards  employees  for 

achieving strategic objectives as well as individual personal 

performance  targets.  Benefits  to  employees  may  include  a 

retirement fund and medical aid scheme. The Group further 

covers  the  liability  insurance  for  medical  staff  and  other 

employees  where  liability  insurance  is  required.  Managers 

who  are  eligible  to  receive  variable  remuneration  receive 

short-term  incentives  and  senior  management  receive  a 

combination of short and long-term incentives. The Group’s 

management  remuneration  structures  consist  of  a  fixed 

(guaranteed base salary and benefits) and a variable (short-

term and long-term incentives) component.

Employee engagement
In  2015,  Mediclinic,  in  partnership  with  Gallup,  introduced 

the  Your  Voice  employee  engagement  programme  across 

all  operating  divisions  to  measure  levels  of  engagement, 

identify  gaps  at  a  departmental  level  and  support  line 

managers in developing action plans to address concerns. 

Overall, the Group achieved a 77% (2017: 71%) participation 

rate  in  the  Your  Voice  survey  and  40%  (2017:  36%) 

of  employees  showed  high  levels  of  engagement,  as 

AR

illustrated on page 71. The 2017 Your Voice survey identified 

predominant  strengths  and  opportunities  in  terms  of  the 

employee  engagement 

levels  of  Mediclinic.  Mediclinic 

continued  to  perform  well  on  the  foundation  elements  of 

employees  knowing  what  is  expected  of  them  and  having 

the appropriate materials and equipment to perform at work. 

Labour relations
The  Group  believes  in  building  sound  long-term  relations 

with  its  employees  and  employee  representatives,  which 

supports  its  goal  of  being  the  employer  of  choice  in  the 

healthcare  industry.  This  is  measured  by  the  Your  Voice 

employee  engagement  survey  and  continuous  assessment 

Employee  benefits  and  the  value  they  add  to  the  overall 

of the Group’s employment conditions. 

employment  proposition  are  key  factors  in  attracting  and 

SDR

retaining  high-calibre  staff.  Details  of  benefits  offered  are 
included in the Sustainable Development Report. 

Employee health and safety
The  Group  recognises  the  role  it  has  to  play  towards 

employee  wellness  and  believes  in  promoting  employee 

health and reducing absenteeism. The Group is committed 

to  supporting  the  overall  well-being  of  employees  and 

recognises  the  importance  of  employee  wellness  in  the 

workplace, building a more caring culture for its employees 

by applying sound wellness practices.

Health  and  safety  policies  and  procedures  are  in  place 
across the Group to ensure a safe working environment for 

the Group’s employees, patients and its visitors. The health 

and  safety  of  the  Group’s  employees  are  essential  and 

contribute  to  the  sustainability  of  quality  care  to  patients. 

The  programmes  and  procedures  implemented  by  the 

SDR

various business units to mitigate health and safety risks are 
outlined in the Sustainable Development Report. 

The Group respects and complies with the labour legislation 

in  the  countries  in  which  it  operates  and  ensures  that  the 

internal  policies  and  procedures  are  evaluated  regularly  to 

accommodate continual amendments to relevant legislation. 

The  employee  relations  policies  of  the  operating  divisions, 

which deal with matters relating to misconduct, incapacity 

of employees and the disciplinary and grievance procedures, 

are  communicated  to  new  employees  as  part  of  their  on-

boarding process and are also available to all staff to ensure 

that  employees  are  aware  of  the  avenues  to  put  forward 

grievances, should they have the need to.

Details  of  trade  union  membership  throughout  the  Group  
is provided in the Sustainable Development Report.

SDR

74 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

MATERIAL ISSUE 2:  
MINIMISING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

HIGHLIGHTS
 • Since January 2014, the entire Hirslanden electricity supply has been generated from 100% sustainable electricity

 • Mediclinic International was included in the global A List for leadership and performance by corporate environmental 

action, showing leadership on water in the CDP Water Disclosure Project

 • Total consumption and intensity per bed day sold for both energy and water decreased in Mediclinic Southern Africa, 

with Mediclinic Middle East and Hirslanden’s consumption remaining stable

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO  
THE BUSINESS
The Group’s main environmental impacts are the utilisation 
of  resources,  predominantly  energy,  through  electricity 

consumption and water, and the disposal of healthcare risk 

waste. The Group is fully aware of the need to use resources 

LINK TO GROUP STRATEGY

 •

Improve efficiencies

KEY STAKEHOLDERS
 • Employees and doctors

 • Suppliers

responsibly and is committed to minimising its environmental 

 • Governments and authorities

impacts to every extent possible. 

The  Group  recognises  the  risks  that  regulatory  changes, 

environmental constraints and climate change present to its 

operations.  Potential  impacts  include  rising  costs,  reduced 

access  to  facilities,  interruptions  in  service,  and  incidents 

of  extreme  weather  events  as  a  result  of  climate  change 

placing additional stress on operations. Additionally, climate 

change can lead to water shortages (especially in the UAE 

and  in  Southern  Africa)  and  weather-induced  pandemics 

and disease outbreaks which can cause high mortality rates. 

However,  the  Group  also  believes  that  using  resources 

responsibly can be a source of strategic advantage for the 

 • Community 

 • Patients 

RISKS TO THE BUSINESS
 • Business interruptions due to water shortages

 • Business interruptions due to electricity supply

 •

Increased  operational  costs  due  to  cost  of  electricity, 

water and healthcare risk waste

 • Reputational damage

RISK MITIGATION
 •

Implementation 

of 

appropriate 

environmental 

management  systems  (certified  by  an  internationally 

Group, allowing it to manage and contain its operating costs 

recognised body, where appropriate)

and to ensure ongoing access to water and energy supplies.

 •

Implementation  of  the  Corporate  Sustainable  Water 

Mediclinic’s patients are always its first priority, but without 

Management Strategy in Southern Africa

natural resources, especially water, Mediclinic would not be 

 • Environmental  impact  assessments  for  new  building 

able  to  provide  a  service  to  its  patients.  The  Group  takes 

projects where required 

its  policies  to  reduce  its  impact  on  the  environment  very 

 •

Introduction  of  renewable  energy  sources,  such  as 

seriously  and  is  constantly  investigating  new  opportunities 

solar  photovoltaic  systems,  in  order  to  reduce  energy 

to reduce its impact on the environment.

consumption and costs

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75

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Unless  indicated  to  the  contrary,  all  environmental  data 

POLICY, APPROACH AND 
PERFORMANCE

Effective environmental  
management system
The Group Environmental Policy, available on the Company’s 
website at www.mediclinic.com, aims to minimise Mediclinic’s 
environmental  impacts  and  guides  the  identification  and 

management of all risks and opportunities relating to water 

use  and  recycling,  energy  use  and  conservation,  emissions 

and climate change, and waste management and recycling. 

Mediclinic  is  committed  to  ensuring  that  its  environmental 

management  systems  and  practices  are  aligned  with 

international best practices to safeguard its reputation and 

provide  assurance  regarding  the  environmental  quality, 

safety and reliability of Mediclinic’s processes and services. 
Environmental  impact  assessments  are  performed  for  all 

new building projects when required by legislation. 

All  17  Hirslanden  hospitals  are  registered  as  CO2-reduced 
businesses  by  the  Energy  Agency  of  the  Swiss  Private 

Sector  on  behalf  of  the  Swiss  Federal  Office  of  Energy. 

This  achievement  recognises  the  contracted  commitment 

to  reduce  CO2  emissions  within  the  operations.  The 

implemented measures are being monitored annually.

All Mediclinic Southern Africa hospitals are ISO 14001 trained, 

follow  the  same  environmental  management  practices 

and  are  subject  to  annual  internal  audits.  During  the  year,  

ISO  14001  gap  audits  were  conducted  at  38  Mediclinic 

Southern  Africa  hospitals,  achieving  an  average  score  of 

80%.  Adhering  to  the  system  procedures  and  processes 

has  a  direct  impact  on  consumption  as  well  as  the  group 

carbon  emissions  and  is  expected  to  reduce  the  likelihood 

and  magnitude  of  the  risk.  At  year-end,  42  of  Mediclinic 

Southern Africa’s 52 hospitals are ISO 14001 certified by an 

external assurance provider.

Mediclinic Middle East undertook a number of environmental 
initiatives  and  environmental  events  and  rolled  out 

policies  which  support  the  Group  Environmental  Policy. 

It  has  initiated  the  EHS  strategy,  with  the  aim  of  obtaining  

ISO 14001 certification of all its facilities in the future, and will 

be implementing further energy saving initiatives as part of 

Mediclinic  Middle  East’s  overall  strategic  objectives  during 

next year.

reported is for the 2017 calendar year (included in the CDP 

2018  submission),  with  the  prior  year  data  for  the  2016 

calendar year (included in the CDP 2017 submission). This is 

to ensure the accuracy of the data reported and to align the 

reporting to the annual submission of reports to CDP.

TOTAL CO2 EMISSIONS (KG/BED DAY)  
(PER CDP 2017)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

12kg 
(CDP 2016: 13kg)

112kg 
(CDP 2016: 117kg)

220kg 
(CDP 2016: 226kg)

WATER USAGE (KL/BED DAY)  
(PER CALENDAR YEAR)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE*

0.649kl 
(2016: 0.629kl)

0.594kl 
(2016: 0.652kl)

1.523kl  
(2016: 0.654kl)

ENERGY CONSUMPTION (GJ/BED DAY) 
(PER CALENDAR YEAR)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE*

0.458gj 
(2016: 0.474gj/bed day)

0.318gj 
(2016: 0.327gj/bed day)

1.202gj  
(2016: 0.991gj/bed day)

WASTE RECYCLED (PER CALENDAR YEAR)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

586 tonnes 
(2016: 550 tonnes)

1 172 tonnes 
(2016: 1 283 tonnes)

196 tonnes 
(2016: 72 tonnes)

*    The intensity measures of CO2 emissions, water usage and energy 
consumption  per  bed  day  are  not  appropriate  for  the  UAE,  and 
not  comparable  with  that  of  Southern  Africa  and  Switzerland,  as 
the total emissions, water usage and energy consumption include 
only five hospitals and 23 clinics with only outpatient consultations  
(i.e. no bed days). The extreme weather conditions in the UAE also 
negatively  impact  its  energy  and  water  consumption,  which  is 
being managed through various initiatives. Mediclinic Middle East 
has  begun  working  towards  a  comprehensive  energy  and  water 
reduction plan for the year ahead to decrease overall consumption.

76 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Reduction of carbon emissions
The  Carbon  Disclosure  Project  (“CDP”)  is  a  global  initiative 
measuring  companies  around  the  world,  their  reporting  on 

greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies. It is 

regarded as a global leader in capturing and analysing data 

that record the business response to climate change, including 

management  of  risks  and  opportunities,  absolute  emissions 

levels, performance over time and governance. Participation 

and  disclosure  of  the  results  are  voluntary.  The  project  was 

launched  in  South  Africa  in  2007  in  partnership  with  the 

National  Business  Initiative,  in  which  JSE-listed  companies 

are  measured.  Mediclinic  has  participated  in  the  project 

since  2008,  initially  only  in  respect  of  Mediclinic  Southern 

Africa.  Limited  information  on  Mediclinic  Middle  East  has 

also  been  included  since  2010,  although  it  still  remains  an 

initiative focusing mainly on Mediclinic Southern Africa’s data. 
Mediclinic’s CDP reports can be obtained on the CDP website 
at www.cdp.net, with the most recent reports also available 
on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com. 

 •

indirect  emissions  from  the  consumption  of  electricity 

(scope 2 emissions); 

 •

indirect emissions from suppliers, which in the healthcare 

industry will refer mainly to pharmaceutical, bulk oxygen 

and waste-removal suppliers (scope 3 emissions); and

 • non-Kyoto  Protocol  greenhouse  gas  emissions  such  as 

Freon,  which  is  used  in  air-conditioning  and  refrigerant 

equipment.  With  the  assistance  of  external  consultants, 

these  emissions  data  were  converted  into  a  carbon 
dioxide equivalent (“CO2e”) using recognised calculation 
methods,  emission  factors  and  stating  assumptions 

made, where relevant. 

The Group’s main environmental impacts are the utilisation 

of  resources  and  waste  which  have  a  direct  effect  on 

carbon emissions. Items listed in the aspect register relating 

to  regulatory  compliance,  healthcare  risk  waste,  water, 

electricity,  paper,  hazardous  waste  and  gases  not  only  could 

have a significant impact on the environment, but also informs 

strategy on climate change related risks and opportunities.

The  operating  divisions  of  the  Group  measure,  with  the 

assistance of external consultants, its carbon footprint using 

the GHG Protocol and includes, in varying degrees:

The  carbon  emissions  per  division,  reported  per  calendar 
year, are reported in the Sustainable Development Report, 
as summarised in Figures 3 to 5. 

SDR

 • direct emissions, which in the healthcare industry will refer 

mainly  to  the  emissions  of  anaesthetics  gases  (scope  1 

emissions); 

FIGURE 3: TOTAL CARBON EMISSIONS (HIRSLANDEN) (PER CALENDAR YEAR)

Scope 1: Direct emissions

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from 
purchased electricity

Scope 3: Indirect emissions from 
supply chain, business travel and  
waste removal

TOTAL CO2e (tonnes)

CO2e/bed day (kg)

Intensity 

2013

7 332

2014

7 163

2015

6 743

2016

7 349

2017

6 317

365

419

389

389

837*

5

7 702

15

102

7 684

14

102

7 234

13

84

7 822

13

–

n/a

7154

12

*    The scope 2 indirect emissions have risen due to the integration of Klinik Linde into the division. Klinik Linde has been using so called “grey 
electricity” (electricity from unknown sources). This sort of electricity can be derived from nuclear energy or coal power stations. In FY 2019 
Klinik Linde will change its electricity supply to guarantee the whole division uses nuclear and fossil-free electricity.

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77

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

FIGURE 4: TOTAL CARBON EMISSIONS (MEDICLINIC SOUTHERN AFRICA) 

ACTIVITY

CDP 2014
(2013/14 FY)

CDP 2015
(2014/15 FY)

CDP 2016
(2015/16 FY)

Scope 1: Direct emissions

21 869

22 999

23 841

CDP 2017
(2016

CDP 2018 
(2017

CALENDAR

CALENDAR

 YEAR)

24 687

YEAR)

24 193

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from 
purchased electricity

Scope 3: Indirect emissions from 
supply chain, business travel and  
waste removal

Non-Kyoto Protocol emissions

TOTAL CO2e (tonnes)

CO2e/full time employee

CO2e/square meterage

CO2e/bed day (kg)

151 156

154 035

159 571

156 781

149 109

35 062

6 952

33 382

6 419

36 037

3 966

215 039

216 834

223 415

13.567

0.335

115

13.326 

0.320 

111 

13.273 

0.313 

111  —

49 488

5 236

236 192

14.026 

0.299 

117 

47 270

2 841

223 413

13.680 

0.274 

112 

FIGURE 5: TOTAL CARBON EMISSIONS (MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST)

Scope 1: Direct emissions

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity

Scope 3: Indirect emissions from supply chain, business travel and  
waste removal

Non-Kyoto Protocol emissions

TOTAL CO2e (tonnes)

CO2e/bed day (kg)

Intensity 

CDP 2015
(2014/15 FY)

CDP 2016
(2015/16 FY)

CDP 2017*
(2016/17 FY)

1 158

12 038

4 449

726

18 371

246

1 731

12 148

3 464

621

17 964

226

5 594

19 892

4 722

3 476

33 684

220

*    Since the CDP 2017, the Mediclinic Middle East figures include the Al Noor business, whereas in previous years it only included the Dubai 

business, and therefore not directly comparable with that of previous years.

Energy efficiency
Electricity  is  the  main  contributor  to  our  carbon  footprint 

Responsible water usage
There  are  various  measures  in  place  to  minimise  water 

and  all  our  divisions  are  taking  steps  to  reduce  their 

consumption;  including  reclaiming  water,  monitoring  hot 

electricity  consumption  intensity  through  the  adoption  of 

water consumption and installing water meters and control 

ISO  14001  management  standards,  leading  to  improved 

sensors. 

operational efficiency of technical installations, introduction 

of various new energy-efficient and renewable technologies 

and changes in staff behaviour regarding energy use.

In  South  Africa,  the  Western  Cape  region  has  experienced 

the worst drought in history, driven by a prevailing weak La 

Nina  weather  event.  This  has  resulted  in  water  restrictions 

The  direct  and  indirect  energy  consumption  per  division, 

and  threat  of  water  cuts  in  the  Western  Cape  region.  The 

SDR

for  the  periods  as  specified  therein,  is  reported  in  the 
Sustainable Development Report. 

threat of prolonged dry weather could last up to three years. 

78 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  City  of  Cape  Town  has  indicated  a  "possible  failure  of 

dam  systems  in  2018"  if  there  is  a  below  average  winter 

rainfall.  Climate  change  predictions  for  the  Western  Cape 

indicate continued warming, drying and windier conditions 

going forward. Water disruptions have increased in the last 

five years in South Africa and Namibia.

A  Corporate  Sustainable  Water  Management  Strategy 

was  developed  in  2016  and  implemented  the  same  year. 

The  strategy  includes  actions  to  mitigate  and  address 

various  risks  associated  with  the  water  management  crisis 

in  Southern  Africa,  and  especially  the  water  crisis  in  the 

Western Cape. Mediclinic Southern Africa actively engaged 

with  public  policy  makers  and  other  stakeholders  in  the 

Western  Cape  region,  and  also  embarked  on  extensive 

employee  and  patient  awareness  campaigns  on  water 

conservation,  which  all  contributed  to  the  decline  in  water 
consumption  during  the  year.  Recognising  the  division’s 

initiatives,  Mediclinic  South  Africa  received  global  A  List 

status for water conservation by the prestigious CDP in 2017.

The  total  volume  of  water  withdrawn  from  water  utilities 

SDR

throughout the Group, for the periods as specified therein, is 
reported in the Sustainable Development Report. 

Safe waste and hazardous waste 
management
Stringent  protocols  are  followed  to  ensure  that  refuse 

removal  within  the  Group  complies  with  all  legislation, 

regulations and by-laws. The Group regards the handling of 

waste in an environmentally sound, legal and safe manner as 

its ethical, moral and professional duty. During the reporting 

period,  there  were  no  incidents  at  the  Group’s  facilities  or 

offices leading to significant spills.

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79

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

MATERIAL ISSUE 3:  
BEING AN ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE CITIZEN 

HIGHLIGHTS
 • Anonymous independent ethics lines at all operating divisions

 • A three-year compliance monitoring programme was developed to enhance the existing compliance culture

 • Hirslanden supports Mercy Ships, an international charity which operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship 

in the world 

 • Contributed R5m to the South African Department of Health’s Public Health Enhancement Fund 

 •

In partnership with the public health sector, Mediclinic Southern Africa performed over 100 pro bono procedures on 

public patients

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE 
BUSINESS
Governance and corporate social responsibility are integral 
to Mediclinic’s approach to running a sustainable, long-term 
business.  In  line  with  the  Group’s  vision  of  being  preferred 
locally and respected internationally, it:

Group  where  ethical  values  are  displayed  on  a  day-to-day 

basis. It encourages staff to be vigilant and transparent for 
any suspicious or unethical behaviour. These policies provide 

clear  guidelines  and  frameworks  to  assist  in  achieving  set 

objectives, for example, compliance with applicable laws and 

regulations.  The  policies  are  communicated  to  all  relevant 

employees  and  where  necessary  training  is  provided.  The 

 • enforces  good  corporate  governance 

standards 

enhanced  training  and  awareness  of  Group  policies  are 

throughout the organisation;

 • acts as a responsible corporate citizen;

 • builds constructive relationships with its local stakeholders; 

and

 • acts as a valued member of the community in the regions 

where it operates.

The  Group  has  entrenched  a  range  of  policies,  processes 
and  standards  to  support  the  Group’s  governance  and 
Corporate  Social 
Investment  (“CSI”)  programmes  and 
provide a framework of the standards of business conduct 
and  ethics  that  are  required  of  all  operating  divisions, 
directors  and  employees  within  the  Group,  such  as  the 
Code  of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics,  Enterprise-wide 
Risk  Management  Policy,  Fraud  Risk  Management  Policy, 
Regulatory Compliance Policy and the Anti-bribery Policy.

Adherence to these policies is monitored through the various 
risk  management  and  assurance  initiatives  implemented 
throughout  the  Group.  Non-adherence  to  these  policies  is 
immediately highlighted as a corrective action and addressed 
accordingly.  The  Group  risk  management  department 

regularly monitors the status of these corrective actions.

planned for the year ahead.

LINK TO GROUP STRATEGY
Although not directly linked to any particular Group strategic 

priority,  governance  and  corporate  social  responsibility 

are regarded as key enablers and the basis from which the 

Group conducts its business.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS
 • Suppliers

 • Healthcare funders

 • Governments and authorities

 • Community 

RISKS TO THE BUSINESS
 • Fines, prosecution or reputational damage

 •

Inability to continue business due to legal and regulatory 

non-compliance or changes in regulatory environment

 • Financial  and  reputational  damage  caused  by  poor 

governance  and  ethical  practices  and  inadequate  risk 

management

 • Reputational  damage  at  local  community  level  due  to 

These  policies  are  intended  to  create  a  culture  within  the 

inadequate community involvement

80 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

CALLS TO ETHICS LINES*

CONTRIBUTION TO CSI INITIATIVES

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

21 
(2017: 20)

97 
(2016: 202)

10 
(2017: 6)

*    Six  high-priority  cases  were  reported  to  the  Group’s  ethics  lines 

during the year, all of which were investigated and closed. 

INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL PROJECTS 
AND NEW EQUIPMENT (OPERATING 
DIVISIONS)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

CHF47m 
(2017: CHF74m)

R423m 
(2017: R766m)

AED358m 
(2017: AED188m)

INVESTMENT IN REPLACEMENT 
OF EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY 
UPGRADES (OPERATING DIVISIONS) 

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

CHF82m 
(2017: CHF89m)

R634m 
(2017: R515m)

AED31m 
(2017: AED57m)

EXPENDITURE ON REPAIRS  
AND MAINTENANCE  
(OPERATING DIVISIONS)

Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

CHF40m 
(2017: CHF37m)

R219m 
(2017: R275m)

AED42m 
(2017: AED39m)

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Switzerland

Southern Africa

UAE

CHF2.3m 
(2017: CHF2.5m)

R29.3m 
(2017: R27.5m)

AED1.0m 
(2017: AED992 000)

TRANSFORMATION (SOUTH AFRICA)

Percentage black 
employees

Percentage black 
management 
employees

72.1% 
(2017: 71.2%)

29.4% 
(2017: 27.7%)

RISK MITIGATION
 • Visible ethical leadership
 • Regular  fraud  and  ethics  feedback  to  management,  the 

Board and relevant Board committees

 • Ethics lines available to all employees and external parties, 

with reported incidents monitored and investigated

 • Established  Group  risk  management  and  compliance 

department and internal audit function

 • Compliance  risks  assessed  as  part  of  risk  management 

process,  with  regular  internal  self-assessments,  with 

necessary advice and support by the company secretarial 

and legal departments

 • Compliance  consultant  appointed 

to 

implement 

compliance framework and monitor compliance maturity

 • Monitoring  of  corporate  social  investment  initiatives 

by  senior  management,  with  feedback  to  the  Clinical 

Performance and Sustainability Committee

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81

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

POLICY, APPROACH AND 
PERFORMANCE

Ethics 
The  Group’s  commitment  to  ethical  standards  is  set  out  in 

the  Group’s  values,  and  is  supported  by  the  Group  Code 
of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics  (the  “Code”)  and  Anti-
bribery  Policy,  available  on  the  Company’s  website.  The 

Code  provides  a  framework  for  the  standards  of  business 

conduct and ethics that are required of all business divisions, 

directors  and  employees.  The  Code  is  available  to  all  staff 

and is included in new employee inductions. 

The  Group  adopts  a  zero-tolerance  policy  to  unethical 

business conduct, including bribery, fraud and corruption. 

Cost of healthcare
The  Group  contributes  in  various  ways  to  a  sustainable 

healthcare  system  by,  inter  alia,  focusing  on  efficiency  and 

cost-effectiveness,  conducting  tariff  negotiations  in  a  fair 

and transparent manner, expanding facilities based on need, 

and actively participating in healthcare reform.

The  Group  is  focused  on  streamlining  and  centralising  its 

procurement  processes  to  improve  efficiency  and  cost-

effectiveness.  During  the  reporting  period,  good  progress 

was made on a range of international procurement initiatives 

including:

 •

the classification and matching of products used across 

all  its  operating  divisions  to  compare  prices  and  drive 

procurement strategies; 

Any  employee  or  external  stakeholder  is  able  to  report 
any  wrongdoing  throughout  the  Group  on  a  confidential 

basis  to  the  ethics  lines.  All  reports  are  dealt  with  in  a 

 • better  prices  through  pooling  of  capital  equipment 

purchases across the three divisions; 

 • volume  bonus  agreements  with  key  capital  equipment 

non-discriminatory  manner  and  any  person  making  use 

suppliers; and

of  the  independent  ethics  lines  has  the  option  to  remain 

anonymous.  Any  form  of  retaliation  against  an  employee 

or other person making a report in good faith shall not be 

tolerated. A dedicated ethics contact person per division is 

available  to  deal  with  matters  pertaining  to  the  Code.  The 

number  of  calls  received  through  the  Group’s  ethics  lines 

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is  indicated  on  page  81.  All  complaints  are  investigated  in 

accordance  with  the  Code.  Over  the  years,  the  majority  of 

calls  were  of  a  grievance  nature.  Only  in  exceptional  cases 

has information been received that has led to the discovery 

of unethical, corrupt or fraudulent behaviour.

The  Group’s  Anti-bribery  Policy  governs  the  granting  and 

acceptance  of  gifts,  hospitality  and  entertainment,  which 

will  only  be  approved  if  it  is  acceptable  business  practice, 

there is a proper business case and no potential to adversely 

affect Mediclinic’s reputation. 

 • direct  importing  and  distribution  of  more  cost-effective 

surgical and consumable products. 

Refer to the Chief Executive Officer’s Review, Our Strategy, 
Progress  and  Aims,  as  well  as  the  Divisional  Reviews  for 
initiatives to improve cost-effectiveness.

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Supply chain management
In order to deliver its services, Mediclinic is dependent on a 

large  and  diverse  range  of  suppliers,  who  form  an  integral 

part  of  the  Group’s  ability  to  provide  quality  hospital  care. 

Mediclinic  believes  in  building  long-term  relationships  with 

suitable suppliers and establishing a relationship of mutual 

trust and respect. Regular meetings are held with suppliers 

to  ensure  continuity  of  service.  The  Group  relies  on  its 

suppliers  to  deliver  products  and  services  of  the  highest 

quality  in  line  with  Mediclinic’s  standards.  Various  other 

The  Group’s  Fraud  Risk  Management  Policy  facilitates  the 

criteria play an important role in selecting suppliers, such as: 

development  of  controls  for  the  prevention  of  fraud  and 

compliance  with  applicable  international  and  local  quality 

corruption. Feedback on ethics and fraud is provided to the 

standards, price, compliance with appropriate specifications 

Audit  and  Risk  Committee  at  every  meeting,  with  regular 

suited for the Group’s markets, stability of the organisation 

feedback  to  the  Clinical  Performance  and  Sustainability 

and  the  relevant  equipment  brand,  good-quality  and  cost-

Committee.

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Further details regarding the Group’s management of these 
matters  are  included  in  the  report  on  Risk  Management, 
Principal  Risks  and  Uncertainties  and  the  Audit  and  Risk 
Committee Report.

effective  solutions,  support  network,  technical  advice  and 

training philosophy. 

The  availability  of  products  and  services  is  imperative  in 

enabling  the  Group  to  deliver  quality  care  to  its  patients, 

and therefore an important criterion in its supplier selection 

process. Though not always the case, this often leads to local 

suppliers  being  preferred,  which  adds  to  better  and  faster 

service delivery and knowledge of local laws and regulations, 

particularly with regard to pharmaceutical products. 

82 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Maintain high-quality healthcare 
infrastructure
To ensure a safe and user-friendly environment for both its 

patients and employees, the Group strives to provide high-

quality  healthcare  facilities  and  technology,  focusing  on 

capital  investments,  maintenance  of  facilities  and  optimal 

use of facilities. As a result, the Group continuously invests in 

capital projects and new equipment to expand and refurbish 

its  facilities  and  the  replacement  of  existing  equipment,  as 

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well as on the repair and maintenance of existing property 
and equipment (refer to figures on page 81 and to the Chief 
Executive Officer’s Review, the Divisional Reviews and Our 
Strategy, Progress and Aims).

Hospitals  are  high-risk  environments  in  which  complex 

treatment  processes  are  executed  using  sophisticated 
equipment  and  techniques.  The  process  of  external 

accreditation ensures that international standards are adhered 

CSR

to  in  all  aspects  of  hospital  operations.  For  more  details  on 
accreditation,  please  refer  to  the  Clinical  Services  Report, 
available on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

Information security
Mediclinic  is  committed  to  conducting  its  business  in 

accordance with all applicable data protection laws as may 

line with country-specific legislation. There were no material 

information  security  or  data  privacy  incidents  reported 

during the year under review.

The  Group  ICT  Steering  Committee  is  supported  by  the 

Group’s 

Information  Security  Architecture  Committee, 

consisting  of  the  information  security  officers  of  the 

Group  and  the  operating  divisions.  The  proceedings  of 

this  committee  are 

informed  by 

information  security 

best  practices  sourced  from  Gartner,  ISACA,  CoBIT  5, 

ITIL,  ISO27001  and  the  South  African  King  IV™  Report  on 

Corporate Governance.

Further details on the Group’s ICT investments are included 
in  the  Chief  Executive  Officer’s  Review  included  in  the  
Annual Report.

AR

Support of external training 
institutions
The Group is committed to educational development within 

all  three  of  its  operating  divisions  and  provides  financial 

and other necessary support towards advancing healthcare 

education.

Respecting human rights 
The  Group  is  committed  to  conducting  its  business  in  a 

apply  from  time  to  time  in  the  various  operating  divisions. 

manner  that  respects  and  promotes  the  human  rights 

Maintaining  and  respecting  the  privacy  of  our  employees, 

and  dignity  of  all  those  within  its  sphere  of  influence  and 

directors,  patients,  affiliated  doctors,  suppliers  and 

avoids  involvement  in  human  rights  abuses  throughout  its 

stakeholders remains a priority. Mediclinic has reaffirmed its 

operations and relationships. This commitment is entrenched 

commitment to protect the personal data of its stakeholders 

in the Group’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which 

by embarking on a group-wide data privacy project to align 

is further supported by the Group’s commitment to:

and  ensure  compliance  with  relevant  data  protection  laws, 

as may be applicable in the various countries of operation, 

including  the  European  Union’s  General  Data  Protection 
Regulation (“GDPR”), widely regarded as the gold standard 
for data protection. The Group Privacy and Data Protection 

Policy has been aligned to the GDPR standards and various 

initiatives  are  underway  to  ensure  that  core  components 

are legally compliant by 25 May 2018, which is the date the 

GDPR will come into effect. The project will be rolled out to 

the  rest  of  the  Group  thereafter  while  ensuring  that  other 

applicable data protection laws are also complied with.

 • avoid and not contribute to any indirect adverse human 

rights  impacts  that  are  directly  linked  to  the  Group’s 

operations or services by its suppliers or other business 

relations; 

 •

respect  patients’  rights,  including  but  not  limited  to 

privacy,  confidentiality,  dignity,  no  discrimination,  full 

information  on  health  status  and  treatment,  a  second 

opinion,  access  to  medical  records,  self-determination 

and  participation,  refusal  of  treatment  and  the  right  to 

complain;

 • value  diversity  and  equal  opportunities  for  all  in  the 

Information  security  policies  and  controls  are  in  place 

workplace; and

throughout the Group regulating, inter alia, the processing, 

 • not  tolerate  any  form  of  unfair  discrimination,  such  as 

use  and  protection  of  own,  personal  and  third-party 

access  to  employment,  career  development,  training 

information. This is further entrenched through ongoing user 

or  working  conditions,  based  on  gender,  age,  religion, 

training,  security  awareness  programmes  and  certification 
courses in information security. Flows of personal data across 

nationality, race/ethnic origin, language, HIV/AIDS status, 
family  status,  disability,  sexual  orientation  or  other  form 

country  borders  are  dealt  through  formal  arrangements  in 

of differentiation.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

Modern slavery and human traffi  cking

The  Mediclinic  modern  slavery  and  human  traffi  cking 

statement,  which  is  available  on  the  Company  website  at 
www.mediclinic.com,  sets  out  the  steps  Mediclinic  has 
taken  to  prevent  any  form  of  modern  slavery  and  human 

traffi  cking, which includes any direct form of forced labour 

rigorous  and  comprehensive  review  of  its  transformation 

strategy.  A  review  of  the  current  structure  and  content  of 

diversity management interventions throughout the company 

is  underway.  This  process  will  yield  a  more  structured 

approach and an important outcome would be an engaged 

workforce wherein inclusivity is the ultimate goal. 

or child labour in its business, or indirectly through its supply 

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  new  fi ve-year  employment 

chain. During the year, Mediclinic has developed additional 

equity plan was submitted to the Department of Labour in 

steps  to  strengthen  its  position  in  monitoring  slavery  and 

human traffi  cking activities, in order to ensure that it is not 

November 2017. The summarised employment equity report 
(EEA2) is included in the Sustainable Development Report.

SDR

taking place in its supply chains.

Diversity

The number of black employees increased year-on-year from 

71.2%  to  72.1%  of  total  employees;  and  black  management 

The Group values diversity and provides equal opportunities 

representation  increased  from  11%  in  2006  to  29.4%  in 

in  the  workplace,  a  matter  which  has  received  signifi cant 

2018  (2017:  27.7%),  based  on  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s 

focus  by  the  Nomination  Committee  during  the  year.  The 
diversity  representation  (by  race,  gender  and  age)  of  the 

Group’s  most  senior  governing  bodies,  as  well  as  direct 

AR

SDR

reports to members of those governing bodies, are provided 
in  the  Nomination  Committee  Report  and  the  Corporate 
Governance  Statement  in  the  Annual  Report.  Please  also 
refer  to  the  Sustainable  Development  Report  for  further 
information in this regard.

Broad-based black economic empowerment 
(“B-BBEE”) (South Africa)

Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  forms  an  integral  part  of  the 

political,  social  and  economic  community  in  South  Africa 

and  is  committed  to  sustainable  transformation  as  part  of 

its  business  strategy.  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa’s  Executive 

Committee  is  responsible  for  ensuring  that  the  appropriate 

focus  is  placed  on  the  company’s  commitment  to  the 

development  and  implementation  of  sustainable  B-BBEE 

employment equity report referred to earlier.

Corporate social investment (“CSI”)
The Group contributes to the well-being of the communities 

within  which  it  operates  by  investing  in  ongoing  initiatives 

that  address  socio-economic  problems  or  risks,  and  it 

has  established  itself  as  an  integral  member  of  these 

communities,  enriching  the  lives  of  many  communities 

throughout Southern Africa, Switzerland and the UAE.

The  Group’s  CSI  activities  are  structured  around  the 

improvement of healthcare through training and education, 

sponsorships,  donations,  staff   volunteerism,  public  private 

initiatives and joint ventures. Many of the Group’s initiatives 

relate  to  providing  training  and  to  the  fi nancial  support  of 

training. Due to the socio-economic conditions in Southern 

Africa, the majority of the Group’s CSI contributions are by 

Mediclinic Southern Africa.

initiatives.  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  has  embarked  on  a 

The CSI spend per division is provided on page 81.

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84 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION
The Board and management team of Mediclinic are committed 

to maintaining strict principles of corporate governance and the 

highest  standards  of  integrity  and  ethics,  which  is  embedded 

in our corporate culture and values. Our corporate governance 

structures support the eff ective delivery of Mediclinic’s strategy 

and  are  focused  on  building  and  maintaining  a  sustainable 

business and supporting our commitment to be a responsible 

corporate citizen in every country and community in which the 

Group operates.

In the Corporate Governance Statement that follows, feedback 

is given on the governance framework, Board meetings and the 

principal activities of the Board, the composition and diversity 

of the Board and measures to ensure the Board’s accountability 

to  our  wider  stakeholders.  Every  director  demonstrated  their 

commitment  to  Mediclinic  throughout  the  year,  through  their 

meeting attendance and the high quality of their contributions 

at  those  meetings.  An  external  evaluation  of  the  Board 

was  conducted  during  the  year  by  Lintstock,  the  outcome 

of  which  is  detailed  herein.  With  the  announcement  of  the 

appointment  of  Dr  Ronnie  van  der  Merwe  as  CEO  successor 

to Mr Danie Meintjes from 1 June 2018, and the appointment of 

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi and Dr Felicity Harvey as independent 

non-executive directors during 2017, the Nomination Committee 

and  the  Board  continue  to  demonstrate  their  commitment  to 

succession planning and targeting diverse pools of talent from 

which to recruit the right individuals. Further, as referred to in 

my  statement  on  pages  6  to  9,  the  continued  involvement  of 

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Mr Meintjes as a non-executive director from 1 August 2018 is 

considered by the Board to be in the best interests of the Group, 

its shareholders and other stakeholders in view of the wealth of 

knowledge and experience he has in diff erent capacities gained 

over 30 years at Mediclinic. 

The key elements of our governance structures include:

 • managing  our  business  in  a  sustainable  manner;  ensuring 

good clinical outcomes and quality healthcare; 

 • upholding strict principles of corporate governance, integrity 

and ethics; 

 • maintaining eff ective risk management and internal controls;

 • engaging  with  our  stakeholders  and  responding  to  their 

reasonable expectations; and 

 • off ering our employees competitive remuneration packages 

based on the principles of fairness and aff ordability.

the  Clinical  Services  Report  and 

further details of which are included in this Annual Report, as well 
as 
the  Sustainable 
Development  Report  available  on  the  Company’s  website 
at  www.mediclinic.com.  I  remain  confi dent  that  the  Board, 
supported by an eff ective management team and an eff ective 

governance structure, is well placed to continue to drive long-

term value for stakeholders and maintaining Mediclinic’s leading 

position in the international healthcare market.

CSR

SDR

Dr Edwin Hertzog 
Non-executive Chairman

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018
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BOARD OF
DIRECTORS

The  committee  memberships  of  the  directors  provided  herein  are  as  at  the  Last  Practicable  Date,  being  Wednesday, 

23 May 2018.

DR EDWIN HERTZOG

MR DANIE MEINTJES

MR JURGENS MYBURGH

Non-executive Chairman

Nationality: South African

Chief Executive Offi  cer 

Nationality: South African

Chief Financial Offi  cer

Nationality: South African

Committee membership: Investment Committee

Mr  Jurgens  Myburgh  was  appointed  as  an 
executive director and Chief Financial Offi  cer of 
the  Company  on  1  August  2016.  Prior  to  joining 
the Mediclinic Group, he served as Chief Financial 
Offi  cer  at  Datatec  Limited,  an  international 
information  and  communications  technology 
group, which operates in over 60 countries, and 
before  that,  worked  at  The  Standard  Bank  of 
South Africa Limited as Executive Vice President 
of Investment Banking. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Myburgh holds an Honours 
degree in Accounting from the University of 
Johannesburg (B.Comm. (Hons)); and is a 
qualifi ed Chartered Accountant with the South 
African Institute of Chartered Accountants. 

Committee memberships: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee, Investment 
Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee 
(Chair)

Dr  Edwin  Hertzog*  was  appointed  as  the 
non-executive  Chairman  of  the  Company  on 
15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the  combination 
of  the  businesses  of  the  Company  (then 
Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group  plc)  and  Mediclinic 
International  Limited  in  2016,  he  served  as  a 
director  of  Mediclinic 
International  Limited 
from  1983  and  as  the  Chairman  from  1992.  As 
a  specialist  anaesthetist,  he  was  commissioned 
by  the  then  Rembrandt  group  (now  Remgro) 
in  1983  to  undertake  a  feasibility  study  on  the 
establishment  of  a  private  hospital  group,  and 
three years later, in 1986, Mediclinic International 
Limited  (then  Medi-Clinic  Corporation  Limited) 
was listed on the JSE. He was appointed as the 
fi rst managing director of Mediclinic International 
Limited  upon  its  establishment  in  1983.  He 
served as executive Chairman of Mediclinic from 
1992  until  August  2012  when  he  retired  from 
his  executive  role,  but  remained  on  the  Board 
as  non-executive  Chairman.  He  also  serves  as 
the  non-executive  deputy  Chairman  of  Remgro 
 and  is  a  past  Chairman  of  the  council  of  the 
Stellenbosch University.

Committee memberships: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee, Investment 
Committee
Mr Danie Meintjes was appointed as an executive 
director  and  Chief  Executive  Offi  cer  of  the 
Company  on  15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the 
combination  of  the  businesses  of  the  Company 
(then Al Noor Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic 
International  Limited  in  2016,  he  served  as  the 
Chief Executive Offi  cer of Mediclinic International 
Limited  from  2010.  He  has  served  in  various 
management  positions  in  the  Remgro  group, 
before joining the Mediclinic Group in 1985 as the 
hospital manager of Mediclinic Sandton. He was 
appointed as a member of Mediclinic’s Executive 
Committee in 1995 and as a director in 1996. He 
was  seconded  to  serve  as  a  senior  executive 
of  the  Group’s  operations  in  Dubai  in  2006, 
and  appointed  as  the  Chief  Executive  Offi  cer 
of  Mediclinic  Middle  East  in  2007.   He  serves  as 
a  non-executive  director  of  Spire  Healthcare 
Group  plc  from  2015,  from  which  position  he 
will retire on 24 May 2018.  He will retire from his 
position as Chief Executive Offi  cer on 1 June 2018 
and,  subject  to  re-election  as  a  director  of  the 
Company at the AGM, will continue to serve as an 
executive director until 31 July 2018 and as a non-
executive director with eff ect from 1 August 2018.

Qualifi cations: Dr Hertzog holds a Bachelor of 
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB,ChB); a 
Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthesiologists 
(SA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) 
(honoris causa).

Qualifi cations: Mr Meintjes holds an Honours 
degree in Industrial Psychology from the 
University of the Free State; and completed the 
Advanced Management Program at Harvard 
Business School. 

*    Dr  Hertzog’s  non-executive  directorship  of 
Remgro,  as 
reported  above,  constitutes 
his  other  signifi cant  commitments  for  the 
purposes of Provision B.3.1 of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code.

86 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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MR DESMOND SMITH

DR MUHADDITHA AL HASHIMI

MR JANNIE DURAND

Senior Independent Director

Independent Non-executive Director

Non-executive Director

Nationality: South African

Nationality: Emirati

Nationality: South African

Committee memberships: Audit and Risk 
Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee
Mr  Desmond  Smith  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on  15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the 
combination  of  the  businesses  of  the  Company 
(then Al Noor Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic 
International  Limited  in  2016,  he  served  as  an 
independent non-executive director of Mediclinic 
International Limited from 2008 and as the lead 
independent  director  from  2010.  He  was  the 
Chief  Executive  Offi  cer  of  the  Sanlam  Group 
from  April  1993  to  December  1997  and  of  the 
Reinsurance  Group  of  America  (South  Africa) 
(“RGA(SA)”)  from  March  1999  to  March  2005. 
He is currently Chairman of RGA(SA) and retired 
as  Chairman  of  Sanlam  Group  in  June  2017. 
During his career, he has served on various boards 
and was president of both the Actuarial Society 
of  South  Africa  (1996)  and  the  International 
Actuarial Association (2012). 

Qualifi cations: Mr Smith holds a Bachelor 
of Science (B.Sc.) degree; is a fellow of 
the Actuarial Society of South Africa; and 
completed an International Senior Managers 
Program at Harvard Business School.

Committee membership: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee 
Dr  Muhadditah  Al  Hashimi  was  appointed  as 
an  independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on  1  November  2017.  She  is  also  a 
member of the board of trustees and the Audit 
and Compliance Committee of the University of 
Sharjah, and a member of the board of trustees 
of  the  UAE  Nursing  and  Midwifery  Council  and 
the  UAE  Genetics  Diseases  Association.  She 
is  the  campus  director  of  Higher  Colleges  of 
Technology Sharjah Women's College in the UAE. 
Prior to her current positions, Dr Al Hashimi held 
the position of executive Dean of the Faculty of 
Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology; 
acting  deputy  vice-chancellor  of  Academic 
Aff airs  at  the  Higher  Colleges  of  Technology; 
Chief  Executive  Offi  cer  of  the  Mohammed  Bin 
Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center in 
Dubai; Deputy Chief Executive Offi  cer of Tatweer 
LLC; Chief Executive Offi  cer of Dubai Healthcare 
City  (both  members  of  Dubai  Holding);  and  a 
director  of  education  of  the  Harvard  Medical 
School Dubai Centre.

Qualifi cations: Dr Al Hashimi obtained a 
Doctorate in Public Health from the University 
of Texas; a Master's degree in Clinical 
Laboratory Sciences from the University of 
Minnesota; and a Bachelor's degree in Medical 
Technology from the University of Minnesota.

Committee Memberships: Investment 
Committee, Nomination Committee
Mr  Jannie  Durand*  was  appointed  as  a 
non-executive  director  of  the  Company  on 
15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the  combination  of 
the  businesses  of  the  Company  (then  Al  Noor 
Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic International 
Limited  in  2016,  he  served  as  a  non-executive 
director  of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  from 
2012. He joined the Rembrandt group in 1996 and 
was appointed as the Chief Executive Offi  cer of 
Remgro  Limited  in  2012,  which  holds  a  44.56% 
interest in the Company. In his current role, with 
more than 20 years’ experience in the investment 
industry,  he  acts  as  a  non-executive  director 
of  various  companies,  including  Distell  Group 
Limited,  FirstRand  Limited,  RCL  Foods  Limited 
and RMI Holdings Limited.

Qualifi cations: Mr Durand holds an Honours 
degree in Accountancy from the University 
of Stellenbosch (B.Acc. (Hons)); a Master’s 
of Philosophy in Management Studies from 
Oxford University (M.Phil. (Management 
Studies)); and is a qualifi ed Chartered 
Accountant with the South African Institute 
of Chartered Accountants.

*   Mr Pieter Uys, the Head of Strategic Investment 
at Remgro Limited, is appointed as the alternate 
to Mr Durand since 7 April 2016. Prior to joining 
Remgro,  Mr  Uys  was  a  founding  member  and 
ultimately  became  the  Chief  Executive  Offi  cer 
of  the  Vodacom  group,  one  of  the  leading 
mobile networks in Africa. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Uys holds an M.Eng. 
(Electrical) degree; and an MBA from the 
University of Stellenbosch.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

87

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)

MR ALAN GRIEVE

DR FELICITY HARVEY CBE

MR SEAMUS KEATING

Independent Non-executive Director

Independent Non-executive Director

Independent Non-executive Director

Nationality: British

Nationality: British

Nationality: Irish

Committee memberships: Audit and Risk 
Committee, Investment Committee 
Mr Alan Grieve was appointed as an independent 
non-executive  director  of  the  Company  on 
15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the  combination  of 
the  businesses  of  the  Company  (then  Al  Noor 
Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic International 
Limited  in  2016,  he  served  as  an  independent 
non-executive director of Mediclinic International 
Limited  from  2012  and  served  as  a  director  of 
Medi-Clinic Switzerland AG (now Hirslanden AG) 
from 2008 to 2012. He served as Chief Financial 
Offi  cer  of  Reinet  Investments  Manager  S.A. 
and  Reinet  Fund  Manager  S.A.  from  2008  to 
2011 and Chief Executive Offi  cer from 2012 until 
he  retired  in  2014.  He  remains  on  the  Board  of 
both companies as a non-executive director. He 
served  as  Company  Secretary  of  Richemont, 
luxury  goods  group,  from  1998 
the  Swiss 
to  2004  and  as  Director  of  Corporate  Aff airs 
from 2004 to 2014. Prior to joining Richemont’s 
predecessor companies in 1986, he worked with 
the  international  auditing  fi rms  now  known  as 
PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Grieve holds a degree in 
Business Administration from Heriot-Watt 
University, Edinburgh; and is a member of the 
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Committee membership: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee (Chair)
Dr  Felicity  Harvey  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on  3  October  2017.  She  serves  as 
a  Visiting  Professor  at  the  Institute  of  Global 
Health  Innovation  at  Imperial  College  London; 
is  a  non-executive  director  of  Guy's  and 
St  Thomas'  NHS  Foundation  Trust  in  London; 
a  Trustee  of  Royal  Trinity  Hospice  in  London; 
and  a  member  of  the  WHO 
Independent 
Oversight  &  Advisory  Committee  for  Health 
Emergencies. Previously, she served as Director-
General of Public and International Health at the 
UK  Department  of  Health;  Director  of  the  UK 
Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, then HM Treasury’s 
Performance  and  Reform  Unit;  Head  of  the 
Medicines,  Pharmacy  and  Industry  Group  at 
the  Department  of  Health;  Director  of  Prison 
Health  at  Her  Majesty's  Prison  Service;  Head 
of  Quality  Management  at  NHS  Executive  and 
private secretary to the Chief Medical Offi  cer of 
the Department of Health of the United Kingdom. 
Dr Harvey was appointed CBE in 2008.

Qualifi cations: Dr Harvey qualifi ed in medicine 
in 1980; is an honorary fellow of the Royal 
College of Physicians; a fellow of the Faculty 
of Public Health; has an international MBA from 
Henley Management College; and has gained 
a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical 
Microbiology at The Royal London Hospital 
College, University of London.

Committee memberships: Audit and 
Risk Committee, Investment Committee, 
Remuneration Committee
Mr  Seamus  Keating  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of 
the 
Company (then Al Noor Hospitals Group plc) on 
5 June 2013 and continues to serve as a director 
of  the  Company  following  the  combination  of 
the  businesses  of  the  Company  (then  Al  Noor 
Hospitals  Group  plc)  and  Mediclinic  International 
Limited in 2016. He has over 20 years’ experience 
in  the  global  technology  sector  in  fi nance  and 
operational roles, and was a main board director 
of Logica plc from 2002 until April 2012. He was 
Chief  Financial  Offi  cer  of  Logica  plc  from  2002 
until  2010  when  he  became  Chief  Operating 
Offi  cer  and head  of  its  Benelux operations. Prior 
to his role at Logica plc, he worked for the Olivetti 
Group in senior fi nance roles in the UK and Italy. 
He served as non-executive director and Chairman 
of  the  audit  committee  of  Mouchel  plc  from 
November 2010 to September 2012. He is currently 
Chairman of First Derivatives plc, a non-executive 
director  of  BGL  Group  Limited,  a  non-executive 
director of Callcredit Information Group plc and a 
non-executive director of Mi-pay Group plc. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Keating is a fellow of 
the Chartered Institute of Management 
Accountants. 

88 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

PROF DR ROBERT LEU

MS NANDI MANDELA

MR TREVOR PETERSON

Independent Non-executive Director

Independent Non-executive Director

Independent Non-executive Director

Nationality: Swiss

Nationality: South African

Nationality: South African

International  Limited 

Committee memberships: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee, Nomination 
Committee, Remuneration Committee
Prof  Dr  Robert  Leu  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on  15  February  2016.  Prior  to  the 
combination  of  the  businesses  of  the  Company 
(then  Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group  plc)  and 
Mediclinic 
in  2016,  he 
served as an independent non-executive director 
of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  from  2010. 
He is Professor Emeritus of the University of Bern 
in Switzerland. Complementary to his academic 
career  as  full  professor  in  economics  at  the 
Universities of St. Gallen and Bern, he has acted 
as economic adviser to executive and legislative 
bodies on all policy levels in Switzerland and to 
international  institutions,  in  particular  the  WHO, 
the OECD and the World Bank. He is a director 
of  Visana  AG  since  2009  and  serves  as  the 
Vice-President  of  the  company  since  2014, 
is  President  of  the  Alliance  for  a  Free  Health 
Care  System  in  Switzerland  since  2013,  and  a 
director of Medgate Integrated Care Holding AG 
in  Switzerland  since  May  2017.  He  was  a  prior 
director of Hirslanden AG and past President of 
Arcovita AG.

Qualifi cations: Prof Dr Leu holds a Master’s 
degree in Economics; and a Doctorate in 
Economics (Ph.D.), both from the University 
of Basel. 

Note:  Prof  Dr  Leu  will  be  retiring  as  a  director 
after the annual general meeting of the Company 
scheduled to be held on 25 July 2018. 

Committee membership: Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee
Ms  Nandi  Mandela  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on 
15  February  2016.  Prior  to 
the  combination  of  the  businesses  of  the 
Company  (then  Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group  plc) 
and Mediclinic International Limited in 2016, she 
served as an independent non-executive director 
of Mediclinic International Limited from 2012. She 
is  a  director  of  Linda  Masinga  &  Associates,  a 
town planning and consultancy fi rm, since 2003. 
Prior to that, she worked as a marketing offi  cer 
at  the  Tongaat-Hulett  Group  from  1992  to  1997, 
before  joining  BP,  where  she  worked  in  various 
sales  and  public  aff airs  positions  from  1997 
to 2003.

Qualifi cations: Ms Mandela holds a Bachelor’s 
degree in Social Science from the University 
of Cape Town (B.Soc.Sc.); completed the 
Associate in Management Programme at 
the University of Cape Town; and obtained a 
Certifi cate in Strategic Management from the 
New York New School University.

Note:  Ms  Mandela  will  be  retiring  as  a  director 
after the annual general meeting of the Company 
scheduled to be held on 25 July 2018. 

Committee memberships: Audit and Risk 
Committee, Nomination Committee, 
Remuneration Committee (Chair)
Mr  Trevor  Petersen  was  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the 
Company  on 
15  February  2016.  Prior  to 
the  combination  of  the  businesses  of  the 
Company  (then  Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group  plc) 
and  Mediclinic  International  Limited  in  2016,  he 
served as an independent non-executive director 
of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  from  2012. 
In 1996, he resigned from the University of Cape 
Town  to  take  up  a  partnership  in  the  merged 
fi rm  of  PricewaterhouseCoopers  Inc.  He  served 
as  a  partner  of  the  national  fi rm  from  1997  to 
2009  and  served  as  the  partner-in-charge  of 
Cape  Town  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Western 
Cape region. He is an independent non-executive 
director  on  the  board  of  Media24  (Pty)  Ltd 
(a subsidiary of Naspers Limited) and is currently 
the  managing  trustee  of  the  Woodside  Village 
Trust.  He  has  served  professional  membership 
associations  such  as  the  South  African  Institute 
of  Chartered  Accountants,  and  was  elected  the 
Chairman of the National Body in 2006 and 2007. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Petersen holds an Honours 
degree in Accountancy from the University 
of Cape Town (B.Comm. (Hons)); and is a 
qualifi ed Chartered Accountant with the South 
African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

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89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SENIOR
MANAGEMENT 

The  Group  Chief  Executive  Offi  cer,  Mr  Danie  Meintjes, 
is  supported  by  an  experienced  and  capable  executive 
management  team,  with  extensive  industry  experience  and 
organisational knowledge. The continued growth of Mediclinic 
is testament to the strong management team and its ability 
to  successfully  execute  the  Group’s  strategy.  As  reported, 
Mr Meintjes will be succeeded by Dr Ronnie van der Merwe, 

the  current  Group  Chief  Clinical  Offi  cer,  as  the  Group  Chief 
Executive Offi  cer from 1 June 2018.

The biographies of Mr Meintjes, Chief Executive Offi  cer, and 
Mr Jurgens Myburgh, Chief Financial Offi  cer are provided on 
page 86 of this Annual Report.

AR

DR RONNIE VAN DER MERWE

MR GERT HATTINGH

DR DIRK LE ROUX

Chief Clinical Offi  cer and CEO Designate

Chief Corporate Services Offi  cer

Chief Information Offi  cer

Nationality: South African
Mr Gert Hattingh joined the Mediclinic Group in 
1991 as Group Accountant. He served in various 
management  positions  in  the  Group  and  was 
appointed as the company secretary in 2010 and 
Group  Services  Executive  in  2011.  Subsequent 
to  the  combination  of  the  businesses  of  the 
Company  (then  Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group 
plc)  and  Mediclinic  International  Limited  in 
February  2016,  he  no  longer  serves  as  the 
company  secretary,  but  holds  the  position  of 
Chief Corporate Services Offi  cer. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Hattingh holds an Honours 
degree in Accountancy from the University of 
Stellenbosch (B.Acc. (Hons)); completed the 
Advanced Management Program at Harvard 
Business School; and is a qualifi ed Chartered 
Accountant with the South African Institute of 
Chartered Accountants.

Nationality: South African
Dr  Dirk  le  Roux  joined  the  Mediclinic  Group 
in  August  2014  as  the  Group  ICT  Executive. 
Prior  to  joining  Mediclinic,  he  served  in  various 
managerial roles, including as managing director 
of  Think  Worx  Consulting,  Chief  Information 
Offi  cer  at  Media24,  General  Manager  of  IT 
Strategy and Risk at Absa Bank Limited, as well 
as  the  Head  of  IT  at  the  Development  Bank  of 
Southern Africa. 

Qualifi cations: Dr Le Roux holds a D.Com. 
(Informatics) degree from the University 
of Pretoria; a Master’s degree in Business 
Administration (cum laude); a Postgraduate 
Diploma in Data Metrics; and a Bachelor’s 
degree in Civil Engineering.

in 

Nationality: South African
is  a  specialist 
Dr  Ronnie  van  der  Merwe 
anaesthetist  who  worked 
the  medical 
insurance  industry  before  joining  the  Group  in 
1999  as  Clinical  Manager.  He  established  the 
Clinical Information, Advanced Analytics, Health 
Information  Management  and  Clinical  Services 
functions at Mediclinic, and subsequently served 
as  the  Mediclinic  Group’s  Chief  Clinical  Offi  cer. 
He  was  appointed  as  an  executive  director 
of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  in  2010  up 
to  the  combination  of  the  businesses  of  the 
Company (then Al Noor Hospitals Group plc) and 
Mediclinic 
International  Limited.  The  Board 
appointed  him  as  an  executive  director  and  the 
Chief  Executive  Offi  cer  of  the  Company  from 
1  June  2018,  and  he  will  stand  for  election  as  a 
Director at the Company’s annual general meeting 
on  Wednesday,  25  July  2018.  As  announced  by 
Spire,  he  will  be  appointed  as  a  non-executive 
director  of  Spire  Healthcare  Group  plc  from 
24 May 2018.

Qualifi cations: Dr Van der Merwe holds 
a medical degree from the University 
of Stellenbosch (MB,ChB.); a Diploma in 
Anaesthetics from the College of Anaesthetists 
of South Africa (DA (SA)); the Fellowship of 
the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa 
(FCA (SA)); and completed the Advanced 
Management Program at Harvard Business 
School.

90 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

MR MAGNUS OETIKER

MR KOERT PRETORIUS

Chief Human Resources Offi  cer

Nationality: Swiss
Mr  Magnus  Oetiker  was  appointed  as  Chief  Human  Resources  Offi  cer 
of the Company in February 2018. Prior to joining Mediclinic, he was the 
Chief Executive Offi  cer of a family-owned company in Switzerland with 
13  business  units  in  healthcare  and  in  the  catering  industry  from  2016. 
Prior  to  that,  he  served  in  various  management  positions  from  2000 
to  2016  within  the  Hirslanden  group,  where  he  was  appointed  as  a 
member  of  Hirslanden’s  Executive  Committee  in  2008  and  acted  as 
Chief Strategy Offi  cer, including Human Resources.

Qualifi cations: Mr Oetiker holds a Bachelor of Science in Business 
Administration from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, 
Switzerland; and an Executive Master of Business Administration 
from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Chief Executive Offi  cer: 
Mediclinic Southern Africa

Nationality: South African
Mr Koert Pretorius joined the Group in 1998 as the regional manager of the 
central region of Mediclinic’s operations in South Africa, after which he was 
appointed as the Chief Operating Offi  cer of the Mediclinic Group in 2003. He 
was appointed as the Chief Executive Offi  cer of Mediclinic Southern Africa in 
2008 and served as an executive director of Mediclinic International Limited in 
2006 up to the combination of the businesses of the Company (then Al Noor 
Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic International Limited. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Pretorius holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting 
Science from the University of the Free State (B.Compt.); and a Master’s 
degree of Business Leadership from the University of South Africa (MBL).

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DR OLE WIESINGER

MR DAVID HADLEY

Chief Executive Offi  cer: Hirslanden

Chief Executive Offi  cer: Mediclinic Middle East 

Nationality: German and Swiss
Dr  Ole  Wiesinger  joined  the  Hirslanden  Private  Hospital  Group  in 
2004  as  the  Hospital  Manager  of  Klinik  Hirslanden.  He  was  appointed 
as  the  Chief  Executive  Offi  cer  of  the  Hirslanden  group  and  served  as 
an  executive  director  of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  from  2008  up 
to  the  combination  of  the  businesses  of  the  Company  (then  Al  Noor 
Hospitals Group plc) and Mediclinic International Limited. Prior to joining 
Hirslanden, he served in various management positions of the Euromed 
AG  in  Germany  from  1995  and  was  appointed  as  the  Chief  Executive 
Offi  cer of Euromed AG from 2003 to 2004. 

Qualifi cations: Dr Wiesinger holds a doctorate in medicine from the 
University of Erlangen, Germany (Ph.D.); and a Postgraduate Diploma 
in Health Economics from the European Business School, Germany.

Nationality: British
Mr David Hadley joined the Mediclinic Group in 1993, and worked in a variety 
of administrative roles in human resources, fi nance, operations and hospital 
management before being seconded to Dubai in 2007 to oversee the opening 
of Mediclinic City Hospital. He was appointed as the Chief Executive Offi  cer 
of Mediclinic Middle East in 2009 and has served as a member of Mediclinic’s 
Executive Committee since 2011. 

Qualifi cations: Mr Hadley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce 
from the University of South Africa; and a Master’s degree in Business 
Administration (with distinction) from the University of Liverpool.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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92 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 
STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION
The  Board  of  Directors  is  accountable  to  the  Company’s 
shareholders for ensuring the sound management and long-
term success of the Group. This can only be achieved if the 
Board  is  supported  by  appropriate  governance  processes 
to ensure that the Group is managed responsibly and with 
integrity,  fairness,  transparency  and  accountability.  The 
Board is committed to maintaining the highest standards of 
corporate  governance,  integrity  and  ethics.  This  Corporate 
Governance  Statement  describes  the  key  elements  of 
Mediclinic’s corporate governance framework.

A  Group  Corporate  Governance  Manual,  dealing  with 
Board  practices  and  Group  policies,  provides  guidance  to 
the  company  secretaries,  boards  and  management  of  the 
Company  and  its  three  operating  divisions  in  Switzerland, 
Southern  Africa  and  the  United  Arab  Emirates  to  ensure 
that  similar  corporate  governance  practices  are  followed 
throughout the Group.

COMPLIANCE WITH UK CORPORATE 
GOVERNANCE CODE AND LISTING 
RULES
The  current  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  (the  “UK 
Corporate  Governance  Code”  or  the  “Code”),  published 
in  
by  the  Financial  Reporting  Council  (the  “FRC”) 
April  2016  and  available  on  the  FRC’s  website  at  
www.frc.org.uk,  contains  a  series  of  broad  principles  and 
specific provisions which embody good practice in relation 
to  five  key  areas:  leadership,  effectiveness,  accountability, 
remuneration and relations with shareholders. This Corporate 
Governance  Statement,  together  with  the  Directors’ 
Remuneration  Report  and  the  various  Board  committee 
reports  included  in  this  Annual  Report,  describes  how  the 
Board applied the main principles of the Code and complied 
with its provisions.

During  the  year  under  review  and  up  to  the  date  of  this 
report, the Company complied with all the provisions of the 
UK Corporate Governance Code, other than the exceptions 
noted below:

 • Provision  B.2.1  (regarding  the  Nomination  Committee 
leading the process for Board appointments and making 
recommendations to the Board)

Appointments  to  the  Board  are  recommended  by 
the  Nomination  Committee  and  further  details  on  the 
Committee  and  the  appointment  process  can  be  found 
on  pages  112  to  115.  In  accordance  with  the  Company’s 
relationship  agreement  with  its  principal  shareholder, 
Remgro  Limited  (“Remgro”),  further  details  of  which 
are  provided  on  pages  108  to  109  (the  "Relationship 
Agreement"),  Remgro  is  entitled  to  appoint  up  to  
the  Board.  
three  directors 
a  maximum  of 
Mr  Jannie  Durand  was  appointed  by  Remgro  on  
15  February  2016  and  represents  Remgro  on  the  Board 
of  Directors.  His  appointment  was  therefore  not  led  by 
the  Nomination  Committee.  With  the  exception  of  this 
appointment,  made  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the 

to 

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Relationship  Agreement,  the  Nomination  Committee 
leads  the  process  for  Board  appointments  and  makes 
recommendations  to  the  Board  in  accordance  with  the 
Code. No new Board appointments were made in terms of 
the Relationship Agreement during the year under review.

 • Provision B.2.4 (an explanation should be given if neither 
an external search consultancy nor open advertising has 
been  used  in  the  appointment  of  a  chairman  or  a  non-
executive director)

Neither  an  external  search  consultancy  nor  open 
advertising  was  used 
the  appointment  of  
in 
Dr  Muhadditha  Al  Hashimi  in  November  2017.  An 
explanation  is  given  in  the  report  of  the  Nomination 
Committee  on  page  113  regarding  external  search 
consultancies and open advertising of appointments.

AR

 • Provision  E.1.1  (regarding  the  attendance  by  the  Senior 
Independent Director (“SID”) of sufficient meetings with 
a range of major shareholders)

The  Company  has  not  met  the  requirement  that  the 
“SID  should  attend  sufficient  meetings  with  a  range  of 
major  shareholders  to  listen  to  their  views  in  order  to 
help  develop  a  balanced  understanding  of  the  issues  and 
concerns of major shareholders”. This provision of the Code 
supports the main principle of the Code requiring dialogue 
with  shareholders  based  on  a  mutual  understanding  of 
objectives  and  that  the  Chairman  should  ensure  that  all 
directors  are  made  aware  of  their  major  shareholders’ 
issues  and  concerns,  with  which  the  Company  complies. 
The  Board  believes  that  appropriate  mechanisms  are  in 
place to engage with shareholders, without the need for the 
SID to attend meetings with major shareholders. The SID is, 
however, available to attend such meetings if requested by 
shareholders and did so, along with the Chairman, this year 
as  requested  by  a  top  five  shareholder.  Although  the  SID 
and any other non-executive directors have the opportunity 
to attend analyst presentations hosted by the Company, the 
principal engagement with the capital markets lies mainly 
with  CEO,  CFO  and  the  Head  of  Investor  Relations,  who 
provide regular feedback to the Board on investor relations 
matters, including, inter alia, an overview of meetings held 
with  investors.  Refer  to  page  104  for  more  information  
on  the  Company’s  shareholder  engagement.  Further,  in 
April  2018  the  Group  commenced  a  detailed  perception 
study  using  a  third  party  independent  service  provider,  
the results of which will be shared with the Board.

AR

In  addition  to  complying  with  applicable  corporate 
governance  requirements  in  the  UK  in  accordance  with  its 
primary listing on the LSE, the Board is also satisfied that the 
Company meets all relevant requirements of the JSE Listings 
Requirements  and  the  NSX  Listings  Requirements  arising 
from  its  secondary  listings  on  the  JSE  securities  exchange 
in South Africa and the NSX securities exchange in Namibia.

BOARD STRUCTURE AND ROLES
The  Board  has  full  and  effective  control  of  the  Company 

and  all  material  resolutions  are  approved  by  the  Board. 

The  Board  has  adopted  a  robust  corporate  governance 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

framework,  as  summarised  in  Figure  1,  which  assists  the 
Board in the exercise of its responsibilities, namely providing 

strategic direction to the Company in order to create long-

term  shareholder  value.  A  Board  Charter  sets  out  the  key 

responsibilities of the Chairman, SID, non-executive directors, 

executive  directors,  the  CEO  and  the  Company  Secretary, 

FIGURE 1: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

CHAIRMAN

Dr Edwin Hertzog

Key responsibilities
 • Leads the Board 
 • Ensures the effective 

SENIOR INDEPENDENT 
DIRECTOR

Mr Desmond Smith

Key responsibilities
 • Provides a sounding board 

and outlines the roles of the various Board committees.

performance of the Board

for the Chairman

Board committees
The  Board  has  delegated  authority  to  five  committees 

to  carry  out  certain  tasks  on  its  behalf,  in  order  to  operate 

efficiently  and  provide  the  appropriate  level  of  attention 

and  consideration  to  relevant  matters,  while  reserving  the 

authority to approve certain key matters, as documented in 

the Group’s authority levels and reserved matters, which are 

reviewed  annually  by  the  Board.  The  key  responsibilities  of 
the Board committees, namely the Audit and Risk Committee, 

Remuneration  Committee,  Nomination  Committee,  Clinical 

Performance  and  Sustainability  Committee,  and  Investment 
Committee, are summarised in Figure 1. The terms of reference 
of  each  Board  committee,  which  are  reviewed  annually  by 

the  relevant  committee  and  approved  by  the  Board,  are 
available  on  the  Company’s  website  at  www.mediclinic.com. 
Reports on the role, composition and activities of the Audit 

and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination 

Committee,  Clinical  Performance 

and  Sustainability 

Committee are included in this Annual Report.

During the year, the Board approved the constitution of the 

 • Works closely with 

the CEO to ensure the 
implementation of Board-
approved actions
 • Ensures effective 

communications with 
shareholders

The Chairman’s other 
significant commitments are 
indicated in his biography on 
page 86.

 • Acts, if necessary, as a focal 
point and intermediary for 
other directors

 • Available to shareholders 

should they have concerns 
if contact outside the 
normal channels is required
 • Leads the annual appraisal 

of the Chairman’s 
performance and non-
executive directors’ 
independence

AR

BOARD1,2,3

Membership: 
One non-executive Chairman, one other non-executive director, eight 
independent non-executive directors and two executive directors

Key responsibilities
 • Responsible for the effective oversight of the Company
 • Agrees the strategic direction of the Group and the nature and 

extent of the principal risks it is willing to take 

 • Establishes the governance structure, corporate reporting, risk 
management and internal control principles for the Group

Disclosure Committee as a management committee, instead 

 • Sets appropriate corporate culture and ensures it is embedded 

of a Board committee, further details of which are provided 

below.

Separation of Chairman and CEO roles
There  is  a  distinct  division  of  responsibilities  between  the 
Chairman  and  the  CEO,  as  summarised  in  Figure  1.  The 
separation  of  authority,  which  is  set  out  in  writing  and 

agreed  by  the  Board  in  a  policy  on  the  segregation  of  the 

roles of the Chairman and the CEO, enhances independent 

oversight of executive management by the Board and helps 

to ensure that no one individual on the Board has unfettered 

powers or authority.

Notes
1 

 Dr  Ronnie  van  der  Merwe  (currently  Chief  Clinical  Officer)  will 
succeed Mr Meintjes as CEO with effect from 1 June 2018. Subject 
to  his  re-election  as  a  director  of  the  Company  at  the  AGM,  
Mr  Meintjes  will  continue  to  serve  as  an  executive  director  until  
31  July  2018  and  as  a  non-executive  director  with  effect  from  
1 August 2018.

2   Prof  Dr  Leu  and  Ms  Mandela  will  retire  from  the  Board  and  the 

Board committees upon the conclusion of the AGM.
3   Formerly named Capita Company Secretarial Services. 

throughout the Group 

 • Accountable to shareholders for the long-term success of the 

Group and delivering value to shareholders 

 • Delegates authority to Board committees to carry out certain 

tasks on its behalf

The biographies of the Board members are set out on pages 86  
to 89.

AR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Mr Danie Meintjes – CEO1
Mr Jurgens Myburgh – CFO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER

Mr Danie Meintjes1

Key responsibilities
 • Contribute detailed 

insight of the operations 
of the business, enabling 
the Board to determine 
feasibility and practicality  
of proposed strategies, 
goals and direction
 • Make and implement 
operational decisions

Key responsibilities
 • Leads and oversees the 
executive management 
team

 • Manages the business  

of the Group

 • Progresses, develops 
and oversees the 
implementation of Board-
approved actions, and the 
strategic direction of the 
Group and its commercial 
objectives 

 • Ensures appropriate  

culture and governance  
are embedded throughout 
the Group.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Mr Jannie Durand, 
Mr Alan Grieve, Dr Felicity Harvey,  
Mr Seamus Keating, Prof Dr Robert Leu2,  
Ms Nandi Mandela2, Mr Trevor Petersen,  
Mr Desmond Smith

Key responsibilities
 • Support the development of the 

Group’s strategy

 • Scrutinise the performance of 

management 

 • Provide constructive challenge, drawing 
on their skills, experience and judgement

 • Satisfy themselves on the integrity of 
the Group’s financial reporting and on 
the effectiveness of its internal controls 
and risk management systems

 • Determine the remuneration of 

executive directors 

 • Approve the appointment or removal 
of directors and review succession 
planning

Membership
Four independent non-executive 
directors 

Key responsibilities
 • Reviews and monitors the 

integrity of the Group’s financial 
reporting

 • Reviews and monitors the 

Group’s relationship with 
the external auditor and the 
effectiveness of the external 
audit

 • Reviews the effectiveness 

of the Group’s internal audit 
arrangements 

 • Reviews and monitors the 

effectiveness of the Group’s 
internal controls systems and 
risk management processes

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE 
AND SUSTAINABILITY 
COMMITTEE

Membership
Four independent non-executive 
directors, one non-executive director 
and one executive director 

Key responsibilities
 • Monitors clinical performance 

throughout the Group 

 • Promotes culture of excellence 
in patient safety, quality of care 
and patient experience, together 
with Mediclinic’s values, ethical 
standards and behaviours
 • Monitors the sustainable 

development performance of the 
Group 

 • Ensures the Group is a good and 
responsible corporate citizen

COMPANY SECRETARY

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Link Company Matters3

Key responsibilities
 • Acts as secretary to the Board and its 

committees

 • Provides advice and guidance to 

the Board collectively and directors 
individually with regard to their duties, 
responsibilities and powers

 • Ensures the effective administration 
of proceedings and matters related 
to the Board, the Company and its 
shareholders

 • A point of contact for shareholders  
on corporate governance matters

Membership
Three independent non-executive 
directors 

Key responsibilities
 • Makes recommendations to the 
Board on the Company’s policy 
on executive remuneration

 • Establishes the parameters and 

governance of the Remuneration 
Policy 

 • Determines the remuneration 
and benefits package for 
individual executive directors 
and other members of executive 
management

Membership
Two independent  
non-executive directors,  
two non-executive directors  
and two executive directors 

Key responsibilities
 • Reviews and approves proposed 

investments and capital 
expenditures within its authority 
levels

 • Reviews and makes 

recommendations to the Board 
regarding proposed investments 
and capital expenditures that 
exceed its own authority level

 • Monitors performance of 
approved investments

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DISCLOSURE COMMITTEE

NOMINATION COMMITTEE

Membership
CEO, CFO, Chief Corporate Services Officer, 
Chief Clinical Officer, Chief Information 
Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer and 
the three divisional CEOs 

Key responsibilities
 • Responsible for the executive 

management of the Group’s businesses

 • Considers investment opportunities, 

operational matters and other  
aspects of strategic importance  
to the Group and make 
recommendations to the Board

 • Performs any other functions 

delegated to management by  
the Board 

The Disclosure Committee was 
re-constituted from a Board to a 
management committee during the 
year, reflecting common practice 
amongst the majority of FTSE 
100 companies. The information 
below reflects its status as a Board 
committee up to March 2018. 

Membership
Two independent non-executive 
directors and two executive directors 

Key responsibilities
 •

Identifies inside information and 
makes recommendations about 
how such information should be 
disclosed

 • Reviews and monitors internal 
arrangements regarding inside 
information in accordance with 
the EU Market Abuse Regulation

Membership
Three independent non-executive 
directors and two non-executive 
directors 

Key responsibilities
 • Reviews the structure, size, and 

 •

composition of the Board
Identifies and recommends 
potential candidates to be 
appointed as directors or 
members of Board committees, 
as the need arises

 • Reviews succession planning and 
diversity within the Board, the 
Executive Committee and their 
direct reports

94 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

BOARD MEETINGS

Meeting attendance
The names of all the directors who served during the reporting period are set out in Figure 2 below, together with their 
attendance  of  Board  meetings  held  during  the  period  under  review.  Their  biographies  are  provided  on  pages  86  to  89. 

AR

Members’ attendance of Investment Committee and Disclosure Committee meetings held during the period under review is 
set out in Figure 3 and Figure 4, respectively. Individual directors’ attendance at Board and Board committee meetings is 
considered part of the formal annual review of their performance. When a director is unable to attend a Board or committee 

meeting, they communicate their comments and observations on the matters to be considered in advance of the meeting 

via the Chairman, the SID or relevant Board committee chairman for raising, as appropriate, during the meeting.

FIGURE 2: BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE

NAME1

DESIGNATION

Dr Edwin Hertzog

Non-executive Chairman

Mr Danie Meintjes

Chief Executive Officer

Mr Jurgens Myburgh

Chief Financial Officer

Mr Desmond Smith

Senior Independent Director

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT

15/02/2016

15/02/2016

01/08/2016

15/02/2016

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi3

Independent non-executive director

01/11/2017

Mr Jannie Durand

Non-executive director

15/02/2016

Mr Alan Grieve

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

Dr Felicity Harvey4

Independent non-executive director

03/10/2017

Mr Seamus Keating

Independent non-executive director

05/06/2013

Prof Dr Robert Leu

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

Ms Nandi Mandela

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

Mr Trevor Petersen

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

FIGURE 3: INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCE

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED2

7 of 7

7 of 7

7 of 7

7 of 7

3 of 3

7 of 7

7 of 7

3 of 3

7 of 7

7 of 7

7 of 7

7 of 7

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT  
(as committee member)

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED5

19/02/2016

19/02/2016

01/08/2016

19/02/2016

2 of 2

2 of 2

2 of 2

2 of 2

2 of 2

1 of 2

NAME1

DESIGNATION

Dr Edwin Hertzog  
(Committee Chairman)

Non-executive Chairman

Mr Danie Meintjes

Chief Executive Officer

Mr Jurgens Myburgh

Chief Financial Officer

Mr Jannie Durand

Non-executive director

Mr Alan Grieve

Independent non-executive director

19/02/2016

Mr Seamus Keating6

Independent non-executive director

19/02/2016

96 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FIGURE 4: DISCLOSURE COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCE

NAME1

DESIGNATION

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT  
(as committee member)

NUMBER OF 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED7

Mr Alan Grieve7  
(Committee Chairman)

Mr Danie Meintjes

Mr Jurgens Myburgh8

Independent non-executive director

17/03/2017

CEO

CFO

15/02/2016

01/08/2016

Mr Seamus Keating7, 9

Independent non-executive director

02/06/2017

7 of 7

7 of 7

6 of 7

3 of 3

Notes
1 

 The composition of the Board and its Committees is shown as at 31 March 2018. Dr Van der Merwe’s appointment as CEO and a director of 
the Company will take effect on 1 June 2018. Therefore, during the financial year, he was not eligible to attend meetings of the Board and 
its committees as a member.

2   The attendance reflects the number of scheduled Board meetings held during the financial year. Five additional ad hoc meetings were 
held during the financial year to deal with urgent matters; the majority of directors made themselves available at short notice for these 
meetings. Between the Company’s financial year end and the Last Practicable Date, the Board met once and all members who were eligible 
to attend did so.

3   Dr Al Hashimi was appointed an independent non-executive director of the Company on 1 November 2017 and attended all subsequent 

scheduled Board meetings.

4   Dr  Harvey  was  appointed  an  independent  non-executive  director  of  the  Company  on  3  October  2017  and  attended  all  subsequent 

scheduled Board meetings.

5   The attendance reflects the number of scheduled meetings of the Investment Committee held during the financial year. The Investment 
Committee  held  two  additional  ad  hoc  meetings  during  the  financial  year  to  deal  with  urgent  matters,  which  were  attended  by  all 
Committee members. Between the Company’s financial year end and the Last Practicable Date, the Investment Committee met once and 
all members were present.

6   One of the scheduled meetings of the Investment Committee had to be rearranged at short notice, which meant Mr Keating was unable 

to attend due to other commitments.

7   The attendance reflects the number of ad hoc meetings of the Disclosure Committee held during the financial year. Prior to the year end, 
the Disclosure Committee was re-constituted as a management committee. Consequently, both Mr Grieve and Mr Keating stepped down 
from the Disclosure Committee with effect from 28 March 2018.

8   Mr Myburgh was unable to attend one meeting of the Disclosure Committee for personal reasons. Nevertheless, a quorum was present at 

the meeting.

9   Mr Keating was appointed as a member of the Disclosure Committee with effect from 2 June 2017 and attended all subsequent meetings 

of the Disclosure Committee.

The  attendance  of  the  other  Board  committee  meetings  is  set  out  in  the  reports  of  the  Audit  and  Risk  Committee,  the 
Nomination Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee included 
in this Annual Report.

Principal Board activities
Figure 5 outlines a number of specific areas that the Board focused on during the year under review. The Board’s annual agenda 
plan is designed to ensure that sufficient time is allocated to ensure all necessary matters are addressed. The agendas are adjusted 
throughout the course of the year to prioritise relevant issues and ensure focused consideration of strategic priorities. Sufficient 
time is provided for the Chairman to meet privately with the SID and non-executive directors to discuss any issues arising.

STRATEGIC GOALS
(As described in Our Strategy, Progress and Aims from 
page 14)

AR

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES 
CATEGORIES 
(as described in Risk Management, Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties from page 44)

1  Putting Patients First

1  Strategic and business environment

2  Improving Group and operational efficiencies

2  Financial and reporting

3  Continuing to grow

3  Operational 

4  Continuing to address the business environment

4  Information technology

AR

AR

5  Compliance risks

6  Clinical risks

7  People risks

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

STRATEGIC
 GOALS

PRINCIPAL
 RISKS

1   2   3   4

1   2

2   3

1   2   3   6   7

1   2   3   4

2   3   4   5   6   7

1   2   4

5   6   7

2   3

1   2

FIGURE 5: PRINCIPAL BOARD ACTIVITIES

AR

AR

AR

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STRATEGY AND BUSINESS PLANS

 • Monitored progress against the Group’s overall strategic objectives and 
goals (re-affirmed during the financial year), including the long-term 
business plan and annual budget for each operating division and  the 
Group as a whole

Refer to Our Strategy, Progress and Aims from page 14. 

 • Considered requests for approval of investments and business 

development transactions of a size that require Board approval, such as 
expanding Mediclinic Airport Road and building a hospital in Madinat 
Zayed (both in Abu Dhabi) and the acquisition of Hirslanden Klinik 
Linde (Switzerland) 

 • Considered options regarding the Group’s investment in Spire, including 

the proposed acquisition of Spire 

 • Discussed other potential opportunities for growth and cooperation in 

new jurisdictions 

Refer to the Divisional Reviews from page 52 and the Chief Executive 
Officer's Review from page 20. 

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

 • Discussed regular reports from the CEO on the operating performance 
of the Group’s divisions, central functions and the Group’s investment in 
Spire 

 • Received in-depth reviews of each division from the divisional CEOs 
 • Discussed initiatives being undertaken to counter declines in tariffs and 

volumes and to drive greater cost efficiencies 

Refer to the Chief Executive Officer’s Review from page 20, the Divisional 
Reviews from page 52.

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE

 • Discussed regular reports from the Chief Clinical Officer and the Clinical 

Performance and the Sustainability Committee, on matters such as 
clinical indicators for patient safety, clinical effectiveness and clinical 
cost efficiency, accreditation of doctors and facilities, implementation  
of clinical information systems and clinical governance matters across 
the Group

Refer to the Clinical Services Overview from page 34.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, REPORTING, TAX STRATEGY 
AND DIVIDEND POLICY

 • Discussed regular reports from the CFO on the actual and forecast 
financial performance of each division and the Group as a whole
 • Reviewed and approved the half-year and full-year trading updates, 

the interim financial report, the Annual Report and the corresponding 
results announcement and investor presentations, with support from 
the Disclosure Committee, as appropriate

 • Considered the capital structure and financing options for Hirslanden 
and approved the refinancing structure implemented during FY18 

 • Reviewed and adopted a Group tax strategy
 • Considered and approved decisions regarding the interim and final 

dividends paid during FY18, taking account of the Company’s dividend 
policy and previous dividends paid 

AR

Refer to the Financial Review from page 24.

98 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FIGURE 5: PRINCIPAL BOARD ACTIVITIES (continued)

RISK MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROLS

 • Reviewed bi-annual feedback provided by the Group Risk Manager on 
the Group’s risk appetite, risk management framework, internal control 
systems, and statutory and regulatory compliance 

 • Reviewed the going concern and long-term viability statements, based 

on the principal risks and uncertainties for the Group 

 • Conducted a robust assessment of the Group’s principal risks and 

uncertainties and mitigating actions

 • Conducted a robust assessment of the effectiveness of the Group’s 

internal control systems and risk management processes 

 • Monitored progress on the establishment of an in-house internal audit 
function, to transition away from the outsourcing arrangement with 
Remgro, the Company’s principal shareholder

Refer to the report on Risk Management, Principal Risks and 
Uncertainties from page 44 and the Audit and Risk Committee Report 
from page 120.

AR

ICT

 • Considered regular reports from the Chief Information Officer 
 • Received updates on the Group’s ICT infrastructure, strategy, risks, 
potential impact, existing controls, and mitigants and proposed 
enhancements

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 • Considered developments in corporate governance and disclosure 
requirements resulting from the reviews conducted by the UK 
Government, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial 
Strategy and proposals to update the UK Corporate Governance Code

 • Considered the feedback from the Hampton Alexander and Parker 
reviews, and enhanced existing policies and succession planning 
arrangements to improve the diversity of the Board, the senior 
management team and their direct reports 

 • Reviewed and approved the Company’s updated Modern Slavery  

Act statement

 • Considered feedback: from the Audit and Risk Committee in respect 
of tax and non-audit services disclosures: from the Remuneration 
Committee in relation to executive remuneration; and from the 
Nomination Committee in relation to diversity, the appointment of a 
new CEO and the appointment of new non-executive directors

 • The  Board  reviewed  and  approved  all  Group  policies  and  procedures, 

including in relation to:

 – Board Charter and committees’ terms of reference

 – authority levels and matters reserved for the Board

 – business conduct and ethics

 – anti-bribery

 – sustainable development and environment

 – Board diversity

 – EU Market Abuse Regulation

 – code of practice for dealing in the Company’ securities

 – internal audit mandate

 – treasury policy and procedures

 – tax strategy

STRATEGIC
 GOALS

PRINCIPAL
 RISKS

2   3

1   2   3   4   5   6   7

2   3

3   4

1   2   3

1   3   5

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

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STRATEGIC
 GOALS

PRINCIPAL
 RISKS

2   3   4

1   2   3   6   7

1   2   3   4

1   2   3   4   5   6   7

FIGURE 5: PRINCIPAL BOARD ACTIVITIES (continued)

SUSTAINABILITY

 • Considered the feedback from the Clinical Performance and 
Sustainability Committee on sustainability matters after each 
committee meeting 

 • Monitored the broad-based black economic empowerment initiatives 

being undertaken by the Group in South Africa 

Refer to the Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee Report 
from page 116.

LEADERSHIP

 • Considered the recommendations of the Nomination Committee 
regarding the composition of the Board and its committees and 
potential candidates to fill the vacancies identified, and approved: 

 – the appointment of two new female independent non-executive 

directors with different backgrounds, skills and experience to 

broaden the diversity and refresh the Board’s composition;

 – the appointment of Dr Van der Merwe to succeed Mr Meintjes as 

CEO after a robust selection process; and

 – the proposed continued involvement of Mr Meintjes in the Company 

as an executive director until 31 July 2018 and as a non-executive 

director from 1 August 2018, in view of the wealth of knowledge and 

experience he will continue to offer to the Group

 • Reviewed the outcomes and agreed actions after the externally 

facilitated evaluation of the composition, structure and functioning of 
the Board 

Refer to the Nomination Committee Report from page 112 and the section 
regarding the Board evaluation on page 102.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

 • Mediclinic’s network of stakeholders is vital to building a successful  

and sustainable business 

Refer to the Stakeholder Interest and Board Engagement section  
further below.

BOARD COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY
The delivery of the Company’s long-term strategy depends 

The following changes to the Board will take place after the 

publication of this Annual Report:

on attracting and retaining the right skills across the Group, 

 • Dr Van der Merwe will succeed Mr Meintjes as CEO and 

starting with the Board, as well as the executive management 

is appointed a director of the Company with effect from 

team, and their direct reports. A list of the Company’s current 

1 June 2018; 

directors,  including  their  biographies,  who  were  in  office 

 •

subject to his re-election as a director at the Company’s 

during the year and up to the date of signing the financial 

2018  AGM,  Mr  Meintjes  will  continue  to  serve  as  an 

statements, can be found on pages 86 to 89 and page 96.

executive  director  until  31  July  2018  and  as  a  non-

As  at  31  March  2018  and  as  at  the  date  of  this  Annual 

Report,  the  Board  comprised  the  non-executive  Chairman, 

a  non-executive  director,  eight  independent  non-executive 

directors,  and  two  executive  directors  from  wide-ranging 

backgrounds  and  with  varying  industry  and  professional 

experience.  The  Company  complies  with  the  Code’s 

recommendation  that  at  least  half  the  Board  should  be 

independent.

executive director with effect from 1 August 2018; and

 • Ms Mandela and Prof Dr Leu will retire as directors of the 

Company at the end of the AGM. 

The  Company’s  Chairman,  Dr  Hertzog,  is  not  considered 

to  be  an  independent  director  given  his  involvement  as 

Chief  Executive  of  Mediclinic  International  Limited  until  his 

appointment  as  Chairman  in  1992  and  his  position  as  non-

executive Deputy Chairman of Remgro Limited, the principal 

100 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

shareholder of the Company. Nonetheless, given his in-depth 
industry knowledge and experience, the Board considers it in 
the best interests of the Company that he serves as Chairman.

The  Board’s  diversity  policy  statement  is  set  out  on  

page  113  to  114.  For  details  on  the  diversity  of  the  Group, 

including  a  breakdown  by  gender,  age  and  race  (only  for 

Mr Meintjes would also not meet the criteria to be considered 
an independent non-executive director. The Board considered 
his  proposed  appointment  as  a  non-executive  director 
and,  after  careful  deliberation,  concluded  his  appointment 
is  in  the  best  interests  of  the  Group,  its  shareholders  and 
other  stakeholders,  taking  into  account  the  knowledge  and 
experience of the industry and the business that Mr Meintjes 
has developed over 30 years in different capacities across the 
business, and the overall composition of the Board. 

Mediclinic recognises the importance and benefits of having 
a diverse Board, and believes that diversity at Board level is 
an essential element in maintaining a competitive advantage. 
The Board considers that diversity is not limited to gender 
and that a diverse Board will include and make good use of 
differences in the skills, geographic and industry experience, 
background,  race,  gender  and  other  characteristics  of 
directors.

AR

The  Board  seeks  to  construct  an  effective,  robust,  well 
balanced  and  complementary  Board,  whose  capability 
is  appropriate  for  the  nature,  complexity  and  strategic 
demands of the business. The Nomination Committee leads 
the  process  for  Board  appointments  as  further  detailed  in 
the  Nomination  Committee  Report.  The  Board  and  the 
Nomination Committee actively consider the structure, size 
and  composition  of  the  Board  and  its  committees  when 
contemplating  new  appointments  and  succession  planning 
for  the  year  ahead.  A  range  of  diversity  factors  are  taken 
into account in determining the optimum composition of the 
Board and its committees, together with the need to balance 
their composition and refresh this progressively over time.

The  Company’s  non-executive  directors  come  from  a  wide 
range of industries, backgrounds and geographic locations 
and  have  appropriate  experience  of  organisations  with 
international reach. The skills and expertise of the Board have 
been extended and reinforced through the appointment of 
Drs  Al  Hashimi  and  Harvey.  Nevertheless,  the  Nomination 
Committee will continue to consider and develop succession 
plans for the Board and its committees. No quota regarding 
gender  balance  has  been  set.  However,  the  Nomination 
Committee and Board remain committed to ensuring that the 
business  benefits  from  a  diverse  Board.  Accordingly,  when 
considering Board appointments and internal promotions at 
senior  level,  the  Company  will  continue  to  take  account  of 
relevant  voluntary  guidelines  and  the  performance  of  peer 
companies  in  fulfilling  their  role  regarding  diversity,  while 
seeking to ensure that each post is offered strictly on merit 

to the best available candidate.

South  Africa)  on  the  Board  and  senior  management  roles, 
see the section on Employees on pages 109 to 110. Figure 
6  provides  an  overview  of  the  Board’s  composition  and 
diversity in terms of gender and experience.

FIGURE 6: BOARD COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY

Financial services
(accounting,
banking, insurance)

Healthcare

Technology

32%

Academia

Infrastructure

Industrials

Consumer goods

5%

5%

5%

11%

10%

32%

Industry sector
experience

17%

17%

66%

Independent non-executive 
directors

Non-executive directors

Executive directors

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

EVALUATION OF THE BOARD, 
COMMITTEES AND CHAIRMAN
During  the  year  under  review,  the  Board  conducted  an 

external evaluation to review performance and effectiveness 

of  the  Board  as  a  whole,  the  Board  committees  and  the 

Chairman. The evaluation process was conducted by way of 

externally facilitated questionnaires and discussions with the 

Chairman of the Board and each committee. The results of 

the evaluation of the Board committees were considered by 

the relevant committee prior to their presentation, together 

with  all  other  evaluations,  for  discussion  at  the  Board 

meeting held in March 2018.

 • The  relationships  and  dynamics  between  members  of 
the  Board  were  reviewed,  and  the  atmosphere  during 
meetings was assessed.

 • The management and focus of the Board meetings were 
considered,  and  Board  members  identified  areas  which 
they felt that either too much or too little time is spent.

 • The  performance  of  the  Board  in  overseeing  strategy, 
risk, human resources and management succession was 
addressed, and the top strategic issues facing Mediclinic 
were identified by the directors.

 • The  members  of  the  Board  also  identified  the  top 
priorities for improving the Board’s performance over the 
coming year.

The  Company  will  continue  to  conduct  an  externally 

 • The performance of the Chairman and each of the Board 

facilitated  performance  evaluation  every  three  years,  and 

committees was reviewed.

internal self-evaluations in the intervening years.

Mediclinic  engaged  Lintstock  to  facilitate  an  evaluation 

of  the  performance  of  the  Board,  the  Chairman  and  its 

committees.  Lintstock  is  an  advisory  firm  that  specialises 

in  Board  reviews,  and  provides  no  other  services  to  the 

Company.  The  first  stage  of  the  review  involved  Lintstock 

engaging  with  the  Chairmen  of  the  Board  and  the  various 

In  addition  to  these  core  aspects  of  Board  performance, 
the  review  involved  a  case  study  on  a  recent  transaction, 

to  enable  the  Board  to  draw  lessons  from  the  process.  The 

output  of  the  review  was  discussed  at  a  subsequent  Board 

meeting  in  March  2018  and,  as  a  result  of  the  exercise,  the 

Board agreed to prioritise an ongoing focus on clinical quality 

and outcomes, devote further time to strategic matters and 

Board  committees  and  the  Company  Secretary  to  set  the 

continue to support the new CEO in settling into the role.

context  for  the  evaluation  and  determine  the  scope  of  the 

evaluation,  having  regard  to  the  specific  circumstances  of 

Mediclinic.  All  Board  members  were  invited  to  complete  a 

set  of  online  surveys  addressing  the  performance  of  the 

Board,  the  Chairman  and  the  committees.  The  anonymity 

of the respondents was ensured throughout the process in 

order to promote an open and frank exchange of views.

Lintstock  subsequently  produced  a  report  addressing  the 

following areas of performance:

 • The  composition  of  the  Board  was  reviewed  and  

directors provided their views on key changes that ought 

to be made to the Board’s profile over the next three to 

five years to match the Company’s strategy.

 • The  Board’s  understanding  of 

the  shareholders, 
employees,  doctors  and  patients  was  assessed,  as  was 
the  directors’  knowledge  of  the  markets  in  which  the 
Company operates and the regulatory environment.

There was a separate evaluation of the individual performance 

of  the  directors  and  their  independence  undertaken  by  the 

Nomination Committee and discussed by the Board.

STAKEHOLDER INTEREST AND 
BOARD ENGAGEMENT
Mediclinic  recognises  its  accountability  to  its  stakeholders. 

Effective communication with stakeholders, not just at Board 

level but across the whole Group, is fundamental in maintaining 

Mediclinic’s corporate reputation as a trusted and respected 

provider  of  healthcare  services,  and  positioning  itself  as  a 

leading  international  private  healthcare  group.  The  Group’s 

key stakeholders, methods of engagement, topics discussed 
or  concerns  raised  are  outlined  further  in  the  Sustainable 
Development Report, available on the Company’s website at 
www.mediclinic.com.

SDR

102 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

STAKEHOLDERS

Patients

Shareholders

People

Regulators

Healthcare funders

WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT  
TO US

HOW THE BOARD HAS 
ENGAGED

Patients lie at the heart of Mediclinic’s 
core purpose, strategy and objectives. 
The long-term success of the Group is 
built on its ability to understand and serve 
patients’ needs.

 • Regular reviews of clinical performance 
indicators and their evolution over time

 • Review of patient experience index 

and implementation of resulting action 
plans

Shareholder support and engagement 
is critical to the delivery of Mediclinic’s 
long-term strategy and the business’ 
sustainability. 

Mediclinic’s ownership structure allows 
management and the Board to adopt a 
long-term approach to value creation, 
consistent with the nature of the business.

Mediclinic’s ability to provide 
comprehensive, high-quality healthcare 
and be regarded as the most respected 
and trusted provider of healthcare 
services depends on attracting and 
retaining suitably qualified healthcare 
professionals and other employees.

Mediclinic can only operate with the 
approval of its regulators, who have a 
legitimate interest in how the Group runs 
its business and treats its patients. 

Government and private sector funders 
of healthcare services are critical to 
Mediclinic’s success. 

Mediclinic aims to demonstrate to funders 
that it provides high-quality, effective and 
efficient services. 

 • Considered investors’ views and 

feedback

 • Through the executive directors, sought 
to increase the amount and quality 
of engagement with shareholders, to 
continue to develop their understanding 
of investors’ views

 • Consultation regarding key developments
 • Attendance by Dr Hertzog at annual 
and half-yearly results presentations

 • Review of annual employee engagement 
surveys and implementation of resulting 
action plans

 • Monitoring of remuneration 

arrangements across the Group
 • Regular communications through 
management briefings, internal 
announcements

 • Encourages a constructive dialogue with 

the Group’s regulators

 • Monitors clinical, regulatory and 

legal compliance through regular 
management reports

 • Regularly reviews the clinical 

performance indicators across the 
Group

 • Encourages the development and 
publication of clinical performance 
information

 • Encourage a constructive dialogue with 

the Group’s healthcare funders

Suppliers

To deliver its services, Mediclinic depends 
on a large and diverse range of suppliers.

 • Review and approval of the Company’s 
arrangements regarding modern slavery

 • Payment practices and performance 

reporting in the UK

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

Shareholder engagement
Responsibility  for  shareholder  relations  rests  with  the 

Chairman,  CEO,  CFO,  SID  and  Head  of  Investor  Relations. 

AR

Collectively, but mainly through the CEO, CFO and Head of 

Investor  Relations,  as  referred  to  on  page  93,  they  ensure 

that there is effective, regular and clear communication with 

shareholders  on  matters  such  as  operational  performance, 

The Group receives regular feedback from investors which is 

appreciated by the Board. This year the Group formalised the 

investor feedback and perception study process. QuantiFire, 

on  behalf  of  the  Group,  collects  feedback  and  confidence 

measures  from  investors  and  presents  these  results  on  a 

quarterly basis in addition to carrying out a detailed annual 

perception study exercise that commenced around year-end.

regulatory  changes,  governance  and  strategy.  In  addition, 

Shareholders  can  access  details  of  the  Group’s  results  and 

they are responsible for ensuring that the Board understands 

other  news  releases  through  the  LSE’s  Regulatory  News 

the  views  of  shareholders  on  matters  such  as  governance 

Service  and  the  Johannesburg  Stock  Exchange  News 

and  strategy.  The  Board  is  supported  by  the  Company’s 

Service. In addition, the Group publishes the announcements 

corporate brokers with whom it is in constant dialogue. The 

Disclosure Committee assists the Board to ensure the timely 

and accurate disclosure of all information that is required to 

in  the  Investor  Relations  section  of  the  Group’s  website  at 
www.mediclinic.com.  Shareholders  and  other  interested 
parties can subscribe to email news updates by registering 

be so disclosed to meet the legal and regulatory obligations 

on the website. 

and requirements arising from its listing on the LSE.

The  Group  continually  looks  for  ways  to  improve  its  use 

During the year, the investor relations programme included 

of  online  channels  to  communicate  with  our  stakeholders 

regular  communication  with  the  capital  markets  including 

through  the  corporate  website  and  webcasting.  Currently 

investor  meetings,  attendance  at  investor  conferences, 

the Group is investing in a new corporate website which will 

roadshows,  presentations,  site  visits  and  ad  hoc  events 

enhance accessibility to information and user experience.

with investors, sell-side analysts and sales teams. Members 

of  the  Board,  senior  management  and  investor  relations 

department met with over 200 institutions and participated 

in  some  20  roadshows,  investor  conferences  and  ad  hoc  

capital  market  events  across  the  UK,  Continental  Europe, 

South Africa and North America. A breakdown of the fund 

manager style and geographic holdings as at year end are 
provided in Figures 7 and 8 respectively.

In  June  2018,  the  Group  will  host  a  Capital  Markets  Day 

and  site  visit  for  investors  and  analysts  in  Switzerland. 

Several  Executive  Committee  members  will  be  presenting 

at  the  event  including  the  Group’s  newly  appointed  CEO,  

Dr  Van  der  Merwe,  with  all  presentations  available  to  view 

via a live webcast on the Group’s website.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Internal controls and risk management
The Group has comprehensive risk management and internal 

control  systems  in  place.  These  systems  are  designed  to 

identify  and  appropriately  mitigate  the  principal  risks  of 

the business and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the 

Group’s  financial  reporting,  while  facilitating  the  delivery 

and  sustainability  of  the  Group  financial,  operational  and 

strategic objectives.

The  Board  is  responsible  for  reviewing  and  confirming  the 

effectiveness  of  risk  management  and  internal  controls 

operated  by  the  Group.  This  includes  all  material  controls, 

FIGURE 7: STYLE OF FUND MANAGER BREAKDOWN

FIGURE 8: GEOGRAPHIC HOLDING

4%

6%

6%

8%

13%

24%

Corporate

GARP

Growth

45%

Retail

Index

Value and growth

Other

Rest of Africa

UK

43%

30%

North America

Western Europe and Nordic

14%

Other

10%

1%

2%

Remgro (South Africa)

104 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
including financial, operational and compliance controls. The 

Board has delegated to the Audit and Risk Committee the 

tasks of evaluating the Group’s risk management procedures, 

assessing  the  effectiveness  of  the  internal  controls  and 

monitoring  the  integrity  of  the  Group’s  reporting,  but 

maintains  strong  and  regular  oversight  of  the  outcome  of 

the Audit and Risk Committee’s work.

Ethics and compliance
Conducting business in an honest, fair and legal manner is a 

fundamental guiding principle in Mediclinic, which is actively 

endorsed by the Board and management, ensuring that the 

highest ethical standards are maintained in all our dealings 

with  stakeholders.  The  Group’s  commitment  to  ethical 

standards is set out in the Group’s values, and is supported 

The  key  features  of  the  Group’s  internal  control  systems 

include  clearly  defined  delegations  of  authority  and 

lines  of  accountability;  policies  and  procedures  covering 

the  management  of  the  Group’s  financial  resources,  the 

by  the  Company’s  Code  of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics 
(the  “Ethics  Code”)  which  is  available  on  the  website  at 
www.mediclinic.com. The Ethics Code provides a framework 
of  the  standards  of  business  conduct  and  ethics  that  are 

preparation of financial reports, governance of key projects 

required  of  all  business  divisions,  directors  and  employees 

and security of information and communications technology; 

within  the  Group  in  order  to  promote  and  enforce  ethical 

periodic  checks  conducted  by  the  Internal  Audit  function; 

business practices and standards throughout the Group. The 

representation  letters  from  the  divisional  CEOs  regarding 

Ethics  Code  is  available  to  all  staff  and  communicated  to 

the  key  risks  and  mitigating  actions  for  their  division;  and 
review of the disclosures within the annual, half-yearly report 

and other price-sensitive reports by the divisional CEOs and 

CFOs and the Group senior management team as relevant, 

as well as the Audit and Risk Committee and the Board, to 

ensure that they fulfil the relevant requirements.

The  Group’s  governance  structure  for  risk  management  is 
illustrated in Figure 9 below.

FIGURE 9: GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF RISK 
MANAGEMENT

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Board of 
Directors

Audit 
and Risk 
Committee

Responsible for our 
system of corporate 
governance, strategy, 
risk management and 
financial performance

Responsible for 
reviewing and approving 
the adequacy and 
effectiveness of our risk 
management and internal 
controls

Senior 
management 
team

Supports the CEO in 
managing the Group’s 
business and activities

Operating 
divisions

Responsible for 
identifying, assessing, 
implementing and 
managing risks within 
their businesses

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A  review  of  the  Group’s  risk  management  approach  and 
internal control systems is further discussed in the Strategic 
Report  on  pages  44  to  49.  For  detail  on  the  management 
and mitigation of each principal risk see pages 44 to 48. The 

Group’s viability statement is detailed on pages 50 and 51. 

Please refer to pages 120 to 129 for further detail in relation 

to the Audit and Risk Committee’s role.

new employees as part of the on-boarding process.

Compliance with relevant laws, regulations, accepted standards 

or codes is integral to the Group’s risk management process 

and is monitored in accordance with the terms of the Group’s 

Regulatory Compliance Policy.

Slavery and human trafficking
The  Board  has  considered  and  approved  the  Company’s 

updated 

slavery  and  human 

trafficking 

statement  

for  the  year  under  review,  as  required  in  terms  of  the  

Modern  Slavery  Act  2015.  The  updated  statement  reflects 

the  steps  taken  by  the  Group  to  enhance  its  internal 

processes and due diligence of suppliers to prevent slavery 

and human trafficking and demonstrate its commitment to 

this  objective.  A  link  to  the  Company’s  slavery  and  human 

trafficking statement can be found on the home page of the 
Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

Fraud and corruption
The  Group  adopts  a  zero-tolerance  policy  to  unethical 

business conduct, in particular fraud and corruption, which 

is addressed in the Group’s Ethics Code and the Anti-bribery 
Policy.  Refer  to  the  Audit  and  Risk  Committee  Report  on 
page 128 for an overview of the Group’s approach to fraud 

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and corruption.

Competition laws
The Group supports and adheres to the relevant competition 

and  anti-trust  laws  applicable  in  the  various  countries  in 

which the Group operates. These laws are complex and the 

Group has issued guidelines to its employees on competition 

law  compliance  within  their  relevant  jurisdiction,  which  are 

reviewed and updated at least annually.

The  South  African  Competition  Commission  is  continuing 

its market inquiry into the private healthcare sector in South 

Africa.  Mediclinic  is  participating  in  the  inquiry,  with  the 

assistance  of  expert  competition  attorneys  and  advocates 

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who guide Mediclinic through the process, as referred to in the 
Divisional Review of Mediclinic Southern Africa on page 58.

The Group’s risk management system is used to capture and 

track all ICT risks, audit findings, actions and responsibilities.

No  legal  action  for  anti-competitive,  anti-trust  or  similar 

Mediclinic employs a wide range of technology capabilities 

conduct  was  instituted  against  the  Group  during  the  year 

to safeguard its ICT installation, its ICT users and connections 

under review.

to other external ICT systems to ensure business continuity.

Information and communications 
technology governance
Mediclinic has an extensive information and communications 
technology  (“ICT”)  environment  that  acts  as  an  enabler  of 
its  business  strategies  and  operations.  The  core  business 

Information  security  policies  and  controls  are  in  place 

throughout the Group regulating, inter alia, the processing, 

use  and  protection  of  own,  personal  and  third-party 

information. This is further entrenched through ongoing user 

training,  security  awareness  programmes  and  certification 

courses in information security. Flows of personal data across 

information systems cover clinical processes, revenue cycle 

country  borders  are  dealt  through  formal  arrangements  in 

management and patient administration. The SAP ERP back-

line with country-specific legislation. There were no material 

office  systems  support,  inter  alia,  the  finance,  accounting, 

information  security  or  data  privacy  incidents  during  the 

human resources management and procurement functions. 

year under review.

An  enterprise  data  warehouse  enables  advanced  analytics 

activities,  as  well  as  providing  data  for  decision  support. 

Lastly,  an  extensive  office  automation  environment  exists 

which enables both on-premise and mobile working, as well 

as  collaboration  and  communication  within  and  across  the 

DIRECTORS

Appointment, removal and tenure
The  rules  relating  to  the  appointment  and  removal  of 

Mediclinic operating divisions. A global network enables data 

directors are set out in the Company’s Articles of Association.

flows  and  communication  between  the  Group’s  operating 

divisions.  Major  ICT-related  projects  in  the  pipeline,  which 

include  various  SAP  projects,  an  electronic  health  record 

system and the introduction of a global HR system.

Non-executive  directors  are  appointed  for  a  term  of  three 

years,  subject  to  earlier  termination,  including  provision  for 

early termination by either the Company or the non-executive 

director  on  three  months’  notice.  All  non-executive  directors 

ICT  governance  is  done  in  context  of  the  Group’s  overall 

serve on the basis of letters of appointment, which are available 

corporate  governance  and  specifically  the  Group’s  risk 

for inspection at the Company’s registered office. The letters of 

management  structures  and  processes.  Central  to  ICT 

appointment set out the time commitment expected of non-

governance  is  the  Group’s  ICT  Steering  Committee,  and 

executive directors who, on appointment, undertake that they 

various 

ICT  architecture  management  committees  at 

will have sufficient time to meet their requirements.

the  operating  divisions.  The  ICT  Steering  Committee  is  a 

sub-committee  of  Company’s  Executive  Committee,  and 

membership  consists  of  the  Group’s  Chief  Information 
Officers  (“CIOs”),  various  Group  ICT  architects,  and  key 
functions  such  as  risk  management,  finance  and  the 

enterprise  project  management  office.  This  committee 

focuses  on  collaboration,  standardisation  and  synergies 

across the various ICT entities in the Group by way of:

 • establishing ICT reference architectures and standards;

Induction and training
The Chairman, with the support of the Company Secretary, 

is responsible for the induction of new directors and ongoing 

development of all directors.

Upon appointment, all directors are provided with training in 
respect of their legal, regulatory and governance responsibilities 

and obligations in accordance with the UK regulatory regime. 

The  induction  includes  face-to-face  meetings  with  executive 

 •

setting information security-related policies and standards;

management  and  operational  site  visits  to  orientate  and 

 • developing and reviewing ICT risk profiles; and

 • providing 

assurance 

regarding 

information 

and 

cybersecurity,  data  protection  and  privacy,  as  well  as 

access control, change management and disaster recovery.

The  ICT  Steering  Committee  is  supported  by  the  Group’s 

Information  Security  Architecture  Committee,  consisting 

of  the  information  security  officers  of  the  Group  and  the 

operating divisions. The proceedings of this committee are 

informed  by  information  security  best  practices  sourced 

familiarise  the  new  directors  with  Mediclinic’s 

industry, 

organisation, business, strategy, commercial objectives and key 

risks.  Drs  Al  Hashimi  and  Harvey  were  appointed  during  the 

year under review and are each undertaking a comprehensive 

Board induction programme tailored to their individual needs 

and requirements.

The  training  needs  of  the  directors  are  periodically 

discussed at Board meetings and briefings are arranged on 

issues relating to corporate governance and other areas of 

from Gartner, ISACA, CoBIT 5, ITIL, ISO27001 and the South 

importance.

African King IV™ Report on Corporate Governance.

106 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  Board  is  kept  up  to  date  on  legal,  regulatory  and 

favour  thereof,  in  addition  to  a  majority  of  votes  cast  by  all 

governance matters at Board meetings. Additional training 

shareholders being in favour thereof.

is available on request, where appropriate, so that directors 

can  update  their  skills  and  knowledge  as  applicable. 

During  the  year,  the  Board  received  refresher  training  on 

Powers of directors
The  general  powers  of  the  directors  are  contained  within 

the  EU  Market  Abuse  Regulation  and  presentations  on 

relevant  UK  legislation  and  the  Company’s  Articles  of 

the  data  protection  legislation  being  introduced  in  the  UK, 

Association. The directors are entitled to exercise all powers 

Switzerland and South Africa.

Independent professional advice
All  directors  may  seek  independent  professional  advice  in 

connection  with  their  roles  as  directors.  All  directors  have 

of the Company, subject to any limitations imposed by the 

Articles of Association or applicable legislation.

Indemnification of directors
The  Company  has  entered  into  a  deed  of  indemnity  with 

access to the advice and services of the Company Secretary 

each  director  who  served  during  the  year  under  identical 

at the expense of the Company. 

Election/re-election
In  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of  Association, 
a  director  appointed  by  the  Board  must  stand  for  election 
at  the  first  annual  general  meeting  subsequent  to  such 
appointment, and other directors must retire by rotation and 
seek re-election by shareholders every three years. However, 
the UK Corporate Governance Code requires that all directors 
of FTSE 350 companies should stand for re-election annually. 
Accordingly,  Drs  Harvey  and  Al  Hashimi  (appointed  on  
3  October  2017  and  1  November  2017,  respectively)  and  
Dr Van der Merwe (appointed as a director with effect from  
1  June  2018),  will  stand  for  election  at  the  AGM.  All  other 
directors will stand for annual re-election at the AGM, including 
Mr  Meintjes,  who  (subject  to  re-election)  will  continue  to 
serve as an executive director until 31 July 2018 and as a non-
executive director with effect from 1 August 2018. 

Taking into account the result of the Board evaluation carried 
out  during  the  year  and  following  recommendations  from 
the Nomination Committee, the Board considers that all the 
current directors continue to be effective, are committed to 
their roles and have sufficient time available to perform their 
duties.  The  Board  therefore  recommends  their  election  or 
re-election as directors of the Company and the election of 
Dr Van der Merwe.

Remgro Limited, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, (“Remgro” 
or the “Remgro Group”, as the context may indicate) holds 
44.56%  of  the  issued  ordinary  shares  of  the  Company,  and 
is  therefore  regarded  as  a  controlling  shareholder  of  the 
Company, for the purposes of the Listing Rules. The Listing 
Rules  require  that  independent  non-executive  directors  of 
a  company  with  a  controlling  shareholder  must  be  elected 
by  a  majority  of  votes  cast  by  independent  shareholders, 
in  addition  to  a  majority  of  votes  cast  by  all  shareholders 
in  such  company.  The  resolutions  proposed  at  the  AGM  for 
the  election  of  the  independent  non-executive  directors  of 
the Company will therefore be taken on a poll, and the votes 
cast by independent shareholders and all shareholders will be 
calculated separately. Such resolutions will be passed only if 
a majority of votes cast by independent shareholders are in 

terms. The deeds indemnify the directors in accordance with 

the applicable laws of England against liability incurred as a 

director or employee of the Company, or associated entities 
in  the  Group.  In  addition,  the  Company  has  put  into  place 

directors’  and  officers’  indemnity  insurance.  The  Company 

has also provided for directors’ and officers’ insurance to the 

directors in connection with their duties and responsibilities.

Directors’ conflicts of interest
In  accordance  with  the  UK  Companies  Act  and  the 

Company’s Articles of Association, the Board may authorise 

any  matter  that  otherwise  may 

involve  any  director 

breaching his or her duty to avoid conflicts of interest. The 

Board has adopted a procedure to address this requirement, 

which includes the directors completing a detailed conflict 

of  interest  questionnaires  on  appointment  and  reconfirm 

these detailed declarations annually. The matters disclosed 

in the questionnaires are reviewed by the Board as part of 

the  director’s  appointment  and  annually  thereafter  and,  if 

considered  appropriate,  authorised  in  accordance  with  the 

UK  Companies  Act  2006  and  the  Articles  of  Association. 

Directors are also required to disclose any new conflicts of 

interest to the Board, as soon as they arise, for consideration.

Compensation for loss of office
There  are  no  agreements  in  place  with  any  director  or 

employee  that  provide  for  compensation  for  loss  of  office 

or  employment  resulting  from  a  takeover,  except  that 

provisions of the Company’s share plans may cause options 

and awards granted under such plans to vest on a takeover. 

Further information on directors’ service contracts and their 
notice periods can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 143 to 144.

AR

Remuneration
The  Board  has  established  a  Remuneration  Committee  to 

assist with discharging its responsibility in relation to Board 

and executive remuneration. A report on the activities of the 

Committee, including its composition and key responsibilities, 

AR

is included from page 130.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

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Directors’ interests
The directors’ shareholding and share interests in the issued 
shares  of  the  Company  are  provided  in  the  Directors’ 
Remuneration Report on page 155.

OTHER DISCLOSURES

Articles of Association
The  Company’s  Articles  of  Association  may  be  amended 

 ■ CHF0.1bn  revolving  facility,  priced  at  Swiss  Libor 

plus a margin of 1.25%;

 – South  African  senior  bank  loan  totalling  ZAR1.2bn  at 

an interest rate of JIBAR +1.69% with a three-year term 

expiring in June 2019;

 – South  African  unsecured  preference  share  funding 

totalling  ZAR1.5bn  at  a  rate  of  73%  of  the  prime 

overdraft interest rate, with a four-year term expiring 

in June 2020; and

by  way  of  a  special  resolution  of  the  members.  At 

 – United  Arab  Emirates  bank  loans  of  US$54.5m  and 

the  annual  general  meeting  of  the  Company  held  on  

US$100.0m  at  an  interest  rate  of  LIBOR  +2.75%  with 

25  July  2017,  shareholders  approved  certain  amendments 

respective  four-year  and  five-year  amortising  terms, 

to  the  Company’s  Articles  of  Association  by  way  of  a 

expiring in June 2020 and May 2021, respectively.

special  resolution,  available  in  the  Governance  section 
of  the  Company’s  website  at  www.mediclinic.com.  The 
amendments  approved  updated  the  dividend  payment 
provisions to give the Company greater flexibility to use the 

most  relevant  payment  mechanisms  for  the  distribution  of 

dividends, including electronic methods, reflecting guidance 

published by the ICSA Registrars’ Group in March 2014. No 

changes to the Articles of Association are proposed at the 

2018 AGM.

Significant agreements
The  following  agreements  are  considered  significant  in 

terms of their potential impact on the business of the Group 

as a whole, and that could alter or terminate on the change 

of control of the Company:

 • The Company entered into an agreement with its principal 
shareholder, Remgro, on 14 October 2015 (the “Relationship 
Agreement”), which came into effect on 15 February 2016. 
This  agreement  does  not  include  a  change  of  control 

Subsequent  to  the  refinancing,  the  impairment  charges  at 

Hirslanden affected the calculation of the economic capital 

covenant in the finance agreements. While the Group had an 

unconditional contractual right through an equity cure, any 

potential breach was actually avoided through a contractual 

amendment agreed with the lending consortium.

Principal shareholder and relationship 
agreement
In  accordance  with  Listing  Rule  9.8.4(14),  the  Company 

has  set  out  below  a  statement  describing  the  Relationship 

Agreement.  As  at  23  May  2018,  the  Remgro  Group  held 

44.56% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company.

Under  the  Relationship  Agreement,  Remgro  undertakes 

to  comply  with  the  following  independence  provisions,  as 

required under the Listing Rules:

 •

transactions  and  arrangements  between  the  Company 

and  Remgro  (and/or  its  associates)  are,  and  will  be,  at 

provision, but does terminate if (i) the Company’s ordinary 

arm’s length and on normal commercial terms;

shares  cease  to  be  listed  and  admitted  to  trading  on  the 

LSE’s  main  market  for  listed  securities;  or  (ii)  the  Remgro 

Group, taken together, ceases to hold the minimum interest 

of 10% in the Company.

 • The various facilities and finance agreements of the Group 

are regarded as significant and contain change of control 

provisions. The various facilities and finance agreements 

 • neither Remgro nor any of its associates will take any action 

that would have the effect of preventing the Company from 

complying with its obligations under the Listing Rules; and

 • neither Remgro nor any of its associates will propose, or 

procure the proposal of, a shareholder resolution that is 

intended  or  appears  to  be  intended  to  circumvent  the 

proper application of the Listing Rules.

of the Group are:

 – In October 2017, the Group completed the refinancing 

of Hirslanden’s secured long-term bank loans:

 ■ CHF1.5bn  senior  term  loan  facility  with  a  partially 

amortising  repayment  profile  over  six  years  and 

priced at Swiss Libor plus a margin of 1.25%;

 ■ CHF0.4bn capex facility, priced at Swiss Libor plus 

a margin of 1.25%, but which could increase funding 

costs up to a maximum of Swiss Libor plus a margin 

of 1.65% at the time of drawing, depending on the 

loan-to-value at that time; and

The  Company  has  complied  with  the  above  independence 

provisions  and,  insofar  as  it  is  aware,  Remgro  complied 

with  the  independence  provisions  and  the  procurement 

obligation  set  out  in  the  Relationship  Agreement  from  the 

effective  date  of  the  agreement.  In  accordance  with  the 

terms  of  the  Relationship  Agreement,  for  every  10%  of  the 
issued ordinary share capital of the Company (or an interest 

which carries 10% or more of the aggregate voting rights in 

the Company from time to time) held, Remgro is entitled to 

appoint one director to the Board, up to a maximum of three 

directors, provided that the right to appoint a third director 

108 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

is subject to the requirement that the Board will, following 

such appointment, comprise a majority of independent non-

executive directors.

Employees
The Group’s employees are a valuable asset. The employees’ 

trust  and  respect  are  vital  to  Mediclinic’s  success.  Listening 

If  Remgro’s  shareholding  reduces  to  below  10%  of  the 

and  responding  to  employee  needs  through  effective 

Company’s  share  capital  (or  10%  of  the  aggregate  voting 

communication  and 

sound 

relations  are 

important 

rights in the Company), the rights and obligations of Remgro 

components  in  being  regarded  as  an  employer  of  choice 

in terms of the Relationship Agreement shall terminate. The 

among  existing  and  prospective  employees,  and  vital  to 

ordinary shares owned by Remgro rank pari passu with the 

maintain an engaged, loyal workforce. Employee engagement 

other ordinary shares in all respects.

AR

Related-party transactions
Details  on  all  related-party  transactions  are  contained  in  
note  33  of  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  on 
page 241.

Political donations
Political  donations  are  generally  prohibited  in  terms  of 

the  Company’s  Code  of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics  and 

Anti-bribery  Policy,  unless  pre-approved  by  the  Executive 

Committee  of  the  operating  division  and  reported  to  the 

Company’s  Executive  Committee.  During  the  year,  the 

Company,  including  its  subsidiaries,  made  no  political 

payments as contemplated in the UK Companies Act 2006 
(the  “Act”).  Hirslanden  has,  however,  made  payments  to  a 
number  of  political  parties,  institutions  and  associations  in 

Switzerland  involved  in  certain  political  campaigns  which 

were  of  interest  to  the  business.  Contributing  to  political 

campaigns  through  third-party  contributions  is  a  common 

official  and  standard  practice  in  Switzerland.  Payments  of 

this  kind  made  by  Hirslanden  totalled  CHF30  000  (2017: 

CHF8 000). These contributions are not considered political 

payments as contemplated in Part 14 of the Act, as they are 

not made to the political parties within the scope of the Act. 

It is not the policy of the Company to make political donations 

as  contemplated  in  the  Act.  However,  as  a  result  of  broad 

definitions used in the Act, other normal business activities 

of  the  Company,  which  might  not  be  considered  political 

donations or expenditure in the normal sense, may possibly 

be construed as political expenditure or as a donation to a 

political party or other political organisation, and fall within 

the  restrictions  of  the  Act.  Sponsorships,  subscriptions, 

payment  of  expenses,  paid  leave  for  employees  fulfilling 

public  duties,  and  support  for  bodies  representing  the 

business  community  in  policy  review  or  reform,  may  fall 

within the scope of these matters. The Board has therefore 

decided to propose a resolution, as in the previous year and 

in line with best practice, to authorise the Company to make 

political payments up to an aggregate amount of £100 000 

for shareholder consideration at the AGM.

is conducted through various methods, including leadership 

video  conferences,  intranet,  periodic  employee  surveys, 

performance  reviews,  staff  magazines,  and  staff  wellness 

and recognition programmes. Further details on the Group’s 
employee  engagement  are  included  in  the  Sustainable 
Development Report, available on the Company’s website at 
www.mediclinic.com.

SDR

Continuous  training  and  development  of  the  Group’s 

employees  across  all  three  operating  divisions  ensures 

retention  of  staff,  particularly  in  areas  where  the  skills 

shortage  is  most  critical,  and  proper  succession  planning. 

Further  details  on  the  Group’s  training  initiatives  can  be 
found  in  the  Sustainable  Development  Highlights  on 
page 73 and the Sustainable Development Report, available 
on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

The  distribution  of  the  Group’s  employees  per  operating 

division  is  included  on  page  10,  with  only  one  employee 

(Head of Investor Relations) based in the UK. A breakdown 

by gender, age and, in respect of Southern Africa only, race 

in  Board  and  senior  management  roles  as  at  year  end  is 
illustrated in Figure 10. The proportion of female employees 
in the Group at year end is illustrated in Figure 11.

AR

SDR

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The Group values diversity and provides equal opportunities 

for  its  workplace  and  does  not  tolerate  any  form  of  unfair 

discrimination,  such  as  access  to  employment,  career 

development,  training  or  working  conditions,  based  on 

gender, religion, nationality, race, language, HIV/AIDS status, 

sexual orientation or other form of differentiation. Adequate 

procedures  are  in  place  to  enable  disabled  applicants  to 

receive  training  to  perform  safely  and  effectively  and  to 

provide development opportunities to ensure they reach their 

full  potential.  Where  an  individual  becomes  disabled  during 

the  course  of  employment,  Mediclinic  will  seek  to  provide, 

wherever  possible,  continued  employment  on  normal  terms 

and conditions. Adjustments will be made to the environment 

and duties or suitable new roles within the Company will be 

secured with additional training where necessary.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT (CONTINUED)

FIGURE 10: RACE, GENDER AND AGE REPRESENTATION ON GOVERNANCE BODIES

RACE 
(ONLY IN RESPECT OF SOUTH 
AFRICA)

GENDER

AGE 
(YEARS)

BLACK

WHITE

MALE

FEMALE

30 – 50

>50

NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER %

TOTAL  
NUMBER 
OF 
MEMBERS

Mediclinic International 
Board 

Mediclinic International 
Executive Committee1

Hirslanden Executive 
Committee1

Mediclinic Southern Africa 
Executive Committee1

Mediclinic Middle East 
Executive Committee1

12

9

4

9

9

2 Board members  
of colour (17%)

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

22%

7

78%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

9

9

4

8

7

75%

100%

100%

89%

78%

3

–

–

1

2

25%

–

–

11%

22%

2

3

2

3

5

17%

10

83%

33%

50%

33%

56%

6

2

6

4

67%

50%

67%

44%

Note
1    The race, gender and age distribution of the direct reports to the Executive Committees of the Company and the divisions are included in 

SDR

the Sustainable Development Report available on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

FIGURE 11: WORKFORCE COMPOSITION BY GENDER

Switzerland 

Female

Male

Southern Africa 
Female

Male

UAE 

Female

Male

2018

2017

NUMBER

%

NUMBER

7 380
2 255

12 862
3 206

3 271
2 530

76.6%
23.4%

80.0%
20.0%

56.4%
43.6%

7 179
2 223

13 555
3 293

3 593
2 782

%

76.4%
23.6%

80.5%
19.5%

56.4%
43.6%

Directors’ report
The information set out in this section of the Annual Report, 

AR

 • Financial risk management objectives and policies – 

together  with  the  following  disclosures  incorporated  by 

refer to pages 44 to 49 and pages 191 to 193

reference, constitute the Directors’ Report of the Company 

 • Research and development activities – refer to various 

for the year ended 31 March 2018, as contemplated in the UK 

Companies Act 2006, and was duly approved by the Board 

on 23 May 2018: 

 • Strategic Report – refer to pages 3 to 84

 • Corporate Governance Statement – refer to pages  

93 to 111

 • Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities – refer to  

page 160

 • Shareholder Information – refer to pages 262 to 265

activities discussed in the Strategic Report, such as the 
standardised patient experience index on pages 14 to 15; 

the standardised employee engagement initiatives on 

pages 16 to 17; and clinical research activities referred 
to on pages 34 to 43 and the Clinical Services Report 
available on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com

 • Greenhouse gas emissions – refer to pages 77 to 78 and 
the Sustainable Development Report available on the 
Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com

 • Corporate social responsibility and corporate social 

The Strategic Report sets out those matters required to be 
disclosed in the Directors’ Report which are considered to 
be of strategic importance:

investment – refer to page 68 to 84 and the  
Sustainable Development Report available on the 
Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com 

CSR

SDR

SDR

 • Strategy and future developments – refer to pages  

14 to 17

110 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Going concern status
The Group’s consolidated financial statements, as set out on pages 162 to 242 and approved by the Board on 23 May 2018, 
were prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors considered the Company’s financial position, availability of funding, 

AR

the principal risks and uncertainties, as well as the viability assessment, and accordingly considered it appropriate to adopt 

the  going  concern  basis  of  accounting  in  preparing  the  financial  statements,  further  details  of  which  are  included  in  the 
Audit and Risk Committee Report on page 124 and the Viability Assessment on pages 50 to 51.

AR

Events after the reporting period 
Since year-end, no material events have taken place.

Overseas branches
The Company, having secondary listings on the JSE in South Africa and the NSX in Namibia, has established an overseas 

branch in South Africa.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE LISTING RULES 
Information required to be disclosed in terms of Listing Rule 9.8.4R, as applicable, is referenced below:

DETAIL

LOCATION IN ANNUAL REPORT

Long-term incentive schemes

Pages 130 to 159

Agreements with a controlling shareholder

Provision of services by a controlling shareholder

Interest capitalised

Waiver of emoluments by a director

Waiver of future emoluments by a director

Non-pre-emptive issues of equity for cash

None other than the Relationship Agreement referred to 
on pages 108 to 109

None other than the services provided by the Remgro 
Group described in note 33 of the Consolidated Financial 
Statements on page 241

AR

AR

AR

Non-pre-emptive issues of equity for cash by any unlisted 
major subsidiary

Not applicable

Parent company participation in a placing by a listed 
subsidiary

Shareholder waiver of dividends

Shareholder waiver of future dividends

For and on behalf of the Board.

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Dr Edwin Hertzog  
Non-executive Chairman

23 May 2018

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NOMINATION COMMITTEE 
REPORT

Dr Edwin Hertzog
Chairman of the Nomination Committee

Dear Shareholder,

AR

AR

As Chairman of the Nomination Committee (the “Committee”), it is my pleasure to report on the Committee’s activities for 
the year ended 31 March 2018. The report provides an overview of the key focus areas considered during the year, together 
with the Committee’s priorities for the 2019 fi nancial year. The Committee is governed by formal terms of reference, available 
in the governance section of the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com, and summarised on page 95 in the Corporate 
Governance Statement. 

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETING ATTENDANCE
The current composition of the Committee meets the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code, with the majority 
of  members  being  independent  non-executive  directors.  Biographical  details  of  all  Committee  members  are  included  on  
pages  86  to  89.  The  composition  and  attendance  of  Committee  meetings  during  the  period  under  review  are  set  out  in 
Figure 1 below. As announced on 29 March 2018, Prof Dr Robert Leu will retire as a director of the Company, and consequently 
as a member of the Committee, at the conclusion of the Company’s annual general meeting on 25 July 2018 (“2018 AGM”). 

The  Company  Secretary  is  secretary  to  the  Committee  and  attends  all  meetings.  The  Company  Secretary  is  available  to 
assist the members of the Committee, as required, ensuring that timely and accurate information is distributed accordingly. 
Other attendees of Committee meetings may, from time to time and upon invitation by the Committee, include the CEO, 
the Chief Human Resources Offi  cer and the Talent Management General Manager.

FIGURE 1: COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETING ATTENDANCE

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT 
(as committee member) 

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED2 

NAME1
Dr Edwin Hertzog
(Committee Chairman)

DESIGNATION

Non-executive director

Mr Desmond Smith

Senior Independent Director

Mr Jannie Durand3

Non-executive director

15/02/2016

15/02/2016

15/02/2016

Prof Dr Robert Leu4

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

Mr Trevor Petersen

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

1 of 1

1 of 1

0 of 1

1 of 1

1 of 1

Notes
1 

 The  composition  of  the  Committee  is  shown  as  at  31  March  2018.  The  majority  of  members  are  independent  non-executive  directors. 
The Committee Chairman, Dr Hertzog, is the Chairman of the Board.

2   The attendance refl ects the number of scheduled meetings held during the fi nancial year. Two additional ad hoc meetings were held during 
the  fi nancial  year  to  deal  with  urgent  matters;  the  majority  of  directors  made  themselves  available  at  short  notice  for  these  meetings. 
No Committee meetings were held between the Company's fi nancial year-end and the Last Practicable Date. 

3   Mr Durand was unable to attend one Committee meeting owing to a prior commitment; Mr Pieter Uys, alternate director to Mr Durand, 

attended the meeting in his place.

4   Prof Dr Leu will retire as a director of the Company, and consequently as a member of the Committee, at the conclusion of the Company’s 

2018 AGM. 

112 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

KEY AREAS OF ACTIVITY

the  Group  CEO, 

Succession planning 
During  the  year,  the  Committee  primarily  focused  on 
the  detailed  planning  for  identifying  a  successor  for  
Mr  Danie  Meintjes, 
the 
announcement  made  by  the  Company  on  25  July  2017 
regarding  his  planned  retirement.  The  identification  of 
potential  candidates  followed  a  rigorous  global  selection 
process  against  an  agreed  set  of  criteria,  and  included  the 
appointment of Lomond Consulting, a senior management 
and board-level search firm. Lomond Consulting adheres to 
the Executive Search Firms’ Voluntary Code of Conduct and 
is independent of the Company. 

following 

The Committee and the Board unanimously supported the 
selection  of  Dr  Ronnie  van  der  Merwe,  the  current  Group 
Chief  Clinical  Officer,  to  succeed  Mr  Meintjes  as  CEO,  
as announced on 27 November 2017. This decision reflected 
Dr Van der Merwe’s extensive knowledge of the Company’s 
international  operations  and  strong  track  record  of  driving 
enhancement,  especially  in  the  quality  and  effectiveness 
of  the  Company’s  clinical  services.  As  announced  on  
29 March 2018, Dr Van der Merwe’s appointment as CEO and 
a director of the Company will take effect from 1 June 2018. 
Dr Van der Merwe will also become a member of the Clinical 
Performance and Sustainability Committee and Investment 
Committee with effect from 1 June 2018.

The  Committee  undertook  a  detailed  review  of  the 
succession  plans  for  other  members  of  the  Board  and 
senior management team and for the executive committees 
of  each  of  the  operating  divisions,  taking  into  account  the 
Board Diversity Policy mentioned below. 

Board and committee composition
Following a review of the Board’s composition and structure, 
the  Committee  continued  to  lead  the  search  for  two 
additional  independent  non-executive  directors  to  further 
strengthen  its  Board  and  its  Committees,  to  support  the 
pursuit of the Company’s strategy in the UAE and enhance 
the clinical expertise on the Board. During the financial year, 
following  an  extensive  and  rigorous  process,  the  Board 
approved the Committee’s recommendations regarding the 
appointment  of  two  additional  independent  non-executive 
directors: Dr Felicity Harvey and Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi. 

The  selection  process  that  led  to  the  appointment  of  
Dr  Harvey  as  an  independent  non-executive  director  of 
the  Company  and  a  member  of  the  Clinical  Performance 
and  Sustainability  Committee  from  3  October  2017  was 
conducted  with  the  assistance  of  Lomond  Consulting.  
in-depth  understanding  of  the 
Dr  Harvey  brings  an 
healthcare sector in the UK, as well as over 30 years of clinical 
expertise  and  experience.  Dr  Al  Hashimi,  appointed  as  an 
independent  non-executive  director  of  the  Company  from  
1  November  2017,  was  identified  through  the  Company’s 

networks  in  the  UAE.  Dr  Al  Hashimi  adds  her  extensive 
experience  and  knowledge  of  the  healthcare  and  higher 
education  sectors  in  the  UAE,  and  strategic  and  tactical 
expertise in operations and fiscal management.

In early 2018, the Committee conducted its annual review of 
the  structure,  size,  diversity  and  composition  of  the  Board 
and its Committees. As part of this process, the Committee 
considered a skills matrix for the Board and the outcome of 
the  Board  evaluation.  The  areas  reviewed  were  the  Board 
members’  experience,  independence,  tenure,  geographical 
knowledge and knowledge of the Company as whole. As a 
result of these reviews, Dr Harvey was appointed as a Chair 
of  the  Clinical  Performance  and  Sustainability  Committee; 
and Dr Al Hashimi was appointed as a member of the Clinical 
Performance and Sustainability Committee, with effect from 
1 April 2018. 

As  announced  on  29  March  2018,  Prof  Dr  Leu  and  
Ms  Mandela  notified  the  Company  that  they  will  retire  as 
directors  of  the  Company  at  the  2018  AGM.  Subsequently, 
the Committee has commenced a search for an independent 
non-executive  director  with  knowledge  of  the  Swiss 
healthcare and political landscape.

Lastly,  the  Committee  considered  the  appointment  of  
Mr Meintjes as a non-executive director after his retirement 
as CEO and executive director of the Company. After careful 
consideration, taking into account the wealth of knowledge 
and  experience  he  has  gained  in  different  capacities  over 
30 years of service to the Group, the Committee concluded 
his  appointment  would  be  in  the  long-term  interests  of 
the  Group,  its  shareholders  and  other  stakeholders  and 
recommended  his  continued  involvement  in  the  Company 
as  an  executive  director  until  31  July  2018  and  as  a  non-
executive director from 1 August 2018. The Board considered 
and  agreed  with  the  Committee's  recommendation  and 
agreed to recommend Mr Meintjes’ re-election at the AGM.

Diversity
During the year, the Committee reviewed the Board Diversity 
Policy, which applies to the Board, the Company’s Executive 
Committee and their direct reports, as well as the divisional 
executive  management  committees  of  the  Company’s 
operating divisions. The Committee also received feedback 
from  the  operating  divisions  on  progress  regarding  their 
diversity  and  inclusion  goals  and  plans  for  continued 
improvement in the 2019 financial year. 

Diversity policy

The Board believes that diversity is not limited to gender, and 
that  a  diverse  Board  membership  will  include  and  benefit 
from  the  differences  in  each  director’s  skills;  geographical, 
industry 
educational  and  professional  backgrounds; 
experience;  age;  race;  gender;  and  other  characteristics. 
These  factors  will  be  considered 
in  determining  the 
optimum composition of the Board and, when possible, will 
be  balanced  appropriately.  When  recruiting  new  directors, 

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NOMINATION COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)

consideration  will  also  be  given  to  ensuring  that  the  size 
of  the  Board  does  not  grow  unnecessarily,  and  that  all 
appointments are made on justifiable merit. The Committee 
will  continue  to  take  cognisance  of  relevant  prescribed 
guidelines,  and  the  performance  of  peer  companies  in 
fulfilling their role regarding diversity.

The  Board  supports  the  principles  of  boardroom  diversity 
in  general,  and  takes  boardroom  skills  diversity  seriously. 

It  actively  considers  these  matters  regularly  at  Board  and 
Committee  meetings.  The  Board  believes  that  maintaining 
an appropriate balance of skills, knowledge, experience and 
backgrounds is imperative for the long-term success of the 
Group, and allows the Board to perform its role effectively.

The Board’s Diversity Policy contains four objectives to support 
the  Board’s  commitment  to  diversity.  These  objectives  and 
progress towards their achievement are set out below:

Progress against objectives

OBJECTIVES

PROGRESS

The Board will not impose 
quotas regarding diversity, 
although it will remain 
committed to achieving 
diversity in the composition 
of the Board and executive 
management including 
aspects such as age, 
gender, education and 
professional backgrounds, 
ethnicity and geographical 
background. 

The Committee will 
annually consider and 
make recommendations, if 
applicable, to the Board on 
its diversity objectives in 
respect of the Board and 
executive management.

During the year, the Board appointed two female independent non-executive 
directors, Dr Harvey and Dr Al Hashimi. The new directors offer diverse backgrounds 
and experience spanning across the UK and the UAE, including clinical performance, 
education, strategy, tactical expertise in operations and fiscal management within each 
jurisdiction. 

The Group CEO and divisional CEOs annually share their diversity goals and report 
on their progress bi-annually to the Nomination Committee. The divisions have been 
focussed on increasing diversity below Board level by encouraging and strengthening the 
talent pipeline within the divisions through short and long term succession planning and 
where the Company has been unable to promote within, has identified the desired criteria 
for external candidates. Both of these activities ultimately have fed into to support the 
Executive Committee with general diversity featuring as one of its key priorities

The Board recognises the importance of having a diverse Board and leadership team.  
The Board and executive management continue to be committed to achieving diversity 
and will continue to recommend appointments based on the skills, experience, 
independence and knowledge required by the Board and the executive management.

The Committee reviewed the Company’s Diversity Policy in February 2018 and was 
satisfied that the objectives remained relevant to the Company. The Committee 
continues to be committed to progressing the objectives for the 2019 financial year.

In reviewing the 
composition of the Board 
and executive management, 
the Committee will, in 
addition to considering the 
balance of skills, experience, 
independence and 
knowledge of the Board, 
also consider the diversity 
of the Board.

The Committee reviewed the composition of the Board and its committees, specifically 
the balance of skills, experience, independence, knowledge and diversity. The Board 
appointed two new directors from diverse backgrounds and experience as detailed above. 
To assist with one of these appointments, the Committee engaged an independent external 
recruitment consultant, Lomond Consulting, which adheres to the UK Executive Search 
Firms' Voluntary Code of Conduct, based on recommendation of the Davies Report. The 
Committee reviewed the progress made in each division and reported on these to the Board. 
A detailed review of each division’s talent pipeline strategy was undertaken, including their 
diversity focus, the progress made in that regard during the year, and plans for continued 
improvement in the 2019 financial year.

As at the date of this report, the Company met the recommendation included in the  
Parker Review Committee’s Report into the Ethnic Diversity of UK Boards, issued in 
October 2017 (“Parker Report”), to have at least one director of colour by 2021. Good 
progress has been made in increasing female representation on the Board of the Company, 
in line with the target of 33% by 2020, as recommended in the report issued by the 
Hampton-Alexander Review in November 2017 on improving the gender balance in FTSE 
leadership (“Hampton-Alexander Report”). As at the date of the report the Company had 
two directors of colour (as defined in the Parker Report) and 25% female representation on 
the Board. 

The Group’s workforce has 75% female representation overall. The Board and executive 
management remain committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The two new non-executive directors were identified from a diverse list of candidates 
and were assessed and selected on merit, against an agreed set of criteria, reflecting the 
role in question and the capabilities required for a particular appointment, while taking 
into account the benefits of a diverse Board. The Committee considered each of the 
candidate’s significant commitments, other directorships, skills, experience, knowledge, 
gender, race, geographical location and other diversity considerations.

In identifying suitable 
candidates for appointment 
to the Board, the 
Committee will assess 
candidates on merit against 
objective criteria and with 
due regard to the benefits 
of diversity of the Board.

114 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

AR

Assessment of independence of  
non-executive directors 
The  Committee  and  the  Board  are  satisfied  that  the 
commitments  of  the  Chairman  and  other  non-executive 
directors, as shown in their biographies on  pages 86 to 89, do 
not conflict with their duties and commitments as directors of 
the Company. Any conflicts identified are considered and, as 
appropriate, authorised by the Board. The Company annually 
reviews the directors’ conflicts of interests.

Corporate Governance Code 
developments 
The  Committee  reviewed  and  considered  the  Financial 
Reporting Council’s proposed changes to the UK Corporate 
Governance  Code 
for  their  potential 
in  preparation 
implementation, insofar as they related to:

 • establishing the preferred method for gathering the views 

 •

 •

 •

 •

of the workforce; 
reporting  on  how  the  Company  has  engaged  with  its 
workforce,  suppliers  and  other  stakeholders  and  how 
the  interests  of  their  stakeholders  have  influenced  the 
Board’s  decision-making,  pursuant  to  section  172  of  the 
Companies Act 2006; 
the  proposed  changes  to  the  independence  criteria 
for  directors,  their  tenure  and  the  requirement  for  the 
Chairman of the Company to be independent at all times;
the  continued  emphasis  on  the  promotion  of  diversity 
through  the  design  of  appointment  and  succession 
planning practices; and
the  expansion  of  the  Committee’s  remit  to  include 
the  oversight  of  the  development  of  a  diverse  pipeline 
for  succession  planning  for  the  Board  and  senior 
management positions and related reporting obligations 
for the Committee.

The  Committee  also  took  note  of  the  recommendations 
of  the  Parker  Report  on  ethnic  diversity  and  the  Hampton 
Alexander Report on gender diversity and adjusted its terms 
of reference and Board Diversity Policy accordingly. 

The Committee undertakes an annual review of its terms of 

reference.

Committee evaluation
An  external  evaluation  of  the  Committee’s  performance 
was  conducted  during  the  year  by  Lintstock,  a  specialist 
consultancy  which  undertakes  no  other  business  for  the 
Company.  The  results  of  evaluation  were  considered  by 
the  Committee  and  the  Board.  No  significant  issues  were 
identified  that  require  improvement,  thus  the  Committee 
and  the  Board  concluded  that  the  Committee  operated 
effectively during the year.

Evaluation of the composition, 
structure and functioning of the Board
With  internal  evaluations  carried  out  in  the  previous 
two  years,  an  external  evaluation  of  the  Board  and  its 
committees  was  conducted  this  year  in  keeping  with  the 

guidance  provided  under  the  UK  Corporate  Governance 
Code, facilitated by Lintstock. The evaluation focused on the 
Board composition, including: 

 • diversity; 

the Board’s role in setting strategy; 

 •
 • an understanding of the risks facing the Group; 

 •

 •

 •

the  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  key  performance 
indicators; 
succession planning; and 
the effectiveness of the Board and its committees. 

The  Board  regards  the  evaluation  process  as  an  important 
way to monitor the progress made over the years. Further 
detail  on  the  Board  effectiveness  evaluation  is  included  in 
the Corporate Governance Statement on page 102. 

AR

When  considering  the  election  or  re-election  of  directors, 
the Committee pays due regard to the outcome of the Board 
evaluation process, and considers other factors such as the 
individual  director’s  knowledge,  skills  and  experience,  the 
independent  judgement  they  bring  to  Board  deliberations, 
and their other commitments.

Dr  Harvey  and  Dr  Al  Hashimi  will  stand  for  election  at 
the  Company’s  2018  AGM,  being  the  first  annual  general 
meeting since their appointment as directors by the Board. 
In  accordance  with  the  recommendation  for  FTSE350 
companies  set  out  in  the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code, 
all  other  existing  directors  (other  than  Prof  Dr  Leu  and  
Ms Mandela) will stand for annual re-election at the meeting. 
The  biographical  details  of  the  directors  can  be  found  on 
pages 86 to 89. 

AR

The  terms  and  conditions  of  appointment  of  the  non-
executive  directors,  which  include  their  expected  time 
commitment, are available for inspection at the Company’s 
registered office.

PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE IN 
2018/19
For  the  coming  financial  year,  the  Committee  will,  among 
other matters, focus on the following:

 •

 •

 •

 •

the continued development of succession plans and the 
talent pipeline;
the  continuous  review  of  the  composition  of  the  Board 
and  its  committees  in  respect  of  skills,  diversity,  tenure 
and commitments;
the  development  of  the  Company’s  diversity  strategy; 
and 
the  monitoring  the  new  UK  corporate  governance 
developments.

Signed on behalf of the Nomination Committee.

Dr Edwin Hertzog
Chairman of the Nomination Committee 

23 May 2018

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CLINICAL PERFORMANCE 
AND SUSTAINABILITY 
COMMITTEE REPORT

Dr Felicity Harvey

Chair of the Clinical Performance 
and Sustainability Committee

As  the  new  Chair  of  the  Clinical  Performance  and 

 • Dr  Muhadditha  Al  Hashimi  was  also  appointed  as  an 

Sustainability Committee, it is my pleasure to report on the 

additional member with eff ect from 1 April 2018, further 

Committee’s activities for the year ended 31 March 2018. 

enriching  the  Committee’s  breadth,  depth  and  diversity 

The  report  provides  an  overview  of  the  key  areas  of  focus 

considered  during  the  year  together  with  the  priorities  for 

2018/2019.  The  Committee  is  governed  by  formal  terms 

of  reference  available  in  the  governance  section  of  the 
Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com and summarised 
on page 95 in the Corporate Governance Statement. 

AR

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND 
MEETING ATTENDANCE
The  composition  of  the  Committee  and  attendance  of 

meetings  during  the  period  under  review  are  set  out  in 
Figure  1.  The  Committee  members  are  suitably  skilled  and 
experienced. 

A number of changes to the composition of the Committee 

have taken place during the year and after the year-end:

 • Dr  Felicity  Harvey  was  appointed  as  a  member  with 

eff ect from 3 October 2017 and assumed the role of Chair 

of skills, knowledge and experience; and 

 • Dr Ronnie van der Merwe (Chief Clinical Offi  cer and CEO 

Designate) will succeed Mr Danie Meintjes as the Group 

CEO and a member of the Committee on 1 June 2018. 

The Chief Clinical Offi  cer and the Chief Corporate Services 

Offi  cer  (who  is  responsible  for  the  Group’s  sustainable 

development  management),  are  invited  on  a  permanent 

basis  to  attend  and  speak  at  all  Committee  meetings.  As 

part  of  the  Ward-to-Board  clinical  governance  framework 

detailed below, each of the divisional Chief Clinical Offi  cers 

will be invited to all meetings as well as the divisional Chief 

Executive  Offi  cers  (as  required).  Other  relevant  members 

of management are invited to attend Committee meetings, 

as required. 

The  Company  Secretary  is  secretary  to  the  Committee 

and  attends  all  meetings.  The  Company  Secretary  is 

available  to  assist  the  members  of  the  Committee,  as 

required,  ensuring  that  timely  and  accurate  information  is 

of  the  Committee  on  1  April  2018.  The  appointment  of 

distributed accordingly. 

Dr Harvey as a member enhanced the clinical and broader 

healthcare sector knowledge of the Committee; 

116 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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FIGURE 1: COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETING ATTENDANCE

NAME1

DESIGNATION

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT 
(as committee member) 

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED2

Dr Edwin Hertzog3
(Committee Chair)

Non-executive director 

15/02/2016

Dr Felicity Harvey3, 4

Independent non-executive director 

03/10/2017

Prof Dr Robert Leu5 

Independent non-executive director 

17/03/2017

Ms Nandi Mandela5 

Independent non-executive director

15/02/2016

Mr Danie Meintjes 

Chief Executive Officer 

15/02/2016

4 of 4

2 of 2

4 of 4

4 of 4

4 of 4

 The composition of the Committee is shown as at 31 March 2018. 

Notes
1 
2   The attendance reflects the number of scheduled meetings held during the year under review. Between the Company’s financial year-end 
and the Last Practicable Date, one Committee meeting was held, which was attended by all Committee members, except Dr Al Hashimi.

3  Dr Hertzog stood down as Chair of the Committee on 1 April 2018, when Dr Harvey assumed the role of Chair of the Committee.
4   Dr  Harvey  was  appointed  as  a  member  of  the  Clinical  Performance  and  Sustainability  Committee  with  effect  from  3  October  2017  and 

attended all subsequent meetings of the Committee. 

5  Prof Dr Leu and Ms Mandela will resign from the Committee at the end of the Company’s annual general meeting on 25 July 2018.

COMMITTEE INDUSTRY SECTOR EXPERIENCE

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

17%

17%

Healthcare

Academia

20%

Independent 
non-executive directors

Non-executive director

67%

Infrastructure

20%

60%

Executive director

KEY AREAS OF ACTIVITY
The  responsibilities  and  functions  of  the  Committee  are 

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE
In relation to the Committee’s clinical performance functions, 

governed  by  formal  terms  of  reference,  approved  by  the 

the  Committee  is  responsible  for  promoting  a  culture  of 

Board, which are subject to regular review, at least annually. 

excellence  in  patient  safety,  quality  of  care  and  patient 

As part of the implementation of the Ward-to-Board clinical 

experience.  During  the  year,  the  Committee  focused,  inter 

governance  framework,  changes  were  made  to  the  terms 

alia, on the following:

of  reference  to  align  the  Committee’s  responsibilities  more 

closely to the new framework.

The Committee increased the frequency of its meetings from 

Governance 
The implementation of a Ward-to-Board clinical governance 

three  to  four  meetings  a  year,  to  enable  more  regular  and 

framework is designed to support and enhance the Patients 

comprehensive discussions on clinical performance matters 

First strategic objective by aligning the interests of patients 

across the Group. In the year under review it met four times, 

and  care-providers  and  building  a  culture  of  performance 

where the main focus was on the areas set out below.

reporting  and  accountability.  This  approach  also  ensures 

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CLINICAL PERFORMANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REPORT 
(CONTINUED)

that  the  information  flows  up  and  down  the  organisation 

the  Group  Sustainable  Development  Policy,  Group 

more  effectively  and  facilitates  cross-division  alignment 

and  collaboration.  The  framework  has  been  successfully 

implemented  in  Mediclinic  Southern  Africa  and  is  in  the 

process  of  being  rolled  out  in  Mediclinic  Middle  East  and 

Hirslanden. This includes establishing a Clinical Performance 

Committee 

for  each  division  and 

replicating 

this 

appropriately at the hospital level. The divisional committees 

will also include local independent clinical expert members 

to  provide  a  different  perspective  and  avoid  ‘group  think’. 

The Ward-to-Board framework will drive better quality and 

more  effective  outcomes  for  patients,  thereby  creating 

satisfaction and value for the Company and its stakeholders. 

Clinical performance management 
system
Another  important  area  of  focus  has  been  the  Group’s 

Clinical  Performance  Management  System,  which 

is 

based  on  a  clinical  performance  model  consisting  of 

four  components:  patient  safety,  clinical  effectiveness, 

clinical  cost  efficiency  and  value-based  care.  A  composite 

performance  indicator  dashboard  has  been  implemented 

to  evaluate  the  performance  of  the  operating  divisions 

including  their  individual  hospitals  against  internal  and 

external  benchmarks.  This  will  enable  to  the  management 

team and the Committee to analyse trends and prioritise the 

corresponding clinical performance improvements. 

The Committee continued their focus on the following areas:

 • monitoring the clinical performance of the Group; 

 • evaluating  patient  safety, 

infection  prevention  and 

control, and quality improvement performance; 

 • evaluating  compliance  with  the  Company’s  patient 

safety  and  quality  clinical  care  standards,  policies  and 

procedures,  and  regulation  and  accreditation  standards 

at the operating divisions; 

 •

 •

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CSR

reviewing clinical effectiveness and cost efficiencies; and

reviewing  and  approving  the  annual  Clinical  Services 
Overview 
in  the  Annual  Report  and  the  Clinical 
Services  Report  available  on  the  Company’s  website  at   
www.mediclinic.com. 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In  relation  to  its  sustainability  functions,  the  Committee  is 

responsible  for  ensuring  that  the  Group  remains  a  good 

and  responsible  corporate  citizen.  During  the  year,  the 

Committee focused, inter alia, on the following: 

 •

reviewing  and  further  aligning  the  Group’s  policies  to 

the  Group’s  commitment  to  governance  and  reporting 

of  its  sustainable  development  performance,  including 

118 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Environmental  Policy  and  Code  of  Business  Conduct 
and  Ethics,  strengthening  the  Group’s  position  on  non-
discrimination,  respect  for  patient  rights  and  human 
rights. These are available on the Company’s website at 
www.mediclinic.com; 

 • monitoring the sustainable development performance of 
the Group with specific regard to stakeholder engagement 
(which includes the outcomes from the patient experience 
index and employee engagement index), health and public 
safety,  broad-based  black  economic  empowerment  in 
South  Africa,  labour  relations  and  working  conditions, 
reviewing and recommending to the Board the Company’s 
statement on slavery and human trafficking in terms of the 
Modern Slavery Act (available on the Company’s website 
at www.mediclinic.com), training and skills development 
of employees, management of the Group’s environmental 
impacts, fraud and ethics, compliance (which includes the 
governance of advertising and compliance with consumer 
protection laws) and corporate social investment; 

 • considering  and  noting  the  paper  on  the  Business  and 
Human  Rights  Resource  Centre  in  respect  of  Modern 
Slavery  Act  statements  published  by  the  FTSE  100  and 
new  initiatives  being  implemented  to  strengthen  the 
Group’s procurement practices and risk management; 

 • monitoring  incidents  of  fraud  and  ethics,  as  well  as 
compliance  throughout  the  Group,  although  also  a 
function of the Audit and Risk Committee;

 • monitoring the results of the Company’s participation in 
various  sustainability  indices  and  assessments,  notably 
the  Company’s  inclusion  in  the  FTSE4Good  Index  as 
well  as  the  FTSE/JSE  Responsible  Investment  Index, 
which  indices  recognises  Companies  with  strong  ESG 
(environmental, social and governance) practices;

 • confirming 

the 

key 

sustainability  priorities, 

as 
recommended  by  management,  reported  on  pages  70  
to 84 and the Sustainable Development Report available 
on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com; and

 •

reviewing  and  approving 
the  annual  Sustainable 
Development  Highlights  included  in  the  Annual  Report 
and the Sustainable Development Report published on 
the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com.

As referred to on page 119, certain South African subsidiaries 
of the Company are required to appoint a social and ethics 
committee in terms of the SA Companies Act, unless such 
companies  are  subsidiaries  of  another  company  that  has 
a  social  and  ethics  committee,  and  the  social  and  ethics 
committee  of  that  company  will  perform  the  functions 
required  by  this  regulation  on  behalf  of  that  subsidiary 
company.  The  Committee  also  performs  the  statutory 
functions required of a social and ethics committee in terms 
of the SA Companies Act.

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COMPLIANCE 
The  Committee  considered  the  compliance  universe  and 

the  risk  and  control  self-assessments  for  the  Group  and 

considered in detail new legislation and regulations coming 

into force. A key area of focus has been a review of relevant 

data protection law, including the European Union General 
Data  Protection  Regulation  (“GDPR”).  Although  a  focus 
of  the  Board  directly,  the  Committee  also  monitored  the 

PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE 
IN 2018/2019
For  the  coming  financial  year,  the  Committee  will,  among 

other matters, focus on the following:

 •

the implementation of the Ward-to-Board accountability 

framework across the operating divisions;

 •

the review of the clinical performance indicators and the 

progress made with the project to ensure compliance with 

identification of trends; and 

data privacy legislation applicable to each of the operating 

 •

the  continued  monitoring  of  the  Company’s  sustainable 

divisions in view of the volume and sensitivity of patient data.

development. 

ASSURANCE
The Committee considered the need for external assurance 

of  the  Company’s  non-financial  reporting,  particularly 

in  relation  to  the  Company’s  sustainable  development 

performance. The Committee is satisfied that the current level 

of combined assurance provides the necessary independent 

assurance over the quality and reliability of the information 

presented in relation to the Group’s clinical performance and 

Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Clinical  Performance  and 

Sustainability Committee.

Dr Felicity Harvey
Chairman of the Clinical Performance and  

sustainable  development.  The  Committee  will  continue  to 

Sustainability Committee 

monitor whether additional forms of assurance are required 

in future.

23 May 2018

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COMMITTEE EVALUATION 
An external evaluation of the Committee’s performance was 

conducted by Lintstock during the year, which results were 

considered by the Committee and the Board. There were no 

significant issues identified that required improvement and 

the Committee and the Board concluded that the Committee 

operated effectively during the year.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
In  terms  of  the  SA  Companies  Act,  a  social  and  ethics 

committee must, through one of its members, report to the 

shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting on the 

matters within its mandate. As the Committee is performing 

the  role  and  function  of  a  social  and  ethics  committee  in 

terms  of  the  SA  Companies  Act,  the  Committee  will  fulfil 

this  function  by  referring  shareholders  at  the  Company’s 

annual  general  meeting  on  25  July  2018  to  this  report  by 

SDR

the  Committee,  which  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with 
the  Sustainable  Development  Report  available  on  the 
Company’s  website  at  www.mediclinic.com.  Any  specific 
questions  to  the  Committee  may  be  sent  to  the  Company 

Secretary prior to the annual general meeting. 

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119

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AUDIT AND RISK
COMMITTEE REPORT
COMMITTEE REPORT

Desmond Smith
Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee

Dear Shareholder,

As Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee (the “Committee”), it is my pleasure to report on the Committee’s activities 
for the year ended 31 March 2018.

This report provides an overview of the functioning of the Committee and the signifi cant matters it addressed during the 

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year, together with its priorities for 2018/19. The Committee’s terms of reference are available in the governance section of 
the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com and are summarised on page 95 in the Corporate Governance Statement.

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETING ATTENDANCE
The  composition  of  the  Committee  complies  with  the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  (the  “Code”),  which  provides 
that all members should be independent non-executive directors. The Board regards each member of the Committee as 
having recent and relevant fi nancial experience for the purposes of the Code and the Financial Reporting Council’s (“FRC”) 
Guidance  on  Audit  Committees.  The  Board  is  satisfi ed  that  the  Committee,  as  a  whole,  has  the  required  sector-specifi c 

competence and that the combined knowledge and experience of its members enables the Committee to exercise its duties 
in an eff ective, informed and responsible manner. Figure 1 sets out the Committee’s composition and meeting attendance 
during the period under review.

FIGURE 1: COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETING ATTENDANCE

NAME1

QUALIFICATIONS

Mr Desmond Smith 
(Committee Chairman)

Mr Alan Grieve

B.Sc., FASSA

B.A. (Hons), CA

Mr Seamus Keating

FCMA

Mr Trevor Petersen

B.Comm. (Hons), CA(SA)

DATE APPOINTED 
(AS COMMITTEE 
MEMBER)

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED 
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED2

15/02/2016

15/02/2016

05/06/2013

15/02/2016

4 of 4

4 of 4

4 of 4

4 of 4

 The composition of the Committee is shown as at 31 March 2018.

Notes
1 
2    The attendance refl ects the number of scheduled meetings held during the fi nancial year. One additional ad hoc Committee meeting was 
held during the fi nancial year and two Committee meetings were held between the Company’s fi nancial year-end and the Last Practicable 
Date; all these meetings were attended by all Committee members.

120 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  Company  Secretary  is  secretary  to  the  Committee  and 

(Chief Clinical Officer and CEO Designate) was also invited to 

attends  all  meetings,  as  does  Mr  Jurgens  Myburgh  (CFO). 

attend Committee meetings held from 1 January 2018 onwards, 

Other  attendees  differ  from  time  to  time  and  may  include 

as part of the transition to his appointment as CEO.

Mr  Danie  Meintjes  (CEO),  Dr  Edwin  Hertzog  (Company 

Chairman),  Mr  Pieter  Uys  (alternate  to  Mr  Jannie  Durand),  

Mr Gert Hattingh (Chief Corporate Services Officer) and other 

relevant  management  members.  Representatives  from  the 

internal auditors (Remgro Internal Audit) and external auditors 

(PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP  and  PricewaterhouseCoopers 

KEY AREAS OF ACTIVITY
The Committee continued to provide appropriate oversight 

and challenge around the Company’s financial, accounting, 

risk management, internal controls and assurance processes. 

Its key areas of focus during the year ended 31 March 2018 

Inc.) are invited to attend all meetings. Dr Ronnie van der Merwe 

are set out below.

Financial reporting 

The Committee considered the following key topics relating to 
financial reporting during the year:

 • Reviewed the interim dividend and recommended it for approval 

by the Board

May 2017:
 • Reviewed  the  external  auditor's  2017  year-end  audit  report  

and opinion

 • Reviewed  the  financial  performance  of  the  Group  and  each 

division, including debt covenants

 • Reviewed  the  significant  accounting  policies,  key  accounting 
items,  areas  of  significant  judgements  and  any  material 
assumptions or estimates 

 • Reviewed  and  confirmed  the  going  concern  status,  the  long-
term  viability  assessment  and  the  supporting  stress  testing 
analysis and recommended them for approval by the Board 
 • Reviewed  the  final  dividend  proposal  and  recommended  it  to 

the Board for approval by the shareholders

 • Approved the Audit and Risk Committee Report for inclusion in 

the 2017 Annual Report

 • Reviewed  the  2017  Annual  Report  and  Financial  Statements, 
including the confirmation of fair, balanced and understandable 
reporting and recommended them for approval by the Board 
 • Reviewed  the  use  of  adjusted  measures  by  the  Group  and 
ensured their appropriateness (including the items of income or 
cost included or excluded from their calculation)

 • Reviewed  the  preliminary  results  announcement  and  investor 
presentation and recommended them for approval by the Board
 • Reviewed  the  2017  Notice  of  Annual  General  Meeting  and 

recommended it for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the Group’s tax report and the Group Tax Strategy and 
recommended the Group Tax Strategy for approval by the Board 
 • Continued  to  monitor  the  integration  of  the  Al  Noor  business 

into the Middle East division

September 2017:
 • Reviewed the Group’s tax report
 • Reviewed the external auditor’s interim review plan 
 • Reviewed the FRC’s summary of key developments for 2017/18 

annual reports

November 2017: 
 • Reviewed the external auditor's half-year review findings 
 • Reviewed  the  financial  performance  of  the  Group  and  each 

division, including debt covenants

 • Reviewed  the  significant  accounting  policies,  key  accounting 
judgement  and  any  material 

items,  areas  of  significant 
assumptions or estimates

 • Reviewed the key tax considerations across the Group
 • Reviewed  and  confirmed  the  going  concern  status  and 

recommended its adoption for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed 

the 

results 
announcement, including the confirmation of fair and balanced 
reporting

interim  financial  statements  and 

 • Reviewed  the  use  of  adjusted  measures  by  the  Group  and 
ensured their appropriateness (including the items of income or 
cost included or excluded from their calculation)

March 2018:
 • Reviewed  the  external  auditor’s  pre-year-end  report  on 

accounting and auditing issues 

 • Reviewed the significant accounting policies
 • Reviewed the preliminary going concern and long-term viability 
assessment, together with the supporting stress testing analysis 

 • Reviewed the key tax considerations across the Group
 • Conducted an annual review of the finance function

April 2018:
 • Consideration of Hirslanden impairments

May 2018:
 • Reviewed  the  external  auditor's  2018  year-end  audit  report  and 

opinion

 • Reviewed  the  financial  performance  of  the  Group  and  each 

division, including debt covenants

 • Reviewed the significant accounting policies, key accounting items, 
areas of significant judgements, and any material assumptions or 
estimates 

 • Reviewed and confirmed the going concern status, the long-term 
viability assessment and the supporting stress testing analysis and 
recommended them for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the final dividend proposal and recommended it to the 

Board for approval by the shareholders

 • Approved the Audit and Risk Committee  Report for inclusion in 

the 2018 Annual Report

 • Reviewed  the  2018  Annual  Report  and  Financial  Statements, 
including  the  confirmation  of  fair,  balanced  and  understandable 
reporting and recommended them for approval by the Board
 • Reviewed the use of adjusted measures by the Group and ensured 
their  appropriateness  (including  the  items  of  income  or  cost 
included or excluded from their calculation) 

 • Reviewed  the  preliminary  results  announcement  and  investor 
presentation and recommended them for approval by the Board
 • Reviewed  the  2018  Notice  of  Annual  General  Meeting  and 

recommended it for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the Group’s tax report

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AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)

The Committee maintained a strong focus on the financial performance of the Group’s operating divisions and the Group 

as a whole, as well as the integrity of the Group’s financial reporting, including annual and half-year financial statements, 

announcements  and investor presentations. The Committee, with management and the external auditor, also considered 

the impact of reporting recommendations published by the FRC, as well as the new accounting and reporting requirements 

introduced by IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, IFRS 15 Revenue and IFRS 16 Leases and their impact on the Group’s financial 

statements for the year ended 31 March 2018 and the year ending 31 March 2019. 

The Committee received regular reports on tax matters for the Group, providing details of outstanding tax matters, any tax 

risks and assurances received from the Company’s tax advisers as part of the year-end audit. During the year, the Committee 

reviewed and recommended the Group Tax Strategy to the Board for approval. The strategy is published on Mediclinic’s 

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website and a summary is available in page 31 of this Annual Report. The Committee monitored progress on compiling the 

country-by-country tax report.

Significant accounting judgements and policies 

The Committee follows a process for monitoring the integrity of the financial information provided in the annual and interim 

reports, which includes the review of significant accounting policies, key accounting items and areas of significant judgement, 

together with any material assumptions and estimates adopted by management and confirmed that these were appropriate. 

The Committee considered the following significant issues identified by the management team and the external auditors in 

relation to the Annual Report.

SIGNIFICANT  
ISSUES 
CONSIDERED

Impairment 
assessments 
(goodwill, trade 
name and non-
financial assets) 
and determination 
of cash generating 
units

STEPS TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE 

The Committee reviewed the following:

 •

impairment test of the carrying amount of the Middle East goodwill;
impairment test of the carrying amount of the Swiss goodwill and the Hirslanden brand name; 

 •
 • determination of Cash Generating Units (“CGUs”); and
 • assessments if an indication exist that a non-financial asset or a CGU might be impaired and 

consequent impairment tests.

Judgement is exercised in the identification of CGUs and the process of allocating goodwill to 
the group of CGUs and in the assumptions underlying the impairment review. The Committee 
reviewed management’s judgement in cases where individual hospitals were clustered together 
within a supply region where the cash inflows cannot be distinguished between the individual 
hospitals.  

The Committee reviewed the key assumptions to the impairment tests performed, which 
included the cash flows derived from the annual financial plans, long-term growth rates and the 
discount rates. Long-term growth rates for periods not covered by the annual budgets were 
challenged to ensure they were appropriate in the countries relevant to the operating divisions.

The Committee noted that a significant impairment had arisen in the Hirslanden operating 
division because of the changes in the market and regulatory environment that affected key 
inputs to the review. The Committee considered the sensitivities to changes in assumptions 
and the related disclosures required by IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. 

Based on its challenge of the key assumptions and associated sensitivities, the Committee 
concurred with the impairment charges in respect of the Hirslanden properties, goodwill and 
brand name. The Committee concurred with management’s conclusion that no impairment is 
required in respect of the Middle East goodwill.

122 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

SIGNIFICANT  
ISSUES 
CONSIDERED

Impairment 
assessment  
of equity investment 
in Spire

Purchase price 
allocation of Linde 
acquisition

STEPS TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE 

The Committee reviewed the impairment tests of the equity investment in Spire. 

The Committee reviewed the key assumptions which include the forecast cash flows, long-term 
growth rates and the discount rate were based on a reputable consulting firm’s market analysis 
and two global investment banks valuation work.

The Committee noted that a significant impairment had arisen on 30 September 2017 because 
of updated guidance issued by Spire. The Committee further considered the updated full 
year financial results, further announcements, guidance issued by Spire and considered 
the sensitivities to changes in assumptions and the related disclosures required by IAS 36 
Impairment of Assets.

Based on its challenge of the key assumptions and associated sensitivities, the Committee 
concurred with the impairment charge on 30 September 2017 and that no further impairment 
charge or reversal of impairment charge is required at 31 March 2018.

The Committee reviewed and was satisfied with the purchase price allocation performed in 
respect of the Linde acquisition. 

The Committee was presented with management’s considerations and feedback from the 
external auditor on procedures performed. 

The Committee was satisfied that a rigorous process was followed in identifying the significant 
intangible asset and that this asset was reasonably valued applying appropriate judgment.

Swiss pension fund 
liabilities

The Committee reviewed the appropriateness of the main valuation assumptions such as 
discount rates, mortality and inflation applied in the valuation of the pension fund plan assets 
and obligations, as well as the recognition of a past service cost credit.

Classification and 
presentation of 
exceptional items

The principal valuation assumptions prepared by external actuaries and adopted by 
management were considered in the light of prevailing economic indicators and the view of 
the external auditors. The approach adopted by management was accepted as appropriate.

The Group uses non-IFRS measures in evaluating performance and as a method to provide 
clear and consistent reporting. Judgement is required in determining whether an item is 
exceptional. For the year ended 31 March 2018, the exceptional items after taking related 
tax and deferred tax into account, amounted to £713m (£782m before tax) of which £685m 
(£753m before tax) relate to impairment charges. Refer to the Finance Review for details of the 
exceptional items. Exceptional items have been evaluated as to their nature to assess whether 
their classification and presentation are in line with the Group’s policy and guidance from the 
Financial Reporting Council. The Committee have reviewed management’s application of the 
policy for consistency with previous accounting periods. The Committee also assessed whether 
the disclosures within the Finance review and Results Announcement provide sufficient detail 
to understand the nature of these items. The Committee was satisfied that the amounts 
classified as exceptional items are reasonable in all material respects and the related disclosure 
of these items in the Financial Review and the Results Announcement is appropriate. The 
Committee was satisfied that all adjusted measures were appropriately labelled and that they 
were all clearly reconciled to the equivalent statutory measures.

Impact assessment 
of IFRS 9 Financial 
instruments

Key matters reviewed by the Committee included the detailed impact assessment of IFRS 9 
such as the classification and measurement of financial instruments and the quantification of 
the impairment provision of trade receivables under the expected loss model. 

The quantification of the effect on the impairment provision and the approach taken in the 
IFRS 9 transition project was accepted as appropriate.

Impact assessment 
of IFRS 15 Revenue 
from contracts with 
customers

Key matters reviewed by the Committee included the detailed impact assessment of IFRS 15 
such as the volume discounts to certain funders on attainment of certain admissions levels 
in Mediclinic Southern Africa and Mediclinic Middle East, disallowances in Mediclinic Middle 
East, Swiss tariff provision and the principal versus agent considerations in Switzerland. The 
proposed treatment and consequent effect on the results of the Group post implementation 
was considered appropriate.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)

SIGNIFICANT  
ISSUES 
CONSIDERED

Viability assessment

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STEPS TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE 

The Committee reviewed the stress testing of the Group's principal risks and uncertainties 
undertaken by management to support the going concern and long-term viability statement. 
Based on careful analysis of all relevant matters, the Committee concluded that the Board 
could reasonably expect the Group to continue to be in operation and meet its liabilities 
as they fall due, over the course of the five-year assessment period. The Committee 
recommended to the Board the going concern and long-term viability statement set out on 
pages 50 to 51.

Fair, balanced and understandable reporting

The  annual, 

interim  and  other  price-sensitive  reports 

published by the Company, are required to be fair, balanced 

and understandable; and provide the information necessary 

for shareholders to assess the Group’s position, performance, 
business model and strategy. 

Throughout the year, the Committee (or in certain instances, 

the  Board  or  the  Disclosure  Committee)  reviewed  the 

interim  results  and  other  price-sensitive  announcements 

published  by  the  Company  and  confirmed  that  they  met 

the  above  requirements.  The  Committee  also  reviewed  the 

use  of  adjusted  measures  by  the  Group  and  ensured  their 

appropriateness  in  aiding  users  of  the  Group’s  financial 

statements  to  better  understand  its  performance  year  on 

year  (including  the  items  of  income  or  cost  included  or 

excluded from their calculation). 

The  Committee  considered  a  summary  of  management’s 

approach  to  the  preparation  of  the  narrative  sections  and 

financial statements; reviewed the 2018 Annual Report as a 

whole, and recommended to the Board that, in its opinion, 

the  2018  Annual  Report,  taken  as  a  whole,  meets  the 

aforementioned requirements.

Internal control system and risk management processes

The Committee considered the following key topics relating to 
internal controls and risk management during the year:

May 2017:
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  Committee's  report  on  internal 
control  system  and  risk  management  processes  in  the  2017 
Annual Report

 • Reviewed the principal risks and uncertainties and recommended 

them for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed cybersecurity risks and monitoring

September 2017:
 • Reviewed  the  Enterprise-wide  Risk  Management  (“ERM”) 

framework and progress against risk management plans 

 • Conducted an in-depth review of IT-related risks, including the 

governance and status of key IT projects

 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed the Group compliance programme report (including 

the GDPR)

November 2017:
 • Reviewed  the  principal  risks  and  uncertainties,  including  the 
impact  of  Brexit,  and  recommended  them  for  approval  by  the 
Board 

 • Reviewed  the  Level  2  and  3  assurance  processes  conducted 
or planned for the year and the next steps regarding any open 
findings

 • Reviewed  the  update  on  Level  2  and  3  assurance  processes 

regarding major IT projects

 • Reviewed risks and obligations under data protection legislation
 • Reviewed fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed and approved the Treasury Policy and Procedures

January 2018:
 • Reviewed the combined assurance model 
 • Reviewed  the  new  risk  management  and  assurance  reporting 

dashboard

March 2018:
 • Reviewed the Group tax risks 
 • Conducted a review of the Group's risk management systems and 
principal risks and uncertainties, including: the ERM framework, 
ERM Policy and risk appetite statement; top risks; other topical 
risk areas; Group compliance policy and programme; and ERM 
plan for FY19

 • Reviewed the preliminary going concern and long-term viability 
assessment, together with the supporting stress testing analysis
 • Reviewed  the  Fraud  Risk  Management  Policy  and  fraud  and 

ethics report

 • Reviewed the Treasury Policy and Procedures
 • Reviewed the Group's key insurance policies

April 2018:
 • Reviewed  progress  on  implementation  of  data  privacy  project 

(including GDPR)

May 2018:
 • Reviewed  the  report  on  internal  control  systems  and  risk 
management processes included in the 2018 Annual Report and 
recommended it for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the principal risks and uncertainties and recommended 

them for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed cybersecurity risks and monitoring
 • Reviewed  progress  on  implementation  of  data  privacy  project 

(including GDPR)

124 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  Board  is  ultimately  responsible  for  overseeing  the 
effective  internal  control  systems  and  risk  management 
processes,  which  facilitate  the  delivery  of  and  sustain  the 
Group’s  financial,  operational  and  strategic  objectives. 
In  accordance  with  its  terms  of  reference,  the  Committee 
monitors  these  processes  on  a  regular  basis;  reviews  their 
effectiveness;  and  makes  appropriate  recommendations  to 
the Board. 

During  the  year,  the  Committee  reviewed  the  ERM  Policy, 
framework and processes, including the Group’s risk appetite, 
combined  assurance  model  and  action  plans  designed 
to  mitigate  risks  in  line  with  the  Group’s  risk  appetite 
statement.  The  Committee  concentrated  in  particular  on 
actions regarding certain areas highlighted by management:

 • centralising and standardising business processes in the 

Hirslanden operating division; 

 •

 •

 •

integrating Al Noor into the business, operating practices 
and finance, and accounting and internal control systems 
of the Middle East operating segment; 

implementing  SAP  and  supporting  policies  and 
procedures;

implementing a standardised financial consolidation and 
reporting tool; and

 • enhancing  the  assurance  processes  across  the  Group, 

including ICT governance and compliance.

The Committee continued to monitor the standardisation of 
the  internal  controls  and  risk  framework  across  the  Group, 
processes,  risk  registers  and  reporting.  The  Committee 
focused  on  integrating  the  reports  received  on  financial, 
operational  and  compliance  internal  controls  and  risk 
management  systems,  corresponding  key  performance 
indicators,  internal  and  external  assurances,  mitigating 
action  plans,  and  progress  on  the  delivery  of  these  plans. 
The Committee and management discussed areas for further 
improvement  and  these  were  raised  in  the  Committee’s 
feedback to the Board.

Information  and  communications  technology  (“ICT”)  risks 
continued  to  be  a  key  area  of  focus  for  the  Committee. 
The  top  five  risks  identified  were  cybersecurity,  project 
delivery, information protection, architecture and quality of 
IT systems, and application control and change risks. Senior 
management  held  regular  presentations  to  the  Committee 
on  these  risks  and  their  management  and  mitigation.  The 
presentations included an in-depth review of the governance 
arrangements  and  status  of  the  most  complex  IT  projects 
delivered within the Group. 

The Group introduced an enhanced programme to track the 
Group’s  compliance  with  key  legislation  in  the  jurisdictions 
in  which  it  operates.  The  Committee  received  regular 
updates  on  progress  regarding  the  development  of  the 
compliance  programme  and  considered  the  implications 
of  forthcoming  legislation,  such  as  the  EU  General  Data 
Protection Regulation, effective in the UK from 25 May 2018; 

data protection legislation being introduced in Switzerland 
and  South  Africa;  and  new  VAT  legislation  in  the  UAE. 
The  Committee  examined  the  Group’s  plans  to  address 
the  new  requirements  and  monitored  progress  on  their 
implementation. 

considered 

The  Committee 
the  Group’s  hedging 
arrangements  in  respect  of  interest  rate  movements  and 
supported  management’s  decision  to  discontinue  hedging 
the debt associated with the Hirslanden operating division for 
the time being. Management maintained the decision under 
review and presented regular reports to the Committee. 

The Committee's overall conclusion and recommendation to 
the Board was that the internal control and risk management 
environment  was  effective  in  ensuring  the  consistent 
achievement  of  key  control  objectives  and  no  significant 
failings or weaknesses had been identified.

The  long-term  viability  statement  on  pages  50  to  51  is 
underpinned  by  the  Committee’s  work  on  the  Group's 
financial  reporting,  internal  controls  and  risk  management 
systems.  Further  details  on  the  Group's  internal  controls 

system and risk monitoring are provided on page 48.

AR

AR

Internal audit

The Committee considered the following key topics relating to 
internal audit during the year:

May 2017:
 • Reviewed  the  FY17  internal  audit  report  including  annual 
review  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  internal  controls 
and risk management processes

 • Considered an external report on the internal auditor’s quality 
assurance  processes  and  reviewed  the  effectiveness  of  the 
internal auditor

 • Conducted  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee 
members  and  the  internal  auditor,  without  the  management 
the  Committee  members  and 
team,  and  between 
management, without the internal auditor

November 2017:
 • Reviewed  internal  audit  report  and  findings,  with  particular 

focus on procurement

 • Reviewed progress on appointment of Head of Internal Audit

January 2018:
 • Reviewed  internal  audit  processes,  including  overview  of 

mandate and approved work plan for FY18

 • Considered outcome of process to appoint Head of Internal 

Audit

March 2018:
 • Reviewed the internal audit report, internal audit mandate and 

internal audit function

 • Conducted  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee 
members  and  the  internal  auditor,  without  the  management 
team,  and  between 
the  Committee  members  and 
management, without the internal auditor

May 2018:
 • Reviewed the internal audit report for FY18 including annual 
review  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  internal  controls 
and risk management processes

 • Conducted  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee 
members and management, without the external auditor, and 
between  the  Committee  members  and  the  external  auditor, 
without management

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AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)

Remgro  Internal  Audit  ("RIA")  continued  to  undertake  the 
Group's internal audit function during the year. RIA regularly 
attends Committee meetings and reports on the findings of 
its internal audit reviews. RIA is responsible for evaluating the 
Group's governance processes; assessing the effectiveness of 
the internal financial control framework and risk management 
processes;  analysing  and  evaluating  key  business  processes 
and  associated  controls;  and  providing  information  on 
identified instances of fraud, corruption, unethical behaviour 
and  irregularities.  RIA’s  responsibilities  include  conducting 
an annual documented review of the key financial reporting 
controls  in  identified  financial  systems  and  processes,  and 
providing an annual written assessment of the effectiveness 
of  the  system  of  internal  controls  and  risk  management  to 
the Board. 

During  the  year,  the  Committee  regularly  received  and 
considered  internal  audit  reports  from  RIA,  which  focused 
particularly  on  procurement,  finance  and  governance 
processes,  and  included  their  annual  written  assessment 
of  the  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  internal  controls  and 
risk  management  processes.  As  part  of  this  process,  the 
Committee  reviewed  the  effectiveness  of  the  internal  audit 
function based on discussions with RIA and key members of 
management,  supplemented  by  an  external  assessment  of 
RIA’s  quality  assurance  process.  The  Committee  confirmed 
its  satisfaction  with  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  the 
function, reliability of financial reporting, and compliance with 
applicable laws and regulations. 

The  Committee  reviewed  the  internal  audit  function  and 
internal  audit  plan  for  the  year  ending  
approved  the 
31 March 2019. The plan is set on a three-year rolling basis, and 
the areas of focus are determined and updated in line with:

 •

 •

 •

 •

the internal audit mandate; 
the Group’s risk register; 
strategic and operational initiatives aimed at growing and 
preserving value; 
the results of previous internal audits and reviews of the 
effectiveness  of  internal  controls  and  risk  management 
systems; 
significant  changes  in  the  business,  operations,  ICT 
programmes, systems and controls; 
requests from management and the Committee; 
 •
 • new developments in organisational governance; and 
 • emerging risks and trends.

 •

During FY19, internal audit will focus on the human resources 
and payroll cycle, key controls affected by major transformation 
initiatives and projects and the internal financial control process 
within each division, as well as governance and risk processes.

As reported in the 2017 Annual Report, the Company is in the 
process of establishing an in-house internal audit function and 
transition  away  from  the  current  outsourcing  arrangements 
with RIA. As part of this plan, the Company appointed a Head 
of Internal Audit with effect from 1 July 2018. Plans to ensure a 
gradual and smooth transfer of responsibilities from RIA to the 
new in-house function will be developed further during FY19.

126 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

External audit

The Committee considered the following key topics relating to 
the external audit during the year:

May 2017:
 • Reviewed the external auditor's year-end audit report and opinion
 • Evaluated  the  external  auditor’s  performance,  with  a  focus  on 
their independence, and the objectivity and effectiveness of the 
external audit process 

 • Considered  and  recommended  the  external  auditor’s  re-

appointment 

 • Reviewed the non-audit services expenditure for FY17
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  non-audit  services  thresholds  

for FY18

 • Conducted a separate meeting between the Committee members 
and  the  external  auditors,  without  the  management  team,  and 
between the Committee members and management, without the 
external auditor

September 2017:
 • Reviewed the external auditor’s interim review plan update

November 2017:
 • Reviewed the external auditor's half-year review report 
 • Reviewed and approved the external audit plan for FY18, and 

the corresponding engagement letter and fees

 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  revised  non-audit  services 

thresholds for FY18 

 • Held  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee  members 
and the external auditors, without the management team

March 2018:
 • Reviewed  the  external  auditor's  pre-year-end  report  on 

accounting and auditing issues

 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  policy  on  the  external  auditor's 

independence and non-audit services

 • Reviewed the non-audit services expenditure for FY18 to date
 • Reviewed the non-audit services thresholds for FY19
 • Conducted  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee 
members and the external auditors, without the management 
team,  and  between 
the  Committee  members  and 
management, without the external auditor

May 2018:
 • Reviewed  the  external  auditor's  year-end  audit  report  and 

opinion

 • Evaluated  the  external  auditor’s  performance,  focusing  on 
their  independence,  and  the  objectivity  and  effectiveness  of 
the external audit process

 • Considered  and  recommended  the  external  auditor’s  re-

appointment 

 • Reviewed the non-audit services expenditure for FY18
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  non-audit  services  thresholds  

for FY19

 • Conducted  a  separate  meeting  between  the  Committee 
members and the external auditors, without the management 
team,  and  between 
the  Committee  members  and 
management, without the external auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP  (“PwC”)  has  been  the 
Company’s  external  auditor  since  February  2016,  as 

approved by the Company’s shareholders in December 2015. 
The  lead  audit  engagement  partner  is  Giles  Hannam,  who 

was appointed in February 2016.

The  external  auditor  is  invited  to  all  Committee  meetings 

and  receives  copies  of  all  relevant  Committee  papers  and 

minutes of all Committee meetings.

External audit plan

During the year, the Committee reviewed and approved the 

FY18 external audit plan, including the proposed materiality 

threshold, the scope of the audit, the significant audit risks 

and fees.

Effectiveness and independence

The  Committee  is  committed  to  ensuring  the  Group 

receives  a  high-quality  and  effective  statutory  audit.  It  is 

responsible for monitoring the performance, objectivity and 

independence  of  the  external  auditors  and  undertakes  an 

annual formal evaluation process. 

external  auditor,  previously  provided  by  PwC.  Deloitte  LLP 

was  appointed  to  provide  tax  advice  to  the  Company  and 

its  Southern  African  operations,  and  KPMG  was  appointed 

to  provide  tax  advice  to  the  Company’s  Swiss  and  Middle 

Eastern operations.

The  Committee  determines  the  pre-approved  monetary 

thresholds  for  each  category  of  non-audit  services  by  the 

external auditor at the beginning of each financial year. The 

nature of the non-audit services, the individual fee levels of 

each category and the aggregate fee amount relative to the 

external audit fee, are taken into account in determining these 

thresholds. From 1 April 2017, any individual assignment with 

On  completion  of  the  FY18  year-end  external  audit,  all 

a  fee  exceeding  £50  000  requires  the  Committee’s  prior 

members  of  the  Committee,  key  members  of  the  senior 

approval.

management team, and those who regularly provide input 

to the Committee or have regular contact with the external 
auditors, were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess 

the performance of the external auditor, with a strong focus 

To  help  maintain  the  independence  and  objectivity  of  the 

external auditor, the policy requires that a different partner 

is appointed to lead any non-audit services.

on  their  independence  and  objectivity.  The  questionnaire 

Fees

focused  on 

four  key  performance  areas,  namely: 

The  fees  paid  to  PwC  in  respect  of  non-audit  services 

robustness of the audit process, quality of delivery, quality 

amounted  to  approximately  £588  000,  or  26%  of  the 

of  reporting,  and  quality  of  people  and  service.  As  part 

statutory  audit  fees.  Approximately  £350  000  of  the  

of  the  assessment,  separate  meetings  were  held  between 

non-audit services fees were in respect of reviews conducted 

the Committee members and the external auditor without 

in relation to the financial statements for the six months to  

management,  and  between  the  Committee  members  and 

30  September  2017.  Therefore,  excluding  the  half-year 

management  without  the  external  auditor.  The  feedback 

reviews, non-audit service fees as a percentage of statutory 

from the questionnaire and the meetings with the external 

audit fees amounted to 11%. 

auditor and management was discussed by the Committee 

at the meeting held in May 2018. The Committee was very 

satisfied with the overall feedback on PwC and the external 

audit process.

Under  the  FRC’s  Revised  Ethical  Standard  for  Auditors, 

PwC must inform the Company about any significant facts 

and  matters  that  may  reasonably  be  thought  to  bear  on 

its  independence  or  on  the  objectivity  of  the  lead  partner 

and the audit team. The quality review partner, who reviews 

the  judgements  of  the  audit  team,  rotates  every  seven 

years  and  the  lead  partner  and  key  audit  partners  at  each 

operating  division  every  five  years.  The  external  auditor’s 

independence  is  safeguarded  by  the  non-audit  services 

policy discussed below.

Non-audit services

The Committee believes that it may be appropriate in certain 

circumstances  for  the  Company  to  engage  its  external 

auditors  to  provide  non-audit  services.  A  policy  governing 

the provision of such services is in place to ensure non-audit 
services provided by the auditor do not impair, and are not 

perceived to impair, the external auditor’s independence or 

objectivity.  The  policy  was  last  reviewed  and  approved  by 

the Committee in March 2018. 

With  effect  from  1  April  2017,  the  policy  was  amended 

to,  inter  alia,  exclude  the  provision  of  tax  services  by  the 

Refer to note 22 to the consolidated financial statements on 
page 227 for detail on the fees paid to the Group’s auditors 

AR

for audit and non-audit services during the year.

Re-appointment 

The  Committee  concluded  that  the  services  provided  by 

the external auditor were of a high quality, that the external 

audit  process  in  respect  of  the  2018  financial  statements 

was  effective,  and  that  the  auditor  remains  objective  and 

independent.  Accordingly,  it  recommended  to  the  Board 

that the re-appointment of PwC as the Company’s external 

auditors  is  proposed  to  shareholders  at  the  Company’s 

annual general meeting on 25 July 2018.

Audit tender

As a result of the UK’s implementation of the EU’s mandatory 

audit firm rotation requirements, and in accordance with the 

Committee’s  terms  of  reference,  the  Company  is  required 

to  ensure  that  the  external  auditor’s  contract  is  put  out 

to  tender  at  least  every  10  years,  with  the  proviso  that  no 

single  firm  may  serve  as  the  Company’s  external  auditor 

for  a  period  exceeding  20  years.  PwC  was  appointed  as 

the  Company’s  auditor  with  effect  from  February  2016,  as 

approved by the Company’s shareholders in December 2015. 

It is intended that the external audit will be put out to tender 

no later than for the financial year commencing 1 April 2023, 

which is 10 years after the Company’s initial listing.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)

Competition and Markets Authority Statutory 
Audit Services Order 2014 (“CMA Order”) 

AR

As  disclosed  on  page  127,  during  the  financial  year  under 
review,  the  Company  complied  with  the  mandatory 
audit  processes  and  the  Committee  complied  with  the 
responsibility  provisions  set  out  in  the  CMA  Order  relating 
to  (a)  putting  the  audit  services  engagement  on  tender 
every 10 years; and (b) strengthening the accountability of 
the  external  auditor  to  the  Committee,  including  requiring 
that  only  the  Committee  is  permitted  to  agree  to  the 
external  auditor’s  fees  and  scope  of  services;  influence 
the  appointment  of  the  audit  engagement  partner;  make 
recommendations  regarding  the  appointment  of  auditors; 

and authorise the auditors to carry out non-audit services.

Ethical conduct, governance and 
compliance

The Committee considered the following key topics relating to 
governance and compliance during the year:

May 2017:
 • Harmonised operating practices across Mediclinic Middle East
 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Considered  relevant  statutory,  regulatory  and  good  practice 

developments

 • Reviewed the non-audit services expenditure for FY17
 • Reviewed  and  approved  non-audit  services  thresholds  for 

FY18

 • Reviewed the Group tax report 
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  Group  Tax  Strategy  and 

recommended it for approval by the Board

September 2017: 
 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed  Group  compliance  programme  report  (including 

the EU General Data Protection Regulation)

November 2017:
 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Reviewed the Group tax report
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  revised  non-audit  services 

thresholds for FY18

 • Considered  relevant  statutory,  regulatory  and  good  practice 

developments 

March 2018:
 • Conducted  the  annual  review  of  policies  and  procedures: 
Terms of Reference of the Committee; Internal Audit Mandate; 
Policy  in  respect  of  the  Independence  and  the  provision  of 
non-audit services by the External Auditors; ERM Policy and 
Fraud Risk Management Policy

 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Considered  relevant  statutory,  regulatory  and  good  practice 

developments

May 2018:
 • Reviewed the Regulatory Compliance Policy
 • Reviewed the non-audit services expenditure for FY18
 • Reviewed  and  approved  non-audit  services  thresholds  for 

FY19

 • Reviewed the Group tax report
 • Reviewed  and  approved  the  Group  Tax  Strategy  and 

recommended it for approval by the Board

 • Reviewed the fraud and ethics report
 • Considered  relevant  statutory,  regulatory  and  good  practice 

developments

128 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The  Group  is  focused  on  conducting  its  business  in  an 

honest,  fair  and  ethical  manner,  a  principle  endorsed  by 

the  Board  and  management.  The  Committee  oversees  the 

Group’s processes for handling breaches of the Group’s Code 

of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics  and  Anti-bribery  Policy. 

During  the  year,  the  Committee  received  regular  feedback 

from  the  Group  General  Manager:  Risk  Management  on  all 

material  cases  and  incidents  reported  on  the  ethics  lines, 

how these were managed and the effectiveness of the lines. 

The  Committee  adopted  a  Fraud  Risk  Management  Policy, 

which  facilitates  developing  controls  for  the  prevention  of 

fraud and corruption.

The  Committee  is  responsible  for  ensuring  Group-wide 

compliance  with  relevant  laws  and  regulations.  During 

2017,  a  compliance  consultant  was  appointed  to  assist 

the  Group  with  implementing  a  standardised  risk-based 
compliance  monitoring  process  across  all  business  units. 

Under  the  consultant's  guidance,  the  Group  established 

an  enhanced  programme  to  track  the  Group’s  compliance 

with key legislation in the jurisdictions in which it operates. 

The  Committee  regularly  received  updates  on  progress 

regarding  the  development  of  the  compliance  programme 

and considered the implications of forthcoming legislation, 

such  as  the  EU  General  Data  Protection  Regulation,  data 

protection 

legislation  being 

introduced 

in  Switzerland 

and  South  Africa,  and  new  VAT  legislation  in  the  UAE. 

The  Committee  examined  the  Group’s  plans  to  address 

the  new  requirements  and  monitored  progress  on  their 

implementation. 

The  Clinical  Performance  and  Sustainability  Committee 

is  also  responsible  for  assessing  the  Group’s  ethics  and 

compliance.  Further  details  on  the  Company's  policies  in 

respect  of  business  conduct  and  ethics,  anti-corruption 

and  anti-bribery  matters  are  provided  on  page  82  of  the 
Strategic  Report.  Details  of  the  Clinical  Performance  and 
Sustainability  Committee  are  provided  on  page  95  of  the 
Corporate Governance Statement.

AR

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COMMITTEE EVALUATION 
An external evaluation of the Committee’s performance was 

conducted  by  Lintstock  during  the  year,  focused  on  the 

Committee’s composition and time management, processes 

and  support,  the  work  undertaken  during  the  financial 

year  and  any  priorities  for  improving  its  performance  over 

the  coming  year.  The  Committee  reviewed  and  discussed 

the  outcomes  of  the  evaluation  and  certain  actions  were 

agreed for implementation, aimed at further enhancing the 

effectiveness  of  the  Committee.  The  results  were  reported 

to  the  Board  at  the  March  2018  meeting.  The  Committee 

will  monitor  progress  on  the  agreed  actions  and  their 

outcomes, and these will be incorporated into the following 

performance evaluation.

PROGRESS ON KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE IN FY18

PRIORITIES

STATUS

 •

Implementation of new IFRS standards

 • Refer to the financial reporting section on pages 121 to 124 of this 

 • Review  various  ICT  and  other  significant  projects  across  the 

Group

 • Review  of  ongoing  integration  of  Al  Noor’s  operations  and 

systems

 • Monitor Group tax compliance matters
 • Review  internal  audit  work  plan  for  FY18,  which  will  focus  on 
the procurement and payment cycle and division projects and 
their internal financial control process

 • Monitor progress against the 2018 ERM plan

Audit and Risk Committee Report.

 • Refer  to  the  internal  control  systems  and  risk  management 
processes  section  on  pages  124  to  125  of  this  Audit  and  Risk 
Committee Report.

 • Appoint Chief Internal Audit Executive

 • Refer  to  the  internal  audit  section  on  pages  125  to  126  of  this  

Audit and Risk Committee Report.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMITTEE IN 2018/19
 • Monitor establishment of in-house internal audit function

 • Monitor progress against the FY19 internal audit plan and overall ERM plan

 • Mature the integration of reporting to the Committee on financial, operational and compliance internal controls and risk 

management systems

 • Monitor the performance of recently implemented transformational IT projects 

 • Monitor the implementation of new IFRS standards

 • Appoint a permanent compliance officer and monitor the entrenchment of compliance management

Approved and signed on behalf of the Audit and Risk Committee.

AR

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Mr Desmond Smith
Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee 

23 May 2018

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129

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ 
REMUNERATION REPORT

Mr Trevor D Petersen
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

LETTER FROM THE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
Dear Shareholder, 

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to present the Mediclinic International Directors' Remuneration Report for 2018.

The Remuneration at a Glance section, which follows this introduction, highlights the key areas that will be of primary focus 

to the reader, such as pay outcomes for the year and details of how our policy will be implemented in 2019. 

Over the past year, the Remuneration Committee kept fully abreast of the evolving views of shareholders on pay and, in 

particular, the UK Government consultation on corporate governance. We focused on ensuring that our approach to pay is 

fair and that pay in the wider workforce is considered and refl ected in the Committee’s deliberations. The next UK Corporate 

Governance Code is expected to increase the remit of the Committee to include a level of oversight for the wider workforce 

and we are well placed to incorporate this additional responsibility. The Committee is regularly updated on wider workforce 

pay and we make our decisions relating to the remuneration of senior executives and key management in the context of 

relativity of reward practices across each operating division. 

Chief Executive Offi  cer transition
A key part of our work in the year has been supporting the Nomination Committee in the Chief Executive Offi  cer succession 

planning and ensuring that the approach to recruitment remuneration for our incoming CEO was appropriately fair, taking 

into account our workforce practices and compliance with our policy and relevant share plan rules.

Mr Danie Meintjes will retire from the Company after a tenure of over 30 years of service, the last eight of which have been 

as its CEO. Mr Meintjes played a vital role in the transformation of the Mediclinic Group during his tenure. The Committee is 

currently considering the treatment of Mr Meintjes’ outstanding share-based awards when he steps down as an executive 

director. Details will be disclosed to shareholders as soon as they have been fi nalised. 

Dr Ronnie van der Merwe will take on the role of CEO from 1 June 2018. Dr Van der Merwe joined the Mediclinic Group in 1999 

and the Executive Committee in 2008, where he most recently held the role of Chief Clinical Offi  cer. Dr Van der Merwe is one 

of Mediclinic's most experienced executives and ideally equipped to build on the foundations Mr Meintjes has left in place. 

Dr Ronnie van der Merwe’s remuneration arrangements as CEO are in line with the Group remuneration policy and in line 

with the package for Mr Meintjes in his fi nal full year as CEO. Dr Van der Merwe’s base compensation (inclusive of Board fees) 

has therefore been set at £558 198, whilst his maximum short and long-term incentive opportunities have been set at 150% 

and 200% of base compensation respectively. Whilst Dr Van der Merwe’s ’s base compensation is in line with Mr Meintjes for 

his fi nal full year as CEO, it is recognised this level is positioned towards the bottom end of the market competitive range 

for the CEO of a company of similar size and complexity to that of Mediclinic. The Committee therefore intends to keep the 

remuneration arrangements for the CEO under review.

130 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Performance and reward over the 
reporting period
2017  was  the  fi rst  year  of  operation  of  our  revised 
Remuneration Policy, which was approved by shareholders 
at  the  2017  Annual  General  Meeting  (“AGM”)  (see  chart 
below for AGM voting outcomes) and applies for three years 
from that date.

AGM VOTING OUTCOME 2017

Directors’
Remuneration
Policy

Directors’
Remuneration
Report

95.95%

96.25%

For

Against

For the year under review, on an adjusted basis, the Group 
performed  slightly  ahead  of  expectations,  driven  by  a 
signifi cant  second  half  improvement  from  the  Middle  East 
division.  The  Southern  Africa  division  delivered  second 
half  revenue  growth  ahead  of  expectations  with  a  stable 
adjusted  EBITDA  margin  for  the  year.  In  Switzerland, 
Hirslanden was faced with a number of regulatory changes 
that  came  into  eff ect  during  the  year,  which  impacted 
divisional EBITDA performance.

 The  executive  directors’  short-term  incentive  (“STI”)  was 
calculated  on  a  Group  achieved  EBITDA  measure  defi ned 
as  Group  adjusted  EBITDA  performance,  calculated  at 
budgeted  exchange  rates  and  further  adjusted  to  remove 
the  impact  of  employee  bonus  accruals  and  to  amend  for 
other specifi c items subject to approval by the Remuneration 
Committee.  This  is  combined  with  detailed  operating 
metrics  measured  at  the  divisional  level,  which  comprise 
fi nancial  and  operational  objectives,  including  measures  of 
clinical excellence. The bonus framework operates such that 
the non-achievement of subset performance indicators (i.e. 
those measured at a divisional level) give rise to a reduction 
in the bonus that is payable. Based on performance delivered 
in the year, as described in more detail on pages 150 and 151, 
the  overall  bonus  for  executive  directors  was  approved  at 
61.37% of maximum, which is refl ective of the fi nancial and 
operating performance delivered in the year.

No long-term incentive awards were due to vest in the year, 
therefore  no  such  awards  are  included  within  the  single 

fi gure tables as set out on page 148.

Proposed remuneration 
implementation 2019
Incentives 
In  line  with  the  2018  STI,  the  2019  Group  STI  will  continue 
to  be  based  on  Group  achieved  EBITDA  performance  and 
operating  divisions’  subset  performance  indicators,  which 
include  fi nancial  and  operational  objectives.  To  further 
support  delivery  of  the  Group’s  “Patients  First  Strategy” 
additional  focus  has  been  placed  on  improving  clinical 
performance through the introduction and/or enhancement 

AR

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of  additional  non-fi nancial  performance  measures,  which 
include  clinical  performance,  patient  experience,  staff  
engagement and patient safety measures.

In line with the commitment we made to investors ahead of 
the introduction of our new policy in 2017, we have reviewed 
the performance measures underlying our plans. The Board 
is  confi dent  that  a  focus  on  adjusted  earnings  per  share 
(“EPS”) and total shareholder return (“TSR”) within our long-
term incentive plan (“LTIP”) remains appropriate for 2018, as 
it is directly aligned with the value we deliver to shareholders. 
The  2018  LTIP  awards  will  therefore  continue  to  be  based 
on adjusted EPS and TSR. Details on the underlying targets 
are  set  out  on  page  152.  The  Board  will  continue  to  keep 
the performance measures used for the purpose of the LTIP 

AR

under review over the course of 2018.

Base compensation 
In  line  with  South  African  employment  practices,  the 
Committee reviewed the base compensation for the current 
CEO, Mr Danie Meintjes, for the coming year and approved 
an increase of 4.7%, which was below the average increase 
for other employees of Mediclinic Southern Africa of 5.6%.

The  Committee  also  reviewed  the  base  compensation 
positioning for the Chief Financial Offi  cer, Mr Jurgens Myburgh, 
who  was  appointed  on  base  compensation  of  £319  000  in 
August  2016.  On  appointment  to  the  role,  in  line  with  best 
practice and in line with the positioning for the CEO, his base 
compensation  was  positioned  towards  the  bottom  end  of 
the market competitive range to refl ect that this was his fi rst 
role as CFO of a UK listed company. Taking into consideration 
Mr  Myburgh’s  performance  since  his  appointment  and  the 
level  of  input  he  provides  to  the  Executive  Committee  and 
Board  in  delivering  business  performance,  the  Committee 
agreed  to  a  salary  increase  of  9.6%.  Mr  Myburgh’s  new 
salary  of  £411  486  will  remain  towards  the  lower  end  of 
the  market  competitive  range.  This  marks  the  fi rst  salary 
increase  awarded  to  Mr  Myburgh  since  his  appointment  in 
August  2016.  Whilst  the  Committee  recognises  that  such 
salary  increases  are  not  common  in  the  current  UK  climate, 
given  Mr  Myburgh’s  performance  since  appointment  and 
taking  into  account  wage  increases  in  the  South  African 
business,  the  Committee  believes  that  the  increase  is  in  the 
best interests of the business.

I  trust  the  information  presented  in  this  report  enables  our 
shareholders  to  understand  how  we  have  implemented  our 
remuneration  policy  over  the  year,  and  the  rationale  for  our 
decision-making. We continue to be committed to an open and 
transparent  dialogue  with  our  investors  and  the  Committee 
welcomes  any  feedback  or  comments  on  this  report  or  the 

way in which we implement our Remuneration Policy.

Mr Trevor D Petersen
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

23 May 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

131

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REMUNERATION  
AT A GLANCE 

This section summarises the remuneration outcomes for the 2017/18 financial year, including how the Remuneration Policy 

was implemented during the year and the link between remuneration and our strategy.

OUR REMUNERATION PRINCIPLES 
Our  Remuneration  Policy  is  designed  to  support  our  overall  objective  of  generating  long-term  shareholder  value.  By 

appointing, investing in and retaining competent staff, we strive to be an employer of choice in the local and international 

markets in which our Company operates. 

Our remuneration arrangements are simple in design and seek to balance the need to reward performance appropriately, 

fairly and competitively – while remaining mindful of our responsibility to deliver value to shareholders. 

Our remuneration structure comprises of two pay components – fixed and variable pay. To determine the shape, size and 

variability of each element of pay, the Committee follows key remuneration principles as set out below:

PRINCIPLE

External equity

KEY 
CHARACTERISTICS

PURPOSE

Competitive market 
positioning and opportunity 

To attract, retain and motivate the executive talent we need to achieve 
our objectives, remuneration is determined with reference to the 
location in which the executive director operates and the broader 
international market.

To ensure a coherent approach across the Group, the structure 
of the executive directors’ pay policy is in line with the policy for 
remuneration of management within the Group. 

The remuneration package is simple and fair in design so that it is 
valued by participants.

The mix between fixed and variable pay and the balance between 
rewarding short versus long-term performance are critical to ensure 
they are appropriately balanced and reward behaviours that will  
lead to the realisation of our overall objective, without encouraging 
excessive risk-taking. 

The performance measures selected to determine both our short-term 
and long-term incentive plans have been carefully considered to focus 
on a simple and effective selection of those key drivers of our strategy 
and long-term value creation for our shareholders.

To ensure continued alignment of executive and shareholder interests, 
the greatest potential pay opportunity for executive directors is via our 
LTIP. Executive directors are incentivised and rewarded for the adjusted 
financial performance of the Group and creating value for shareholders. 

This is further reinforced with a requirement to hold shares to facilitate 
executive directors to build a shareholding in the business and, 
therefore, align management with shareholders’ interests and the 
Group’s performance, without encouraging excessive risk-taking.

Internal equity

Fair and simple 

Affordability

Pay aligned with 
sustainable long-term 
performance

Shareholder 
alignment

Alignment of executive and 
shareholder interests

132 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

SUMMARY OF REMUNERATION FRAMEWORK 
The  overall  remuneration  framework  applicable  to  the  executive  directors  under  the  current  policy  is  summarised  in  the 

following table. 

ELEMENT 
OF PAY

PURPOSE AND LINK  
TO STRATEGY 

Base 
compensation 

To attract, retain and motivate 
talented individuals who are 
critical to the Group’s success

TERMS

With effect 
1 April 2018

Annual STI

 • To encourage and reward 
delivery of the Group’s 
annual financial and 
operational objectives
 • To align with shareholder  

risk and reward

Level (on-target/
maximum 
opportunity % of 
base compensation) 

Performance 
condition

 NEW CEO1 

£558 198

 CFO 

£411 486

90%/150%

80%/133%

Group achieved EBITDA performance and 
other financial and strategic objectives of 
the three operating divisions

LTIP

Deferral portion 

50% compulsory deferral in shares for  
two years

 • To balance performance pay 
between achieving financial 
performance objectives and 
delivering sustainable stock 
market out-performance

 • To encourage share 

ownership and align with 
shareholders’ interests

Level (maximum 
opportunity % of 
base compensation) 

Performance 
condition

Deferral portion 

200%

150%

Adjusted EPS weight of 60% 

Relative TSR weight of 40% 

50% compulsory deferral in shares for  
two years 

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Pension/
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benefits

 • To help recruit and retain 

high-performing executive 
directors

 • To provide employees 

with long-term savings via 
pension provisions

Benefits

 • To provide a market 

competitive level of benefits 
to ensure executive directors’ 
well-being

Contribution  
(% of salary)

9%

Private medical 
insurance, life 
insurance of 5x 
annual base salary as 
personally selected

Private medical 
insurance, life 
insurance of 7x 
annual base salary as 
personally selected

Share 
ownership 
guidelines 

 • Alignment of executive 

% of salary

225%

200%

directors’ interests with those 
of shareholders

Note 
1 

 New  CEO’s  arrangements,  with  effect  from  1  June  2018.  The  departing  CEO’s  base  compensation  was  set  at  £585  728  with  effect  
from 1 April 2018.

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133

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REMUNERATION AT A GLANCE (CONTINUED)

ILLUSTRATION OF REMUNERATION OUTCOMES IN THE PAST YEAR 
The  following  chart  show  the  2017/18  actual  remuneration  against  the  maximum  policy  levels  of  remuneration  for  the 

executive directors. 

£2 574

43%

33%

24%

£1 126

45%

55%

£1 467

38%

34%

28%

Fixed pay

STI

LTIP

£715

43%

57%

38%

Actual

28%

Maximum

Actual

 Danie Meintjes
Chief Executive Officer

28%

Maximum

100%

 Jurgens Myburgh
Chief Financial Officer

Under  the  policy,  the  remuneration  payable  to  each  executive  director  is  based  on  salaries  at  the  start  of  2017/18.  The 

elements of remuneration have been categorised into three components: (i) fixed guaranteed salary; (ii) STI; and (iii) LTIP.  

In addition, for the purposes of comparison we have included the actual single figure remuneration paid in 2017/18.

134 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION 
POLICY

INTRODUCTION 
This  report  sets  out  the  Company’s  policy  on  the  remuneration  of  its  executive  and  non-executive  directors,  which  was 

approved by the shareholders at the AGM on 25 July 2017. The policy took effect from this date and may operate for up 
to three years. Our policy details can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com, and are contained 
in  the  2017  Annual  Report  and  Financial  Statements  on  pages  86  to  94.  However,  in  the  interests  of  full  disclosure,  the 
Remuneration Committee (the “Committee”) has included these below to be read alongside the remuneration outcomes 
for the year ended 31 March 2018. 

The policy was prepared in accordance with The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) 

Regulations 2008 (as amended). The policy has been developed taking into account the principles of the UK Corporate 

Governance  Code  and  takes  account  of  the  views  of  our  major  shareholders  and  proxy  agencies,  as  expressed  during 

previous engagements.

POLICY OVERVIEW
The  Committee  is  responsible,  on  behalf  of  the  Board,  for  establishing  appropriate  remuneration  arrangements  for  the 

executive directors and other senior management of the Group.

In setting the Remuneration Policy for the executive directors, the Committee will ensure that the structures are in the best 

interest of the Group and its shareholders, by taking into account the following general principles:

 •

 •

 •

to lead our chosen markets in medical quality by attracting, retaining and motivating the best person for each position;

to ensure total remuneration packages are simple and fair in design so that they are valued by participants;

to  ensure  that  the  fixed  element  of  remuneration  is  determined  with  reference  to  the  region  in  which  the  executive 

operates and the broader international market, taking account of individual performance, responsibilities and experience; 

and to ensure a significant proportion of the total remuneration package is linked to financial performance;

 •

to balance performance pay between the achievement of the Group’s financial performance objectives and delivering 

sustainable stock market out-performance, creating a clear line of sight between performance and reward; and providing 

a focus on sustained improvements in profitability and returns; and

 •

to  provide  performance-related  pay  linked  to  share  price  and  with  a  requirement  to  hold  shares  to  facilitate  senior 

management to build a shareholding in the business and, therefore, align management and shareholders’ interests and 

the Group’s performance, without encouraging excessive risk-taking.

CONSIDERATION OF SHAREHOLDER VIEWS
The Company is committed to maintaining open and transparent dialogue with its shareholders. The Committee engages 

regularly in a process of investor consultation. 

The Committee considered shareholder feedback in relation to the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the prior year at its 
first meeting following the AGM. This feedback, as well as any additional feedback received during any other meetings with 

shareholders, was considered as part of the Company’s annual review of remuneration arrangements for the following year. 

Where appropriate, the Committee will actively engage with shareholders and shareholder representative bodies, seeking 

views which may be considered when making any decisions about changes to the Directors’ Remuneration Policy.

The  Committee  considers  the  AGM  to  be  an  opportunity  to  meet  and  communicate  with  shareholders,  giving  investors 

the  opportunity  to  raise  any  issues  or  concerns  they  may  have.  In  addition,  the  Committee  will  seek  to  engage  directly 

with  major  shareholders  and  their  representative  bodies  should  any  material  changes  be  made  to  the  Directors’ 

Remuneration Policy.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

135

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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF THE DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY
The following table sets out the key aspects of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy.

ELEMENT  
OF PAY

Base 
compensation

PURPOSE 
AND LINK TO 
STRATEGY

 • To attract, retain 
and motivate 
talented 
individuals  
who are critical 
to the Group’s 
success

PERFORMANCE  
CRITERIA

 • Not applicable

OPERATION

 • Normally reviewed 
annually by the 
Committee or in the 
event of a change in an 
individual’s position or 
responsibilities. Typically 
effective from 1 April
 • Base compensation 

 •

levels are set to reflect 
the experience and 
capabilities of the 
individual and the scope 
and scale of their role
Increases to base 
compensation 
reflect individual 
performance and the 
pay and conditions in the 
workforce

MAXIMUM  
OPPORTUNITY

 • There is no prescribed 
maximum annual 
increase

 • The Committee 

takes into account 
remuneration levels 
in comparable 
organisations in 
geographies in which 
the Group operates and 
in which it competes for 
talent

 • Ordinarily, annual salary 
increases would be no 
more than the average 
annual increase of 
the Company in the 
same geographical 
location in which the 
director is domiciled. 
However, in exceptional 
circumstances, a 
higher increase may be 
awarded. For example: 
assumed additional 
responsibility: or an 
increase in the scale 
or scope of the role: 
or, in the case of a 
new executive, a move 
towards the desired rate 
over a period of time 
where salary was initially 
set below the intended 
positioning

136 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
ELEMENT  
OF PAY

Annual STI1

PURPOSE 
AND LINK TO 
STRATEGY

 • To encourage 
and reward 
delivery of the 
Group’s annual 
financial and 
operational 
objectives
 • To align with 

shareholder risk 
and reward

MAXIMUM  
OPPORTUNITY

 • Maximum opportunity 

of 150% of base 
compensation

PERFORMANCE  
CRITERIA

 • At least 75% of the 
STI will be based 
on Group achieved 
financial performance 
and/ or the financial 
performance of 
the component 
divisions of the 
Group. May also 
include non-financial 
measures (e.g. clinical 
excellence)

 • Performance below 
threshold results 
in zero payment. 
Payments increase 
from 0% to 100% 
of the maximum 
opportunity for levels 
of performance 
between threshold 
and maximum 
performance targets

OPERATION

 • Performance targets are 
reviewed annually by the 
Committee, are linked 
to strategic objectives, 
and are appropriately 
demanding, taking 
into account economic 
conditions and 
risk factors

 • Half of the bonus paid 

will be deferred in shares 
for two years, subject to 
continued employment
 • Deferred shares may be 
settled in cash. Where 
awards are cash settled 
and a director has not yet 
met the share ownership 
guidelines, this cash must 
be used to purchase 
shares in the Company
 • Dividends that accrue 

on the shares under the 
deferred bonus will be 
paid in cash at the time 
of vesting

 • Clawback and malus3 
provisions will apply 
for over-payments 
due to misstatement, 
misconduct or error

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137

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY (CONTINUED)

ELEMENT  
OF PAY

PURPOSE 
AND LINK TO 
STRATEGY

OPERATION

MAXIMUM  
OPPORTUNITY

PERFORMANCE  
CRITERIA

LTIP2

 • To balance 

 • Annual awards 

 • Maximum opportunity 

 • Performance 

of 200% of base 
compensation

measures will include 
adjusted EPS and 
relative TSR which, 
in combination, will 
account for no less 
than 75% of the 
total award

 • The Committee may 
introduce a new 
measure or measures 
aligned with the 
Company’s strategic 
objectives. Any 
such measures will 
account for no more 
than 25% of the total 
award

 • No more than 25% of 
an award will vest for 
achieving threshold 
performance, 
increasing pro rata 
to full vesting for 
achieving maximum 
performance targets

performance 
pay between 
achieving 
financial 
performance 
objectives 
and delivering 
sustainable stock 
market out-
performance
 • To encourage 

share ownership 
and align with 
shareholders’ 
interests

denominated in shares 
with vesting dependent 
on the achievement of 
performance conditions 
over a three-year period

 • Executive directors 
will be required to 
hold vested awards for 
two years

 • Awards may be settled 

in cash, with the 
cash payment taking 
account of the share 
price movement during 
both the vesting and 
holding periods

 • Where awards are cash 

settled and a director has 
not yet met the share 
ownership guidelines, 
this cash must be used 
to purchase shares in 
the Company

 • Performance targets 
are reviewed annually 
by the Committee and 
are set according to 
economic outlook and 
risk factors prevailing 
at the time, ensuring 
that such targets 
remain challenging 
in the circumstances, 
and realistic enough to 
motivate and incentivise 
management

 • Dividends that accrue 
during the vesting and 
holding periods will 
be paid in cash, to the 
extent that awards 
have vested

 • Clawback and malus3 
provisions apply for 
over-payments due 
to misstatement, 
misconduct or error

 • Participation in a 

 • Executive directors 

 • Not applicable

defined contribution 
pension scheme

can receive a Company 
contribution of up to 
10% of base salary

Pension/
retirement 
benefits

 • To help recruit 
and retain 
high-performing 
executive 
directors
 • To provide 
employee 
with long-
term savings 
via pension 
provisions

138 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

ELEMENT  
OF PAY

Benefits

PURPOSE 
AND LINK TO 
STRATEGY

 • To provide 
a market 
competitive 
level of benefits 
to ensure 
executive 
directors’  
well-being

Non-executive 
directors’ fees

 • Set to attract, 
retain and 
motivate 
talented 
individuals 
through the 
provision 
of market-
competitive fees

OPERATION

 • Benefits may include 
but are not limited to

 – private medical 

insurance

 – death and disability 

insurance

 – leave and long-

service awards
 • Other ancillary benefits, 
including relocation and 
an allowance towards 
reasonable fees for 
professional services 
such as legal, tax and 
financial advice

 • Reasonable business 
expenses (e.g. travel, 
accommodation and 
subsistence) will be 
reimbursed and, in 
some instances, the 
associated tax will be 
borne by the Company

 •

In consultation with 
executive directors, 
the Chairman of the 
Board will review 
periodically, or in the 
event of a change in 
an individual’s position 
or responsibilities (as 
appropriate)

 • Fee levels are set 
at market rates, 
responsibility and time 
commitments, and the 
pay and conditions in 
the workplace

 • Reasonable business 
expenses (e.g. travel, 
accommodation and 
subsistence) will be 
reimbursed and, in 
some instances, the 
associated tax will be 
borne by the Company

MAXIMUM  
OPPORTUNITY

PERFORMANCE  
CRITERIA

 • Actual value of benefits 

 • Not applicable

provided

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 • Not applicable

 • As for the executive 
directors, there is no 
prescribed maximum 
annual increase. 
The Chairman of 
the Board and the 
executive directors 
are guided by the 
general increase for the 
broader workforce. In 
certain circumstances, 
the Chairman of the 
Board may recognise 
an increase, such as 
additional responsibility, 
or an increase in the 
scale or scope of 
the role

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139

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY (CONTINUED)

MAXIMUM  
OPPORTUNITY

PERFORMANCE  
CRITERIA

 • Not applicable

 • Not applicable

ELEMENT  
OF PAY

Share 
ownership 
guidelines

PURPOSE 
AND LINK TO 
STRATEGY

 • Alignment 

of executive 
directors’ 
interests 
with those of 
shareholders

OPERATION

 • Executive directors are 
expected to build and 
maintain a shareholding 
in the Company
 • Where awards are 
cash settled and a 
director has not yet met 
the share ownership 
guidelines, this cash 
must be used to 
purchase shares in the 
Company. Until this 
threshold is achieved, 
executive directors 
are normally required 
to retain no less than 
50% of the net of tax 
value from vested LTIP, 
deferred STI or other 
awards
 – The level of 

shareholding 
guidelines will be 
detailed in the 
Annual Report  
each year 

 – The Committee 

will review 
executive directors’ 
shareholding 
annually in the 
context of this policy.

Notes
1 

 The annual STI is focused predominantly on key financial performance indicators, to reflect the Group’s success in managing its operations. 
The  balance  is  determined  based  on  executive  directors’  performance  against  annual  Group  operational  targets,  including  measures  of 
clinical excellence. 

 The  executive  directors’  STI  is  calculated  on  Group  achieved  EBITDA  performance  together  with  other  financial  and  strategic  business 
targets of the three operating divisions, weighted relative to their respective adjusted EBITDA contribution. 

 The structure of the executive directors’ pay policy on annual STIs is generally in line with the policy for remuneration of management within 
the Group, although the levels of award will be different. The performance measures that apply to operating division management are based 
on the respective division's adjusted EBITDA performance, further adjusted to remove the impact of employee bonus accruals, specific costs 
allocated by corporate and to amend for other specific items subject to approval by the Remuneration Committee and division specific 
operational targets, including measures of clinical excellence. The annual STI awards for management are paid in cash with no deferral.

140 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
2   The LTIP rewards significant long-term returns to shareholders and long-term financial growth. Targets are set on sliding scales that take 
account  of  internal  strategic  planning  and  external  market  expectations  for  the  Company.  Modest  rewards  are  available  for  achieving 
threshold performance with maximum rewards requiring substantial out-performance of challenging strategic plans approved at the start 
of each year or on the date of award, as the case may be.

 The Committee operates long-term incentive (“LTI”) arrangements for the executive directors and key senior management in accordance 
with their respective rules, the Listing Rules and the rules of relevant tax authorities, where relevant. The Committee, consistent with market 
practice, retains discretion over a number of areas relating to the operation and administration of the plans. These include (but are not 
limited to) the following:

•  number of participants;
•  timing of the grant and/or payment of award;
•  the size of an award (up to plan limits) and/or payment; 
•   discretion to reduce the number of awards vesting if certain performance underpins are not met;
•   discretion relating to the measurement of performance in the event of a change of control or reconstruction – determination of a good 

leaver (in addition to any specified categories) for incentive plan purposes; 

•   adjustments required in certain circumstances (e.g. rights issues, corporate restructuring and special dividends); 
•   the ability to adjust existing performance conditions for exceptional events to fulfil their original purpose; and 
•   the relative weighting between relative TSR and adjusted EPS are determined annually by the Remuneration Committee – for the current 

reporting period adjusted EPS weight is 60% and relative TSR is 40%. This will remain the weighting for 2018/19.

 The structure of the executive directors’ pay policy on LTIPs is generally in line with the policy for remuneration of key senior management 
within the Group, although the levels of award are different. The LTIP awards for key senior management are denominated in shares, with 
vesting dependent on the achievement of performance conditions over a three-year period. Awards may be settled in cash, with the cash 
payment taking account of the share price movement during the vesting period. There is no award deferral for key senior management.

3   At  the  discretion  of  the  Committee,  awards  may  be  adjusted  before  delivery  (malus)  or  reclaimed  after  delivery  (clawback)  
if an adjustment event occurs. Such circumstances may include: a material misstatement of the Group’s audited financial results; a material 
miscalculation of any relevant performance measure; a material failure of risk management or regulatory compliance by a relevant entity; 
material reputational damage to the Group; or the participant’s material misconduct. Management within the Group is also subject to malus 
and clawback provisions based on the adjustment events defined above.

PREVIOUS AWARDS
The Company has authority to honour any commitments entered into with current or former directors before they became a 

director (such as the vesting or exercise of past share awards) or before the policy came into effect, including those granted 

by companies in the Group prior to that company becoming part of the Group (such as the Mediclinic International Limited 

Forfeitable Share Plan).

THE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS PAY AND EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS 
OF EMPLOYEES IN THE GROUP WHEN DETERMINING THE EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY
When considering executive directors’ base compensation, the Committee considers market-related salary levels, including 

bonuses of appropriate comparable companies. Further, the Committee reviews base compensation and STI arrangements 

for the management team, to ensure that there is a coherent approach across the Group. The STI arrangements operate on 

a similar basis across the management team. The key difference in the policy for executive directors is that remuneration is 

more heavily weighted towards long-term variable pay than other employees. This ensures there is a clear link between the 

value created for shareholders and the remuneration received by the executive directors. 

The Committee does not formally consult with employees in respect of the design of the executive directors’ Remuneration 

Policy, although the Committee will keep this under review.

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141

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY (CONTINUED)

REMUNERATION SCENARIOS FOR 
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
The  total  remuneration  for  each  executive  director  that 

could  result  from  the  Remuneration  Policy  in  2018/19  is 

shown  below  under  three  different  performance  levels, 

being: below threshold (when only fixed pay is receivable), 

on-target  and  maximum.  The  chart  highlights  how  the 

close alignment between the interests of shareholders and 

management:

 •

If a new executive director is appointed, the Committee 

will  seek  to  align  the  remuneration  package  with  the 

Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders.

 • New  executive  directors  will  participate  in  the  STI  plan 

and LTIP subject to the same limits as set out in the policy. 

performance-related  elements  of  the  package  comprise  a 

 • Depending  on  the  timing  of  the  appointment,  the 

significant  portion  of  total  remuneration  at  on-target  and 

Committee may deem it appropriate to set different STI 

maximum performance. Remuneration is earned in pounds 

performance conditions to that of the current executive 

sterling  and  South  African  rand.  The  rand  portion  of  the 

directors for the first performance year of appointment.

remuneration  package  is  translated  into  pounds  sterling  at 

 • An  LTIP  award  can  be  made  following  an  appointment 

a rate of £1: ZAR17.22. 

DIRECTORS’ RECRUITMENT AND 
PROMOTIONS
The policy on the recruitment or promotion of an executive 

director  takes  into  account  the  need  to  attract,  retain  and 

motivate  the  best  person  for  each  position,  while  ensuring 

(assuming the Company is not in a closed period). 

 • Flexibility  will  be  retained  to  set  base  compensation 

at  the  level  necessary  to  facilitate  hiring  candidates 

of  appropriate  calibre  in  external  markets  and  make 

awards or payments in respect of deferred remuneration 

arrangements  forfeited  on  leaving  a  previous  employer. 

In  terms  of  remuneration  to  compensate  for  forfeited 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REMUNERATION (£‘000)

£2 699

43%

33%

£1 914

38%

28%

£2 572

44%

33%

£1 824

39%

28%

£649

100%

100%

34%

24%

£619

100%

33%

23%

Minimum Target Maximum

Minimum Target Maximum

28%

Fixed Pay

STI

£1 623

LTIP

£1 176

34%

33%

£459

28%

100%

28%

39%

38%

34%

28%

100%
Minimum Target Maximum

38%

28%

 Danie Meintjes
Chief Executive Officer

 Ronnie van der Merwe
Chief Executive Officer
(1 June 2018)

 Jurgens Myburgh
Chief Financial Officer

Assumptions
1  Salary levels apply as at 1 April 2018.
2  The value of taxable benefits is based on actual amounts as at 31 March 2018 of benefits and cash allowances. 
3  The value of pension contribution is based on a Company contribution of 9% of base salary.
4   Minimum performance assumes no award is earned under the STI plan and no vesting is achieved under the LTIP; at on-target, 60% of a 
maximum bonus is earned under the STI plan and 63% of the maximum award opportunity is achieved under the LTIP; and at maximum, full 
vesting occurs under both plans.

5  Share price movement and dividend accrual have been excluded from the above analysis.

142 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

awards,  the  Committee  will 

look  to  replicate  the 

regard  to  the  particular  circumstances  of  the  case.  The 

arrangements being forfeited as closely as possible and, 

Committee  may  require  notice  to  be  worked  or  to  make 

in doing so, will take account of relevant factors including: 

payment in lieu of notice or to place the director on garden 

the  nature  of  the  deferred  remuneration,  performance 

leave  for  the  notice  period.  Such  a  decision  is  made  to 

conditions  and  the  time  over  which  they  would  have 

protect the Company’s and shareholders’ interests.

vested or been paid. The face and/or expected values of 

the award(s) offered will not materially exceed the value 

ascribed to the award(s) foregone.

 • For  an  internal  appointment,  any  incentive  amount 

awarded  in  respect  of  a  prior  role  may  be  allowed  to 

vest  on  its  original  terms  or  be  adjusted  as  relevant  to 

take  into  account  the  appointment.  Any  other  ongoing 

remuneration  obligations  existing  prior  to  appointment 

may continue.

 • The  Committee  may  agree  that  the  Company  will  meet 

certain relocation and incidental expenses as appropriate.

 • For  an  overseas  appointment,  the  Committee  will  have 

discretion  to  offer  cost-effective  benefits  and  pension 

provisions which reflect local market practice and relevant 

legislation.

For  the  appointment  of  a  new  Chairman  or  non-executive 

director, the fee arrangement will be set in accordance with 

the approved Remuneration Policy at that time.

DIRECTORS’ SERVICE AGREEMENTS 
AND PAYMENT FOR LOSS OF OFFICE
The Committee seeks to ensure that the contractual terms 

In  case  of  payment  in  lieu  of  notice  or  garden  leave,  the 

salary,  benefits  and  pension  will  be  paid  for  the  period  of 

notice  served  on  garden  leave  or  paid  in  lieu  of  notice.  If 

the  Committee  feels  it  would  be  in  shareholders’  interests, 

payments  will  be  made  in  phased  instalments.  In  the  case 

of payment in lieu of notice, payments will be subject to be 

offset against earnings elsewhere.

An STI payment may be made in respect of the period of the 

incentive year worked by the director. There is no provision 

for  an  amount  in  lieu  of  bonus  to  be  payable  for  any  part 

of  the  notice  period  not  worked.  The  bonus  payment  will 

be scaled back pro rata for the period of the incentive year 

worked  by  the  director  and  would  remain  payable  at  the 

normal payment date.

Awards  held  under  the  deferred  STI  and  LTI  arrangements 

are subject to the rules containing discretionary provisions 

setting  out  the  treatment  of  awards  where  a  participant 

leaves  and  is  designated  as  a  good  leaver.  In  these 

circumstances,  a  participant’s  awards  will  not  be  forfeited 

on  cessation  of  employment  and  instead  will  continue  to 

vest on the normal vesting date or earlier at the discretion 

of  the  Committee,  subject  to  the  performance  conditions 

of  the  executive  directors’  service  agreements  reflect 

attached to the relevant awards. The awards may be scaled 

best  practice.  It  is  the  Company’s  policy  that  all  executive 

back pro rata for the period of the vesting period worked by 

directors  have  rolling  contracts  that  can  be  terminated  by 

the director.

the  employee  in  line  with  his  service  agreement.  Executive 

directors service agreements are terminable on six months’ 

notice. Consistent with the UK Corporate Governance Code, 

all  directors  are  subject  to  re-election  by  shareholders  at 

each AGM.

In  circumstances  of  termination  on  notice,  the  Committee 
will  determine  an  equitable  compensation  package,  having 

In addition to the above payments, the Committee may make 

any other payments determined by a court of law in respect 

of  the  termination  of  a  director’s  contract  or  may  pay  any 

statutory entitlements or any sums to settle or compromise 

claims  in  connection  with  a  termination  (including,  at  the 

discretion of the Committee, reimbursement for legal advice 

and provision of outplacement services) as necessary.

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143

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY (CONTINUED)

In the event of a change of control, all unvested awards under the deferred STI and LTIP arrangements will vest, to the extent 

that any performance conditions attached to the relevant awards have been achieved. The awards will, where the Committee 

dictates, be scaled back pro rata for the period of the performance period worked by the director. Executive directors may, 

on  nomination  from  Mediclinic  International  plc,  take  on  outside  appointments,  however,  all  fees  will  be  retained  by  the 

Company. The dates of the executive directors’ service contracts are:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

DATE OF SERVICE CONTRACT

Mr Danie Meintjes

Mr Jurgens Myburgh

Dr Ronnie van der Merwe 

1 April 2016 – joined Group 1 August 1981

1 August 2016

1 June 2018 

The service contracts are available for inspection during normal business hours at the Company’s registered office, and at 

the AGM.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS’ TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT
Non-executive directors do not have service contracts but instead have letters of appointment setting out the terms under 

which they provide their services to the Company. The dates of their original appointment are shown in the table below.  

Non-executive directors are normally appointed for an initial period of three years that, subject to review, may be subsequently 

extended for further such terms. Any third term of three years would be subject to rigorous review. Non-executive directors’ 

appointment is terminable by three months’ notice on either side. In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, 

all directors are subject to annual election or re-election by shareholders at the Company’s annual general meetings. 

In 2018 all non-executive directors, except Dr Edwin Hertzog and Mr Jannie Durand, were considered to be independent 

of  the  Company.  The  terms  of  engagement  are  available  for  inspection  during  normal  business  hours  at  the  Company’s 

registered office, and at the AGM. 

NAME

Dr Edwin Hertzog

Mr Desmond Smith

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi

Mr Jannie Durand

Mr Alan Grieve

Dr Felicity Harvey

Mr Seamus Keating

Prof Dr Robert Leu

Ms Nandi Mandela

Mr Trevor Petersen

DATE OF APPOINTMENT

EXPIRY OF  
CURRENT TERM

15 February 2016

15 February 2016

1 November 2017

15 February 2016

15 February 2016

3 October 2017

5 June 2013

15 February 2016

15 February 2016

15 February 2016

14 February 2019

14 February 2019

30 October 2020

14 February 2019

14 February 2019

2 October 2020

4 June 2019

14 February 2019

14 February 2019

14 February 2019

144 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION
REPORT

REMUNERATION FOR THE 
REPORTING PERIOD 
This  part  of  the  report  was  prepared  in  accordance  with  

Part  4  of  The  Large  and  Medium-sized  Companies  and 

Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 

2013 and 9.8.6R of the Listing Rules. The report will be put 

to an advisory shareholders’ vote at the 2018 AGM. Certain 

AR

specified information on pages 148 to 155 was audited.

CONSIDERATION OF DIRECTORS’ 
REMUNERATION 
The  Committee 

is  responsible 

for  determining  and 

 • oversee  the  operation  of  the  Company’s  incentive 

schemes,  including  designing  and  setting  performance 

measures  and  targets  for  short-term  and  long-term 

incentive schemes;

 • consider  major  changes  in  employee  remuneration  in 

the Group; 

 •

 •

select and appoint consultants to advise the Committee; 

report to shareholders through annual reports; and

 • make  recommendations  to  the  Board  on  the  fees 

offered  to  the  Chairman,  after  taking  independent 

professional advice,

all of which it carries out on behalf of the Board.

agreeing  with  the  Board  the  policy  on  executive  directors’ 

remuneration, including setting the over-arching principles, 

parameters and governance framework and determining the 
initial  remuneration  package  of  each  executive  director.  In 

addition,  the  Committee  monitors  the  structure  and  level 

of  remuneration  for  the  senior  management  team  and  is 

aware of pay and conditions in the workforce generally. The 

Committee  ensures  full  compliance  with  the  UK  Corporate 

Governance Code in relation to remuneration.

MEMBERS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE 
REMUNERATION COMMITTEE
The  composition  of  the  Committee  complies  with  the 

Code,  which  provides  that  the  Committee  members 

should  comprise  at  least  three  independent  non-executive 

directors.  Mr  Petersen  (Committee  Chairman),  Prof  Dr  Leu 

and  Mr  Keating  (all  independent  non-executive  directors) 

held office during the year. The Company Secretary acts as 

The Committee’s main responsibilities are to: 

secretary to the Committee. 

 • determine  and  agree  with  the  Board  the  Company’s 

Executive remuneration strategy and policy; 

 • determine  individual  remuneration  packages  and  terms 

of  employment  within  that  policy  for  the  executive 

directors,  members  of  the  Executive  Committee  and 

others division executives; 

None  of  the  Committee  members  have  day-to-day 

involvement with the business, nor do they have any personal 

financial interest in the matters to be recommended. When 

considering  the  fees  for  non-executive  directors,  the 

Chairman  of  the  Board  consults  the  executive  directors.  

The  proposed  fees  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  were 

considered by the Committee. 

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145

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

The Committee met seven times during the year. Including routine monitoring and approval activities, the material issues 
discussed are summarised below: 

AREA

DISCUSSIONS

Remuneration 
Policy 

Awards

The Committee proposes the Remuneration Policy for approval by the Board and for the 
binding shareholder vote at the AGM. 

The Committee reviewed and approved the STI targets and subset performance indicators for 
the new financial year.

The Committee approved the final STI payment for the current financial year.

The Committee confirmed new allocations and performance criteria for the LTIP. 

The Committee reviewed and approved operating division specific junior management bonus 
scheme payments. 

The Committee approved the remuneration package for the incoming CEO,  
Dr Ronnie van der Merwe. 

The Committee approved the executive individual salary increases for the executive directors 
and each executive at Group level. 

The Committee approved the overall salary increase of all employee groups of each operating 
division. 

The Committee approved the expansion of the LTIP eligibility to operating division executive 
committee members and key senior employees. 

The Committee approved the remuneration methodology for the appointment of expatriate 
executive committee members.

The Committee reviewed regulatory and corporate governance developments.

Remuneration  
of the CFO

Remuneration 
levels

Regulatory and 
governance review 

The Committee Chairman presents a summary of material matters to the Board and minutes of Committee meetings are 
circulated  to  all  directors.  The  Committee  reports  to  shareholders  annually  in  this  report  and  the  Committee  Chairman 
attends the AGM to address any questions arising. 

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCE 
The number of formal Committee meetings held during the financial year and the attendance by each member is shown in 
the table below. The Committee also held informal discussions as required.

Mr Durand and/or his alternate Pieter Uys attend Committee meetings by invitation but are not voting members. The Committee 
meetings are also attended by the CEO, Chief Human Resources Officer, the Group Executive: Reward, the Company Secretary 
and representatives from New Bridge Street by invitation, all of whom provide material assistance to the Committee. None of 

the aforementioned attend as a right, nor do they attend when their own remuneration is being discussed. 

NAME1

DESIGNATION

DATE OF 
APPOINTMENT 
(as committee member)

NUMBER OF 
SCHEDULED  
MEETINGS 
ATTENDED2

Mr Trevor Petersen 
(Committee Chairman) 

Prof Dr Robert Leu3

Mr Seamus Keating

Independent non-executive 
director

Independent non-executive 
director

Independent non-executive 
director

15/02/2016

15/02/2016

17/03/2017

3 of 3 

3 of 3

3 of 3

Notes
1    The composition of the Committee is shown as at 31 March 2018. 
2   The attendance reflects the number of scheduled meetings held during the financial year. Four additional ad hoc Committee meetings were 
held during the financial year to deal with urgent matters; the majority of members made themselves available at short notice for these 
meetings. Three Committee meetings were held between the Company’s financial year-end and the Last Practicable Date; all three were 
attended by all Committee members.

3   Prof Dr Leu will retire as a director of the Company, and consequently as a member of the Committee, at the conclusion of the Company’s 
2018 AGM. It is the intention that the composition of the Committee will be reviewed in advance of his retirement, to ensure it continues to 
meet the requirements of the Code. 

146 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

PERFORMANCE AND PAY 

Performance graph and CEO pay
The graph below shows the value at 31 March 2018 of £100 invested in the Company on inception on 21 June 2013, compared 

with the value of £100 invested in the FTSE 100 Index on the same date. The intervening points are the financial year ends 

prior to the date of the Combination on 15 February 2016 and the financial year ends since.

The FTSE 100 was used as a comparator as this is the Company’s primary comparator group. 

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURN 
Source: FactSet

)
d
e
s
a
b
e
r
(

)
£
(

l

e
u
a
V

£250

£200

£150

£100

£50

£0

21
June
2013

31
Dec
2013

31
Dec
2014

31
Dec
2015

15
Feb
2016

31
Mar
2016

31
Mar
2017

31
Mar
2018

Mediclinic International plc

FTSE 100

The table below shows the total remuneration for the CEO over the period since inception. Consistent with the calculation 

methodology for the single figure for total remuneration, the total remuneration figure includes the total STI award based on 

that year’s performance and the LTIP award based on the three-year performance period ending in the relevant year.

TOTAL CEO REMUNERATION

Year ended 31 December

Year ended 31 March

2012

2013

2014

2014

2015

1 Jan 2016 –  
15 Feb 2016

15 Feb 2016 –  
31 Mar 2016

2017

2018

Dr Kassem Alom

Mr Ronald Lavater

Mr Danie Meintjes

326

n/a

n/a

n/a

361

n/a

n/a

n/a

290

n/a

n/a

n/a

170

11.8%

100%

702

20.0%

n/a

65.4%

69.9%

2 165

n/a

n/a

n/a

79

78%

n/a

0%

1 029

56%

50%

0%

1 126

61%

50%

0%

Chief Executive 
Officer

Total remuneration 
£’000

STI %1

Deferred STI portion

LTIP vesting %1

Note
1   STI and LTIP percentages represent a percentage of the maximum potential award.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

147

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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

SINGLE TOTAL FIGURES FOR DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION 

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION (AUDITED)

SALARY 
AND 
FEES 
£’000 

BENEFITS 
£’000

ANNUAL 
BONUS/
STI £’000

LTIP 
£’000

PENSION 
£’000

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS1

Mr Danie Meintjes

Mr Jurgens Myburgh2

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

560
541

373
234

10
8

10
4

511
439

304
175

0
0

0
0

45
41

28
17

FEES 
£’000 

BENEFITS 
£’000

NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Dr Edwin Hertzog

2017/18
2016/17

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Mr Seamus Keating

Mr Desmond Smith

Mr Trevor Petersen

Ms Nandi Mandela

Prof Dr Robert Leu

Mr Alan Grieve

Mr Jannie Durand3

Dr Felicity Harvey4

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi4

Total

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

2017/18

2016/17

2017/18
2016/17

250
250

87
77

100
76

85
85

66
66

77
70

77
77

66
66

33
0

25

0

866
767

8
3

0
0

6
3

6
4

7
4

4
2

1
0

2
2

0
0

1

0

35
18

TOTAL 
REMUNE-
RATION 
£’000

1 126
1 029

715
430

TOTAL
REMUNE- 
RATION
£’000

258
253

87
77

106
79

91
89

73
70

81
72

78
77

68
68

33
0

26

0

901
785

Notes 
1 

 South  African  rand  remuneration  was  translated  into  pounds  sterling  at  a  rate  of  £1:  ZAR17.221  at  31  March  2018  and  £1:  ZAR18.41  at  
31 March 2017.

2   Mr Myburgh was appointed as a director on 1 August 2016 and his remuneration for 2016/2017 covers the period from employment date  

to the end of the reporting period.

3  Mr Durand’s fees are paid to Remgro and include services rendered by Mr Durand or his alternate, Mr Pieter Uys.
4   Dr Harvey joined the Board from 3 October 2017 and Dr Al Hashimi joined 1 November 2017. Their remuneration for 2017/18 covers the period 

from appointment date to the end of the reporting period. 

148 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN 
RESPECT OF THE SINGLE TOTAL 
FIGURE TABLE (AUDITED)
The  sections  that  follow  provide  further  detail  of  the 

AR

remuneration shown in the table on page 148. 

SALARIES FOR THE REPORTING 
PERIOD (AUDITED)
Base salaries are reviewed in April each year. The Committee 

considers the remuneration packages in the context of other 

BENEFITS AND PENSION FOR THE 
REPORTING PERIOD (AUDITED) 
The benefits of Mr Meintjes and Mr Myburgh include private 

medical 

insurance, 

life 

insurance  and  reimbursements 

for  reasonable  business-related  expenses  (e.g.  travel, 

accommodation  and  subsistence).  In  some  instances,  the 

associated tax was borne by the Company.

The  executive  directors  participated  in  the  Mediclinic 

Southern Africa defined contribution fund and received a 9% 

company pension contribution, in line with the Remuneration 

London-listed  companies  of  similar  size  and  international 

Policy. 

footprint.  Remuneration  levels  were  set  with  reference  to 

local  South  African  pay  levels  and  a  broader  international 

comparison,  however,  given  the  widening  geographic 

footprint of the Group, the Committee placed greater weight 
on the international comparators. 

None of the executive directors received any adjustments to 

their salary over the reporting period. 

None of the executive directors have prospective rights to a 

defined benefit pension. 

Non-executive  directors  were  reimbursed  for  reasonable 
business-related expenses (e.g. travel, accommodation and 

subsistence)  and,  in  some  instances,  the  associated  tax 

was borne by the Company. They receive no other benefits 

and  do  not  participate  in  short-term  or  long-term  reward 

Mr  Meintjes’  salary  for  the  reporting  period  was  £559  858 

schemes. 

and  Mr  Myburgh’s  salary  was  £373  431.  All  figures  were 

converted  to  pounds  sterling  at  a  rate  of  £1:  ZAR17.22  at  

31 March 2018. 

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

149

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

SHORT-TERM INCENTIVE FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD (AUDITED) 
Achieved  bonuses  were  determined  based  on  the  Group  achieved  EBITDA  performance  and  operating  divisions  subset 

performance  indicators,  which  comprise  financial  and  operational  objectives,  including  measures  of  clinical  excellence. 

Achieved EBITDA for the purposes of the executive directors’ STI comprises Group adjusted EBITDA calculated based on 

budgeted foreign exchange rates (£12.0m) excluding the impact of STI bonus accruals for the Group's key management and 

employees (£15.3m) and subject to further amendment by approval of the Remuneration Committee (£17.5m). In 2018, these 

further amendments included adjustments for factors not incorporated into the budget at the start of the year, including for 

instance the impact of new evolving regulatory changes and practices in Switzerland, the acquisition of Linde and the cost 

associated with setting up a Group Purchasing Organisation in Hirslanden.

The target is based on the sum of the respective divisions approved budgeted adjusted EBITDA.

The Group achieved EBITDA performance which sets the initial bonus outcome percentage. The non-achievement of subset 

performance indicators then gives rise to a reduction in this bonus percentage. The subset performance indicators relate to 

the three operating divisions, weighted relative to each division’s respective adjusted EBITDA contribution. 

The performance indicators, targets and performance against the targets are set out below.

MAIN PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 

GROUP ACHIEVED EBITDA

Threshold

Maximum

Achievement

517 392

581 687

560 476

67.01% Achieved EBITDA Bonus

SUBSET PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

MEDICLINIC  
SOUTHERN AFRICA 

HIRSLANDEN

MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST 

Cash conversion

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Threshold: 99%
Maximum: 100%
Achievement: 100%

Threshold: 85%
Maximum: 110%
Achievement: 88%  
(3.5% Penalty)

N/A

Debtors’ days

N/A

Employment costs 

N/A

N/A

N/A

Threshold: 120 days
Maximum: 100 days 
Achievement: 99 days

Threshold: 19.5%
Achievement: 19.01%

150 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
OPERATIONAL, CLINICAL AND PATIENT QUALITY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

Clinical care quality indicator Achievement: Partial 

N/A

Employee engagement

Patient satisfaction

Employment equity

achievement against Never 
Events and Hand Hygiene 
Compliance indicators 
(5% Penalty)

Achievement: Partial 
achievement based on 
employee responses to 
“My team has effectively 
followed through on actions 
we agreed on during our 
action planning session”  
(2.5% Penalty)

Achievement: Partial 
achievement based on 
overall mean Patient 
Experience Indicator score 
(7.5% Penalty)

Achievement: Partial 
achievement based on 
appointments of open 
positions 
(2.5% Penalty)

Achievement: Partial 
achievement against 
Never Events, Surgical 
Site Infections, Injectable 
Administration Errors and 
Patient Identification Errors 
indicators 
(1.88% Penalty)

N/A

N/A

Achievement: Full 
achievement based on 
overall mean Patient 
Experience Indicator score

Achievement: Partial 
achievement based  
on Patient  
Recommendation rate 
(2.5% Penalty)

N/A

N/A

Penalty

Weighting of 
Operating Division 

17.50%

34.13%

Weighted Penalty

(5.97%)

3.50%

50.50%

(1.77%)

4.38%

15.37%

(0.67%)

Total Subset Penalty

(8.41%) 

(8.41%) of a 67.01% EBITDA Bonus equates to a (5.64%) total bonus deduction 

GROUP ACHIEVEMENT (ACHIEVED EBITDA BONUS LESS SUBSET OUTCOME): 61.37%

Note 
The foreign exchange rate used for budget purposes was £1: ZAR17.17; £1: CHF1.25 and £1: AED4.56.

The STI achieved was 61.37% of the maximum bonus. The amount awarded to the executive directors is set out below:

EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTOR

Mr Danie Meintjes

Mr Jurgens 
Myburgh

ACTUAL 
BONUS1 (£)

£511 113

£303 868

ACTUAL BONUS AS A 
% OF ANNUAL BASE 
COMPENSATION

92%

82%

MAXIMUM BONUS 
OPPORTUNITY AS A 
% OF ANNUAL BASE 
COMPENSATION 

150%

133%

Note 
1 

 All figures are translated into pounds sterling at an exchange rate of £1: ZAR17.22 as at 31 March 2018.

The STI bonus payable for the reporting period will be paid in cash. 50% of the award will be deferred in shares for a period 

of two years. Deferred shares will be settled in cash, subject to continued employment. This deferral is not subject to any 

further conditions.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

151

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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

LTIP AWARDS VESTING IN THE REPORTING PERIOD TO EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTORS (AUDITED)
No LTIP awards to executive directors were due to vest in the reporting period.

LTIP AWARDS GRANTED IN THE REPORTING PERIOD TO EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTORS (AUDITED)

2017 LTIP

CONDITIONAL SHARE AWARD 

Award date

1 June 2017 

Employment period

1 June 2017 to 31 May 2022

Performance period

1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020

Vesting date

The later of 1 June 2022 or the date upon which the Committee has satisfied themselves 
that the performance condition has been met

DATE 
OF 
GRANT

NATURE 
OF 
AWARD

NUMBER 
OF 
SHARES1

FACE 
VALUE 
£’000

FACE 
VALUE AS 
A % OF 
ANNUAL 
BASE  
SALARY 

END OF  
PERFOR-
MANCE
PERIOD

PERFOR- 
MANCE 
CONDITIONS

Mr Danie Meintjes

1 June 2017 Conditional 

129 626

1 046 

200%

31 March 2020 See table below

Share Awards

Mr Jurgens 
Myburgh

1 June 2017 Conditional 

65 263

527

150%

31 March 2020 See table below

Share Awards

Note
1 

 Number of shares granted was based on the average middle-market quotation of an LSE Share during a period of 5 dealing days ending 
with the dealing day before the grant which was £8.07. 

PERFORMANCE CONDITION

Adjusted EPS growth

WEIGHTING

60%

THRESHOLD 
TARGET  
(25% VESTING)

MAXIMUM 
TARGET  
(100% VESTING)

5% per annum 

compounded

12% per annum 

compounded

TSR ranked relative to constituents of the  

40%

Median of peers 

Upper quartile  

FTSE 100 Index

(50th percentile)

of peers 

(75th percentile)

At grant, vesting of 60% of the award was based on adjusted EPS growth and the remaining 40% was determined by TSR, 

ranked relative to constituents of the FTSE 100 Index. 

Adjusted EPS and relative TSR are considered to be the most appropriate measures of long-term performance, in that they 

ensure the executive directors are incentivised and rewarded for the adjusted financial performance of the Company and 

creating value for shareholders. The award is subject to clawback and malus provisions.

Adjusted EPS growth is measured by taking the compound annual percentage growth in adjusted EPS over the performance 

period. 

TSR ranked relative to constituents of the FTSE 100 Index is measured by ranking and comparing the Company’s TSR to the 

relevant TSR targets. 

152 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Awards are denominated in shares, with vesting dependent on the achievement of performance conditions over a three-year 

period. Awards granted to the executive directors have a vesting period of five years from the date of grant. After this time, 

the value will be calculated by alignment to share price movement but settled in cash. Where a director has not yet met the 

share ownership guidelines, this cash must be used to purchase shares in the Company.

CHANGES TO THE BOARD 

Dr Ronnie Van Der Merwe: New Chief Executive Officer 
As announced on 27 November 2017, Dr Van der Merwe was appointed as the successor to the position of CEO designate 

to succeed Mr Meintjes as CEO of the Company on 1 June 2018. This follows the announcement made on 25 July 2017 that 

Mr Meintjes will retire from his position as CEO by no later than 31 July 2018.

As set out in the letter from the Remuneration Committee Chairman, Dr Van der Merwe’s remuneration arrangements as 

CEO are in line with the Group remuneration policy and in line with the package for Mr Meintjes in his final full year as CEO. 

Dr  Van  der  Merwe’s  base  compensation  (inclusive  of  Board  fees)  has  therefore  been  set  at  £558  198.  Whilst  the  base 

compensation level is in line with Mr Meintjes for his final full year as CEO, it is recognised this level is positioned towards the 

bottom end of the market competitive range for the CEO of a company of similar size and complexity to that of Mediclinic. 

The Committee therefore intends to keep the remuneration arrangements for the CEO under review.

Dr Van der Merwe will be eligible to participate in the Company’s STI scheme and LTIP, designed to incentivise and reward 

the successful delivery of the business strategy and sustained shareholders value creation. His maximum award opportunity 

under the STI will be 150% of his annual salary, half of which will be subject to a compulsory deferral for a period of two years.

Awards  under  the  LTIP  are  up  to  a  maximum  value  of  200%  of  annual  salary,  with  vesting  subject  to  performance  over 

a  three-year  period  and  an  additional  two-year  holding  period  required,  following  vesting  and  prior  to  their  release.  In 

accordance  with  best  practice,  the  STI  and  LTIP  contain  provisions  that  will  allow  the  Company  to  recover  or  withhold 

value  in  the  event  of  certain  defined  circumstances.  Dr  Van  der  Merwe’s  service  agreement  may  be  terminated  on  

six months’ notice by either him or the Company.

PAYMENTS TO FORMER DIRECTORS (AUDITED)
As reported in the 2017 Directors’ Remuneration Report on page 102 of the 2017 Annual Report, Mr Craig Tingle retired as 

CFO on 15 June 2016. 

In  respect  of  the  award  made  in  2014,  under  the  Mediclinic  International  Limited  Forfeitable  Share  Plan  (“FSP”),  where 
performance  was  tested  at  the  time  of  the  Combination,  27  700  awards  were  released  to  Mr  Tingle  on  1  June  2017.  The 

value of the award vested was £220 057 which was calculated using the volume weighted average share price of the middle 

market quotation on the JSE for the period five days prior to vesting (1 June 2017), which was £7.94 and translated at the 

exchange rate at grant of £1: ZAR16.78 as at 1 June 2017. In respect of the award made in 2015, under the FSP, 19 816 awards 

will be released to Mr Tingle on 1 June 2018.

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153

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

PAYMENTS FOR LOSS OF OFFICE (AUDITED)
There were no payments for loss of office in the year.

PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN REMUNERATION LEVELS 
The table below shows how the percentage change in the CEO’s salary, benefits and bonus in the reporting period compared 

with  the  percentage  change  in  the  average  of  each  of  those  components  of  pay  for  employees  in  South  Africa  in  local 

currency. The Committee selected employees in South Africa, as these provide the most appropriate comparator as they are 

subject to the same inflationary conditions. 

% CHANGE IN CEO SALARY, BENEFITS AND BONUS

CEO1

Salary

Benefits

Bonus

All employees

Salary

Benefits

Bonus

0.00%

8.25%

8.92%

5.61%

9.41%

132%

Note
1 

 The percentage change in the CEO’s salary, benefits and bonus is the annualised CEO’s 2017 local salary paid in ZAR as compared to the 
2018 local salary, benefits and bonus paid in South African rand. The CEO received no adjustment to his salary over the reporting period.

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE SPEND ON STAFF COSTS 
To place the directors’ remuneration in context with the Group’s finance, the Committee used the below comparison. The 

table below shows the spend on staff costs for the reporting period compared to the spend on staff costs in the previous 
reporting  period,  as  disclosed  in  last  year’s  Directors’  Remuneration  Report  (page  102  of  the  2017  Annual  Report), 
compared to returns to shareholders over the same period:

Staff costs

Returns to shareholders (dividends)

Note 
There were no share buybacks or other significant use of profit during the year. 

2017/18
£’000

1 293 000

58 000

2016/17
 £’000

1 231 000

62 000

CHANGE 
%

5.0%

(6.5%)

154 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

DIRECTORS’ SHAREHOLDING AND SHARE INTERESTS (AUDITED) 
The  tables  below  set  out  the  directors’  shareholding,  including  shareholding  by  persons  connected  to  them,  and  share 

interests. There were no changes in the directors’ shareholding between the financial year end and the Last Practicable Date, 

being 23 May 2018. Full details of the directors’ shareholdings and share allocations are given in the Company’s Register of 

Directors’ Interests, which is open to inspection at the Company’s registered office during business hours. 

The executive directors are required to build up a minimum shareholding in Mediclinic, as explained in the Directors’ Remuneration 

Report. Shares are valued for these purposes at the year-end-price, which was £6.02 per share as at 31 March 2018. 

SHARE-
HOLDING
 GUIDELINES
 AS A % OF
 ANNUAL
BASE 
COMPEN-
SATION 

SHARES
HELD 
AS AT 
31 MARCH
 2017

SHARES
 HELD 
AS AT 
31 MARCH
 2018

% OF
ANNUAL
 BASE
 COMPEN-
SATION 

OUTSTANDING
 UNVESTED
LTIP AWARDS
WITH
 PERFORMANCE
 CONDITIONS1

OUTSTAN-
DING
 UNVESTED
 FSP AWARDS2 

DEFFERED
 STI
 SHARES3

SHARE-
HOLDING
REQUIRE-
MENT MET

Mr Danie 
Meintjes

Mr Jurgens 
Myburgh

225%

123 900

173 323

223%

231 002

33 949

27 187

200%

14 000

60 000

97%

114 544

n/a

10 815

No

No

Notes
1 

 Unvested awards held under the LTIP are subject to performance conditions. Awards will be settled in cash and therefore are not taken into 
consideration as part of determining whether shareholding requirements have been met.

2   Unvested awards held under the Mediclinic International Limited FSP where performance has been tested but shares have not yet been 
released. Final vesting will take place on the original vesting date subject to continued employment. Awards are settled in JSE Shares. 
3   Deferred STI shares, where performance has been tested, will be settled in cash and therefore are not taken into consideration as part of 

determining whether shareholding requirements have been met.

The shareholding in Mediclinic by non-executive directors is shown below: 

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

AS AT 31 MARCH 2017

AS AT 31 MARCH 2018 

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Dr Edwin Hertzog

Mr Desmond Smith

Mr Seamus Keating

Mr Trevor Petersen

Ms Nandi Mandela

Prof Dr Robert Leu

Mr Alan Grieve

Mr Jannie Durand

Mr Pieter Uys2

Dr Felicity Harvey3

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi3

407 5591

394 276

0

0

0

0

0

7 500

0

417

n/a

n/a

0

0

0

0

0

7 500

0

417

0

0

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Notes
1 

 As  announced  on  27  April  2018,  on  8  and  10  January  2018,  the  Waledro  Trust,  a  testamentary  trust  of  which  Dr  Hertzog  is  the  sole 
trustee, transferred its entire holdings in the Company to the beneficiaries of the trust at the cost price. Dr Hertzog is not a beneficiary  
of the trust.

2  Mr Uys is the alternate to Jannie Durand.
3  Dr Harvey joined the Board from 3 October 2017 and Dr Al Hashimi joined 1 November 2017.

There are no requirements for non-executive directors to hold shares, nor for any former director to hold shares once they 

have left the Company. 

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

155

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

SHARE SCHEDULE DILUTION LIMITS 

The Company is committed to protecting its shareholders’ interests and ensuring that the dilution of shares remains within 
a  reasonable  limit.  In  line  with  the  Investment  Association  guidelines,  the  Company  limits  equity-based  awards  under  its 
employee share plans to 10% of the Company’s issued share capital over a 10-year calendar period. These limits are consistent 
with the guidelines of institutional shareholders. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REMUNERATION POLICY FOR 2019 

Base compensation 
The  Committee  considers  the  remuneration  packages  in  the  context  of  other  London-listed  companies  of  similar  size  and 
international footprint. Remuneration levels were set with reference to local South African pay levels and a broader international 
comparison. Given the widening geographic footprint of the Group, the Committee placed greater weight on the international 
comparators. 

Base  salaries  were  reviewed  in  accordance  with  the  Remuneration  Policy,  taking  into  account  Company  and  individual 
performance, wider workforce comparisons, and market benchmarks of South African pay levels and London-listed companies 
of similar size and international footprint. 

In  line  with  South  African  employment  practices,  the  Committee  reviewed  the  base  compensation  for  the  current  CEO,  
Mr Danie Meintjes, for the coming year and approved an increase of 4.7%, which was below the average increase for other 
employees of Mediclinic Southern Africa of 5.6%.

The Committee also reviewed the base compensation positioning for Mr Myburgh, who was appointed on a base compensation 
of £319 000 in August 2016. On appointment to the role, in line with best practice and in line with the positioning for the CEO, 
his base compensation was positioned towards the bottom end of the market competitive range to reflect that this was his 
first role as CFO of a UK listed company. Taking into consideration his performance since his appointment and the level of 
input he provides to the Executive Committee and Board in delivering business performance, the Committee agreed to a salary 
increase of 9.6%. Mr Myburgh’s new salary of £411 486 will remain towards the lower end of the market competitive range. 
Whilst the Committee recognises that such salary increases are not common in the current UK climate, given his performance 
since appointment and taking into account wage increases in the South African business, the Committee feels that the increase 
is in the best interests of the business. 

SALARY
FROM
1 APRIL
 2018
£’000

586

411

SALARY
FROM 
1 APRIL
 2018
ZAR’0001

10 085

7 085

SALARY
FROM
1 APRIL
 2017
£’000

523

351

SALARY
 FROM
1 APRIL
2017
ZAR’0001

9 630

6 465

% INCREASE2

4.7%

9.6%

Mr Danie Meintjes

Mr Jurgens Myburgh 

Notes 
1 
 Salaries are translated into pounds sterling at a rate of £1: ZAR17.22 at 31 March 2018 and £1: ZAR18.41 at 31 March 2017 as previously reported. 
2   The percentage increase was calculated on the South African rand base compensation to ensure exchange rate fluctuations are eliminated.

Between 70% and 80% of the total potential remuneration offered to executive directors is subject to meeting performance 
conditions.

AR

Details of Dr Van der Merwe’s salary from date of appointment as CEO can be found on page 153.

156 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

STI 2019
The executive directors have a maximum STI opportunity of 150% (CEO) and 133% (CFO) of annual salary. 

For executive directors, 50% of the achieved award will be deferred in shares for two years. Deferred shares may be settled in 
cash, subject to continued employment. Where awards are cash settled, and a director has not yet met the share ownership 
guidelines, this cash must be used to purchase shares in the Company. Dividends that accrue on the deferred shares during 
the vesting period may be paid in cash at the time of vesting.

The  performance  measure  for  the  executive  directors’  STI  in  2018/19  will  be  calculated  on  the  Group  achieved  EBITDA 
performance. 

We  do  not  publish  details  of  the  financial  targets  in  advance  since  these  are  commercially  confidential.  We  will  publish 
achievement  against  these  targets  when  we  disclose  bonus  payments  in  the  Annual  Report,  so  that  shareholders  can 
evaluate performance against those targets. 

The award will be subject to malus and clawback provisions.

LTIP AWARDS TO BE GRANTED IN 2018
The  Committee  intends  to  grant  an  LTIP  conditional  award  to  the  executive  directors  in  2018,  over  shares  with  a  value 

of 200% (CEO) and 150% (CFO) of salary. 

Adjusted EPS and relative TSR are considered to be the most appropriate measures of long-term performance, in that they 

ensure the directors are incentivised and rewarded for the adjusted financial performance of the Group and creating value 

for shareholders. 

Vesting  of  60%  of  the  award  will  be  based  on  adjusted  EPS  growth  and  the  remaining  40%  will  be  determined  by  TSR 

measured relative to the constituents of the FTSE 100 Index over three years. Executive directors will be required to hold 

vested awards for two years. After this time, the value will be calculated by alignment to share price movement but settled 

in cash. Where a director has not yet met the share ownership guidelines, this cash must be used to purchase shares in the 

Company. Dividends that accrue during the vesting and holding periods will be paid in cash to the extent that awards have 

vested.  Adjusted  EPS  and  relative  TSR  are  considered  to  be  the  most  appropriate  measures  of  long-term  performance, 

in that they ensure the directors are incentivised and rewarded for the adjusted financial performance of the Group and 

creating value for shareholders.

PERFORMANCE  
CONDITION

Adjusted EPS growth

TSR ranked relative to 
constituents of the  
FTSE 100 Index

WEIGHTING

60%

40%

THRESHOLD 
TARGET (25% 
VESTING)

5% per annum 
compounded 

Median of peers 
(50th percentile)

MAXIMUM TARGET 
(100% VESTING)

12% per annum 
compounded 

Upper quartile of peers 
(75th percentile)

An  “underpin”  applies,  which  allows  the  Committee  to  reduce  or  withhold  vesting  if  the  Committee  is  not  satisfied  with 

the adjusted operational and economic performance of the Company. The underpin evaluation includes consideration of 

environmental, social and governance factors, and financial performance.

Executive  directors  will  be  required  to  hold  vested  awards  for  two  years.  After  this  time,  the  value  will  be  calculated  by 

alignment to share price movement but settled in cash. Where a director has not yet met the share ownership guidelines, 

this cash must be used to purchase shares in the Company. Dividends that accrue during the vesting and holding periods 

will be paid in cash to the extent that awards have vested.

The Committee will keep the performance measures under review and may change the performance conditions for future 

awards  if  they  are  not  considered  to  be  aligned  with  the  Company’s  interests  and  strategic  objectives.  However,  the 

Committee will consult with major shareholders in advance about any proposed material change in performance measures.

The award will be subject to clawback and malus provisions. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

157

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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)

PENSION ENTITLEMENT
The executive directors participate in the Mediclinic Southern Africa defined contribution fund and will be eligible for a 9% 

Company pension contribution, in line with the Remuneration Policy. 

FEES FOR THE CHAIRMAN AND NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
The Board Chairman’s remuneration is determined by the Committee. Non-executive directors’ remuneration is determined 

by the Board, based on the responsibility and time committed to the Group’s affairs and appropriate market comparisons. 

Individual  non-executive  directors  do  not  take  part  in  decisions  regarding  their  own  fees.  Each  non-executive  director 

receives a fixed  fee for their services based on their  Board membership and membership of the Board committees.  The 

Board Chairman fee is an all-inclusive fee, which includes Board committees and membership fees, where applicable.

Non-executive directors’ fees were reviewed against median fees paid to non-executive directors in companies of similar 

size and complexity to that of Mediclinic. In light of this review, the fee levels applicable from 1 April 2018 are shown in the 

table below. 

Whilst  the  Committee  recognises  that  such  salary  increases  for  the  Board  Chairman  are  not  common  in  the  current  UK 
climate, the fees remain below the Committee's assessment of an appropriate market level. In line with granting no increases 

to executive directors last year, there were also no adjustments to the Board Chairman fee and the non-executive directors’ 

fees in the reporting period. The fee increase from 1 April 2018 for the Board Chairman reflects our ongoing intention to 

move the Board Chairman fee to a market median positioning. 

BASE FEES

Chairman

Base Board fee 

FEE FROM
1 APRIL 2017

FEE FROM
1 APRIL 2018

%
INCREASE

£250 000

£280 000

£60 000

£63 000

Audit and Risk Committee Chair 

£15 000

£16 000

Remuneration Committee Chair 

£15 000

£16 000

Nomination Committee Chair

£0

£0

Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee Chair 

£10 000

£10 000

Investment Committee Chair 

£10 000

£10 000

Senior Independent Director

£25 000

£25 000

Committee member fees 

Audit and Risk Committee 

£10 000

£10 000

Remuneration Committee 

£10 000

£10 000

Nomination Committee

£0

£7 000

Clinical Performance and Sustainability Committee 

£6 600

£7 000

Investment Committee

£6 600

£7 000

158 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

12%

5%

7%

7%

–

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

–

6%

6%

SHAREHOLDER VOTING AT THE AGM
The Remuneration Policy and the Directors' Remuneration Report were approved with 95.95% and 96.25% votes in favour, 
respectively, at the Company’s AGM on 25 July 2017. The Remuneration Policy incorporated a number of changes, taking 
into account the principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code and the views of major shareholders and proxy agencies, 
as expressed during previous engagements on remuneration matters.

The following votes were received from shareholders:

FOR

%

AGAINST

%

TOTAL
 SHARES 
VOTED

% OF 
ISSUED 
SHARES 
VOTED

WITH-
HELD

Remuneration Policy 

614 711 926 

95.95% 

25 915 697  4.05% 

2 718 474 

643 346 097

87.26%

Directors’ 
Remuneration Report

618 212 690

 96.25%  24 075 900

 3.75%

 1 057 507

643 346 097

87.26%

ADVISOR TO THE COMMITTEE 
During  the  year,  the  Committee  and  the  Company  retained  an  independent  external  advisor  to  assist  them  on  various 
aspects of the Company’s remuneration as set out below:

FEES PAID BY THE 
COMPANY FOR 
THESE SERVICES  
PROVIDED IN THE 
REPORTING  
PERIOD

OTHER SERVICES 
PROVIDED TO  
THE COMPANY IN 
THE REPORTING 
PERIOD

£113 728 based on 
time charges for 
work completed

N/A

ADVISOR

New Bridge 
Street (“NBS”), 
a trading name 
of Aon plc

APPOINTED/ 
SELECTED BY

SERVICES  
PROVIDED

Appointed by 
the Committee 
following a 
competitive 
tendering process 
and reviewed 
annually by the 
Committee

Member of the 
Remuneration Consultants 
Group and adheres to the 
Voluntary Code of Conduct 
in relation to executive 
remuneration consulting in 
the UK

General advice on 
remuneration matters

Advice on UK market 
practice and UK 
shareholder perspectives 

The Committee considered the independence and objectivity of NBS. NBS provided assurances to the Committee that it 
has effective internal processes in place to ensure it is able to provide remuneration consultancy services independently 
and objectively. NBS confirmed to the Company that it is a member of the Remuneration Consultants Group and, as such, 
operates under the code of conduct in relation to executive remuneration consulting in the UK. The Committee is, following 
its annual review, satisfied that NBS has maintained independence and objectivity.

In April 2018, following a robust selection process, the Committee appointed Deloitte LLP to replace NBS as its independent 
advisor. In line with existing policy, this appointment is subject to an annual review. The Committee would like to thank NBS 
for the advice and support received since they were first appointed.

Signed on behalf of the Remuneration Committee.

Trevor D Petersen
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
23 May 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

159

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STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ 
RESPONSIBILITIES 

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  preparing  the  Annual 

The  Directors  consider  that  the  Annual  Report  and 

Report,  including  the  financial  statements,  in  accordance 

Financial Statements, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and 

with applicable law and regulation.

understandable  and  provides  the  information  necessary 

The  UK  Companies  Act  requires  the  Directors  to  prepare 

financial  statements  for  each  financial  year.  The  Directors 

for  shareholders  to  assess  the  Group  and  Company’s 

performance, business model and strategy.

prepared  the  Group  and  Company  financial  statements 

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are listed 

AR

in  accordance  with 
International  Financial  Reporting 
Standards  (“IFRS”),  as  adopted  by  the  European  Union. 
The Directors should only approve the financial statements 

if  they  are  satisfied  that  they  give  a  true  and  fair  view  of 

the  state  of  affairs  of  the  Group  and  Company  and  of  the 

profit or loss of the Group and Company for the reporting 

period.  In  preparing  the  financial  statements,  the  Directors 

are required to:

 •

select  suitable  accounting  policies  and  apply  them 

consistently;

on pages 86 to 89 of the Annual Report, confirm that to the 

best of their knowledge:

 •

the Group and Company financial statements, which were 

prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS,  as  adopted  by  the 

European Union, give a true and fair view of the assets, 

liabilities, financial position and profit of the Group; and

 •

the  Strategic  Report  includes  a  fair  review  of  the 

development  and  performance  of  the  business  and  the 

position  of  the  Group  and  the  Company,  together  with 
a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that 

 •

state whether applicable IFRS have been followed, subject 

it faces.

to any material departures disclosed and explained in the 

financial statements;

 • make  judgements  and  accounting  estimates  that  are 

reasonable and prudent; and

 • prepare  the  financial  statements  on  the  going-concern 

basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Group 

and Company will continue in business.

The  Directors  are  responsible 

for  keeping  adequate 

accounting  records  that  are  sufficient  to  show  and  explain 

the  Group’s  and  Company’s  transactions  and  disclose  with 

reasonable  accuracy,  at  any  time,  the  financial  position  of 

AR

the  Group  and  Company  and  enable  them  to  ensure  that 
the  financial  statements  and  the  Directors’  Remuneration 
Report  comply  with  the  UK  Companies  Act  and,  in  respect 
of the Group’s consolidated financial statements, Article 4 of 

the IAS Regulation.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO 
AUDITORS
Each of the directors confirms that: 

 •

to  the  best  of  their  knowledge  and  belief,  there  is  no 

relevant  audit  information  of  which  the  Company’s 

auditors are unaware; and 

 •

they  have  taken  all  reasonable  steps  to  ascertain  any 

relevant  audit  information  and  to  establish  that  the 

Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

For and on behalf of the Board.

The Directors are responsible for safeguarding the assets of 

the  Group  and  Company  and  hence  for  taking  reasonable 

steps  for  the  prevention  and  detection  of  fraud  and  other 

DP Meintjes 
Chief Executive Officer 

PJ Myburgh
Chief Financial Officer

23 May 2018 

23 May 2018

irregularities.

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  the  maintenance  and 

integrity of the financial and associated corporate information 
published on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com. 
Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation 

and  dissemination  of  financial  statements  may  differ  from 

legislation in other jurisdictions.

160 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
CONTENTS

GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

162 Independent auditors’ report

171

Consolidated statement of fi nancial position

172 Consolidated income statement

173 Consolidated statement of other comprehensive 

income

174 Consolidated statement of changes in equity

176 Consolidated statement of cash fl ows

177 Notes to the consolidated fi nancial statements

243 Annexure – Investments in subsidiaries, associates 

and joint ventures

COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

248 Independent auditors’ report

253 Company statement of fi nancial position

254 Company statement of changes in equity

255 Company statement of cash fl ows

256 Notes to the Company fi nancial statements

GENERAL INFORMATION 

These  fi nancial  statements  are  consolidated  fi nancial 

for  Mediclinic 

statements 
International  plc  (the 
“Company”)  and  its  subsidiaries,  associates  and  joint 
ventures (the “Group”). A list of subsidiaries, associates 
and joint ventures is included from pages 243 to 247.

AR

Mediclinic  International  plc  (the  “Company”)  is  a 
public  limited  company,  listed  on  the  London  Stock 

Exchange and is incorporated and domiciled in England 

and  Wales.  The  Company  has  secondary  listings  on 
the  Johannesburg  Stock  Exchange  (“JSE”)  and  the 
Namibian  Stock  Exchange  (“NSX”).  A  wholly-owned 
subsidiary, Hirslanden AG issued bonds listed on the SIX.

Registered Address:
6th Floor
65 Gresham Street

London

EC2V 7NQ

United Kingdom

The core purpose of the Group is to enhance the quality 

of  life  of  patients  by  providing  value-based  healthcare 

services.

The  fi nancial  statements  were  authorised  for  issue  by 

the  Directors  on  23  May  2018.  No  authority  was  given 

to anyone to amend the fi nancial statements after the 

date of issue.

All press releases, fi nancial reports and other information 
are available on our website: www.mediclinic.com.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018
 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

161
161

FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS

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GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

TO THE MEMBERS OF MEDICLINIC INTERNATIONAL PLC

REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our opinion

In our opinion, Mediclinic International plc’s Group financial statements (the “financial statements”):

 • give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s affairs at 31 March 2018 and of its loss and cash flows for the year 

then ended;

 • have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by 

the European Union; and

 • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

We have audited the financial statements, included within the Annual Report, which comprise: the consolidated statement of 

financial position at 31 March 2018; the consolidated income statement and consolidated statement of other comprehensive 

income; the consolidated statement of changes in equity; the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended; 

and the notes to the consolidated financial statements, which include a description of the significant accounting policies.

Our opinion is consistent with our reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee.

Basis for opinion

We  conducted  our  audit  in  accordance  with  International  Standards  on  Auditing  (UK)  (“ISAs  (UK)”)  and  applicable  law.  
Our  responsibilities  under  ISAs  (UK)  are  further  described  in  the  auditors’  responsibilities  for  the  audit  of  the  financial 

statements  section  of  our  report.  We  believe  that  the  audit  evidence  we  have  obtained  is  sufficient  and  appropriate  to 

provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence

We remained independent of the Group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the 

financial  statements  in  the  UK,  which  includes  the  FRC’s  Ethical  Standard,  as  applicable  to  listed  public  interest  entities,  

and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

To the best of our knowledge and belief, we declare that non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were 

not provided to the Group.

Other than those disclosed in note 22 to the financial statements, we have provided no non-audit services to the Group  

in the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

Our audit approach

Overview

Materiality

profit before tax.

 • Overall  Group  materiality:  £15m  (2017:  £14.9m)  based  on  approximately  5%  of  adjusted 

Audit scope

 • Our  audit  included  full  scope  audits  at  four  reporting  units  which  accounted  for  92%  

of  consolidated  revenue,  83%  of  consolidated  loss  before  tax  and  94%  of  adjusted  profit 

before  tax  calculated  on  an  absolute  basis.  We  performed  centralised  procedures  on  the 
equity  accounted  results  of  Spire  Healthcare  Group  plc  (“Spire”)  based  on  its  audited 
financial statements at 31 December 2017.

Key audit
matters

 •

 •

Impairment of intangible assets, goodwill and non-financial assets 

Impairment of the Group’s associate investment in Spire

 • Purchase price allocation for the acquisition of Linde Holding Biel (“Linde”)

162 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

The scope of our audit

As part of designing our audit, we determined materiality and assessed the risks of material misstatement in the financial 
statements. In particular, we looked at where the directors made subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant 
accounting estimates that involved making assumptions and considering future events that are inherently uncertain. 

We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the Group and the industry in which it 
operates and considered the risk of acts by the Group which were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including 
fraud. We designed audit procedures at Group and significant component levels to respond to this risk, recognising that the 
risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, 
as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations or through collusion. 
We designed audit procedures that focused on the risk that non-compliance related to, but not limited to, compliance with 
the Companies Act 2006, the UK Listing Rules and taxation legislation gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial 
statements.  In  assessing  compliance  with  laws  and  regulations,  our  tests  included,  but  were  not  limited  to,  checking  the 
financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation, enquiries of management, review of related work 
performed by component audit teams, review of relevant internal audit reports and discussions with external legal counsel. 
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws 
and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become 
aware of it.

As in all of our audits, we also addressed the risk of management override of internal controls, including evaluating whether 
there  was  evidence  of  bias  by  the  directors  that  represented  a  risk  of  material  misstatement  due  to  fraud,  and  the  risk 
of fraud in revenue recognition. Procedures designed to address these risks included testing of journal entries and post-
close adjustments based on risk, testing and evaluation of management’s key accounting estimates for reasonableness and 
consistency, undertaking cut-off procedures to verify proper cut-off of revenue and expenses and testing the occurrence of 
revenue transactions. In addition, we incorporate an element of unpredictability into our audit work each year. 

Key audit matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in the auditors’ professional judgement, were of most significance in the audit 
of the financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement 
(whether or not due to fraud) identified by the auditors, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit 
strategy; the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters, and any 
comments we make on the results of our procedures thereon, were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial 
statements as a whole and in forming our opinion thereon and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. This 
is not a complete list of all risks identified by our audit.

KEY AUDIT MATTER

HOW OUR AUDIT ADDRESSED  
THE KEY AUDIT MATTER

AR

1.    Impairment of intangible assets, goodwill 

and non-financial assets
 (refer to Audit and Risk Committee Report on 
page 122 and notes 6 and 7 in the Group financial 
statements)

 The Group has £1 406m (2017: £2 156m) of 
intangible assets. This balance consists  
mainly of goodwill relating to the Mediclinic 
Middle East operations of £1 245m (2017:  
£1 401m), goodwill on the acquisition of the 
Swiss operations of £nil (2017: £307m), Swiss 
trademarks of £73m (2017: £341m) and the  
Al Noor brand name of £nil (2017: £23m). 

Deploying our valuation experts, we obtained management’s 
impairment calculations and tested the reasonableness 
of key assumptions, including cash flow forecasts and the 
selection of growth rates and discount rates. We challenged 
management to substantiate its assumptions, including 
comparing relevant assumptions to industry benchmarks and 
economic forecasts. We substantively tested the integrity of 
supporting calculations and corroborated certain information 
with third party sources.

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

KEY AUDIT MATTER

1.    Impairment of intangible assets, goodwill 

and non-financial assets (continued)

HOW OUR AUDIT ADDRESSED  
THE KEY AUDIT MATTER

 The Group is required to perform annual 
impairment tests on goodwill. The Swiss 
trademarks were classified as indefinite life 
intangible assets at the time of the respective 
acquisitions and the Group carries out annual 
impairment tests on these assets based on value-
in-use calculations. These impairment tests are 
undertaken at the operating division level being 
the level at which management monitors goodwill 
for impairment. The Group also performed 
impairment assessments of individual cash 
generating units (“CGUs”) which form part of 
these operating divisions, focusing in particular  
on the Swiss operating division where indicators 
of impairment were identified at the reporting 
date. Goodwill is not allocated to CGUs on the 
basis that the rationale for the transactions 
giving rise to the goodwill is to realise synergies 
across the entire operating division and not just 
within the acquired business. Assets subject to 
impairment assessment at the CGU level primarily 
comprise land and buildings.

 In the current year, an impairment loss of  
£300m was recorded to impair the goodwill on 
the Swiss operations in full, £260m was recorded 
to partially impair the Hirslanden brand name and 
£84m was recorded to partially impair buildings 
within one Swiss CGU.

 The impairment losses recorded in the current 
year are material to the financial statements.  
The recoverable amounts determined in 
impairment assessments are contingent on 
future cash flows and there is a risk if these cash 
flows do not meet the Group’s expectations, or 
if significant assumptions like discount rates or 
growth rates change, that further impairment 
losses will be required.

 We focused on the impairment assessments of 
goodwill, other indefinite life intangible assets and 
non-financial assets as the impairment reviews 
carried out by the Group contain a number of 
significant judgements, including the level at 
which goodwill is monitored for impairment and 
the determination of CGUs within each operating 
division, and estimates, including cash flow 
projections, growth rates and discount rates. 
Changes in these assumptions might lead to a 
significant change in the recoverable values of the 
related assets and therefore to the impairment 
losses recognised.

  We agreed the underlying cash flows to approved budgets 

and assessed growth rates and discount rates by comparison 
to third party information, the Group’s cost of capital and 
relevant risk factors. Future cash flow assumptions were 
evaluated in the context of current trading performance 
against budget and forecasts, considering the historical 
accuracy of budgeting and forecasting and understanding 
the reasons for the growth profiles used.

We evaluated management’s sensitivity analyses to ascertain  
the impact of reasonably possible changes to key 
assumptions on the available headroom or the level of 
impairment required.

We evaluated management’s judgement regarding the 
levels at which goodwill arising from the Swiss and Middle 
East acquisitions are monitored for impairment review 
purposes. We evaluated management’s judgement regarding 
the determination of the respective CGUs in the Swiss 
operating division where impairment triggers were identified, 
focusing on the commercial rationale for combining certain 
clinical facilities into supply regions while other facilities are 
allocated to stand-alone CGUs. As part of this evaluation, 
we met with commercial management at Hirslanden to 
understand how these facilities are run operationally and the 
level of integration between facilities in different regions of 
Switzerland.

We compared management’s impairment models to 
externally available data including analyst valuations. We 
prepared independent valuations based on alternative 
valuation methodologies and assumptions as part of 
assessing the reasonableness of the approach and outputs 
determined by management.

Based on our work performed, we concurred with 
management that impairment charges are required for the 
Swiss operations and that no impairment losses were required 
for the goodwill on the Middle East operations at  
31 March 2018. We have found the judgements and estimates 
made by management in determining the impairment charges 
for Hirslanden to be materially reasonable in the context of 
the Group financial statements taken as a whole and the 
related disclosures to be appropriate. 

We noted that the impairment losses affected one financial 
covenant calculation specified in Hirslanden’s external 
financing agreement. We are satisfied that the Group has 
made appropriate arrangements to avoid any potential 
breach and to support continued classification of the debt  
as non-current at 31 March 2018.

164 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
KEY AUDIT MATTER

AR

2.   Impairment of the Group’s associate 

investment in Spire
 (refer to Audit and Risk Committee Report 
on page 123 and note 8 in the Group financial 
statements)

 At 31 March 2018, the carrying value of the 
Group’s associate investment in Spire exceeded 
the listed market value of the investment, which 
could indicate a possible impairment. The Group 
assessed the recoverable amount of the investment 
based on a value-in-use calculation and concluded 
that an impairment loss of £109m was required. 

 We focused on this area because of the 
significance of the impairment loss recorded 
in the current year and reflecting on the 
extent of judgement and estimation involved 
in the impairment assessment undertaken by 
management. The recoverable value of the 
associate is contingent on future cash flows  
and there is a risk that the investment will be 
impaired further if these cash flows do not  
meet expectations.

HOW OUR AUDIT ADDRESSED  
THE KEY AUDIT MATTER

We reviewed the share price performance of Spire over 
the period since acquisition alongside its reported financial 
results. We met with the Group’s nominated director on 
the Spire board to understand whether any indicators of 
impairment exist based on the underlying performance of 
the business and to understand Spire’s recent performance 
trends. We reviewed the latest available financial reports 
published by Spire. We obtained and reviewed analyst reports 
to understand third party expectations of future share price 
performance. 

Deploying our valuation experts, we obtained management’s 
impairment assessment and tested the reasonableness of 
key assumptions underpinning management’s value-in-use 
valuation of the Group’s investment, including cash flow 
forecasts and the selection of growth rates and discount 
rates. We challenged management to substantiate its 
assumptions, including comparing relevant assumptions  
to third party data and economic forecasts.

We evaluated management’s sensitivity analyses to 
ascertain the impact of reasonably possible changes to key 
assumptions on the level of impairment required. 

Based on our work performed, we concurred with 
management that an impairment is required in the current 
year. We have found the judgements and estimates made by 
management in determining the impairment charge to be 
materially reasonable in the context of the Group financial 
statements taken as a whole and the related disclosures to be 
appropriate.

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165

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

KEY AUDIT MATTER

3.   Purchase price allocation for the 

AR

acquisition of Linde
 (refer to Audit and Risk Committee Report on 
page 123 and note 29 in the Group financial 
statements)

 The Group acquired 99.62% of Linde for a total 
consideration of £86m. The acquisition resulted 
in the recognition at fair value of total net assets 
amounting to £83m and goodwill of £3m. Net 
assets assumed at fair value consisted mainly of 
property, equipment and vehicles (£109m) and 
a brand name (£17m) identified as part of the 
purchase price allocation. Management performed 
the purchase price allocation with the assistance  
of an external expert. 

 We have focused on this area because judgement 
and estimates are involved in allocating the 
purchase price to the tangible and intangible 
assets identified in the business combination and 
because the valuation of intangible assets requires 
specialist skills and knowledge. 

HOW OUR AUDIT ADDRESSED  
THE KEY AUDIT MATTER

We obtained the purchase price allocation prepared by 
management. Based on discussions with management, 
reading the purchase agreements and leveraging our 
understanding of the business and industry, we critically 
assessed the process followed for the identification of the 
assets and liabilities acquired. 

We obtained the third party valuations supporting the value 
of the buildings acquired and assessed the competence, 
capabilities and objectivity of the external valuation expert 
used by management to value the buildings. 

With the assistance of our own valuation experts, we 
evaluated the valuation methodology adopted by 
management to value the brand acquired. The underlying 
assumptions, including the discount rate, terminal growth 
rate and royalty relief rate used in management’s model 
to value the brand were tested for reasonableness by 
benchmarking the assumptions to industry average rates 
and by independently recalculating the discount rate. We 
evaluated the commercial rationale for the low residual 
goodwill valuation. 

We performed specified procedures on the opening balance 
sheet of Linde prepared at 30 June 2017 directed at cut-off. 
We have specifically considered the recoverability of assets  
and the completeness of liabilities (including provisions 
for contractual commitments and for legal and other 
contingencies) to ensure that the opening balance sheet 
is appropriately stated at fair value. We have reviewed 
the assessment of the respective accounting policies and 
practices of Mediclinic and Linde prepared by management 
to ensure that the Group’s accounting policies have been 
appropriately applied.

Based on our work performed, we have found the 
judgements and estimates made by management to be 
materially reasonable in the context of the Group financial 
statements taken as a whole and the related disclosures to  
be appropriate.

How we tailored the audit scope

We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give an opinion on the financial 

statements  as  a  whole,  taking  into  account  the  structure  of  the  Group,  its  accounting  processes  and  controls  and  the 

industry in which it operates.

The  Group  financial  statements  are  a  consolidation  of  thirteen  reporting  units  which  include  sub-consolidations  of  the 

operations in each of the Group’s key markets. The Southern Africa, Switzerland and Middle East reporting units required 

an audit of their complete financial information due to their size. An audit was also performed over the complete financial 

information of the Mediclinic International plc parent company to give appropriate audit coverage. Taken together, reporting 

units where we performed audit work over the complete financial information accounted for 92% of consolidated revenue, 

83% of consolidated loss before tax and 94% of adjusted profit before tax calculated on an absolute basis. 

166 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
In  establishing  the  overall  approach  to  the  Group  audit,  we  determined  the  type  of  work  that  needed  to  be  performed  

at the reporting units by us, as the Group engagement team, or by component auditors from other PwC network firms. 

Where the work was performed by component auditors, we determined the level of involvement we needed to have in the 

audit work at those reporting units to be able to conclude whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence had been obtained 

as a basis for our opinion on the financial statements as a whole. 

Recognising that not every business in each of the thirteen reporting units which comprise the Group’s consolidated results 

and financial position is included in our Group audit scope, we considered as part of our Group audit oversight responsibility 

what audit coverage has been obtained in aggregate by our component teams by reference to business components at 

which audit work has been undertaken.

We visited our component teams in South Africa, Switzerland and the UAE, which included file reviews, attendance at key 

audit meetings with local management and participation in audit clearance meetings at each reporting unit. We also had 

regular dialogue with our component audit teams at each key reporting unit.

Further specific audit procedures over the Group consolidation and over the Group’s associate interest in Spire were directly 

led by the Group audit team. Spire has a non co-terminous year-end to the rest of the Group and our work on Spire included 

review of the audited financial statements of Spire for the year ended 31 December 2017 together with subsequent events 
review procedures over the lag period of account. 

Taken together, reporting units where we performed our audit work accounted for 92% of consolidated revenue, 95% of 

consolidated loss before tax and 98% of adjusted profit before tax calculated on an absolute basis. Our audit covered all 

reporting units that individually contributed more than 1% to consolidated revenue and more than 2% to consolidated loss 

before tax and to adjusted profit before tax calculated on an absolute basis.

Materiality

The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds for materiality.  

These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and 

extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement line items and disclosures and in evaluating the effect 

of misstatements, both individually and in aggregate, on the financial statements as a whole. 

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Overall group materiality

£15m (2017: £14.9m).

How we determined it

Rationale for benchmark applied

Based on approximately 5% of adjusted profit before tax, calculated as 
consolidated loss before tax adjusted for impairment losses, derecognition 
of unamortised finance expenses, accelerated amortisation of brand name, 
release of pre-acquisition provisions and loss on disposals of businesses.

We believe that adjusted profit before tax is the primary measure used by 
the shareholders in assessing the performance of the Group. The adjusted 
profit before tax measure removes the impact of significant items which 
do not recur from year to year or which otherwise significantly affect the 
underlying trend of performance from continuing operations. This is the 
metric against which the performance of the Group is most commonly 
assessed by management and reported to shareholders. We chose 5%, which 
is consistent with the quantitative materiality thresholds used for profit-
oriented companies in this sector.

For each component in the scope of our Group audit, we allocated a materiality that is less than our overall Group materiality.   

The range of materiality allocated across components was between £4.9m and £13.4m. Certain components were audited to a 

local statutory audit materiality that was less than our Group audit materiality allocation.

We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit above 

£0.75m (2017: £0.74m) as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

Going concern

In accordance with ISAs (UK) we report as follows:

REPORTING OBLIGATION

OUTCOME

We are required to report if we have anything material to add or draw attention 
to in respect of the directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether 
the directors considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting in preparing the financial statements and the directors’ identification 
of any material uncertainties to the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern 
over a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the  
financial statements.

We have nothing material to add 
or to draw attention to. However, 
because not all future events or 
conditions can be predicted, this 
statement is not a guarantee as 
to the Group’s ability to continue 
as a going concern.

We are required to report if the directors’ statement relating to going concern 
in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our 
knowledge obtained in the audit.

We have nothing to report.

Reporting on other information 

The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our 

auditors’ report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements 

does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except to the extent otherwise 

explicitly stated in this report, any form of assurance thereon. 

 •

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing 

so,  consider  whether  the  other  information  is  materially  inconsistent  with  the  financial  statements  or  our  knowledge 

obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency 

or material misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement 

of the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, 

we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have 

nothing to report based on these responsibilities.

 • With respect to the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report, we also considered whether the disclosures required by the 

UK Companies Act 2006 have been included. 

Based on the responsibilities described above and our work undertaken in the course of the audit, the Companies Act 2006, 

(CA06), ISAs (UK) and the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) require us also to report certain opinions 

and matters as described below (required by ISAs (UK) unless otherwise stated).

STRATEGIC REPORT AND DIRECTORS’ REPORT

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit, the information given in the Strategic Report 
and Directors’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2018 is consistent with the financial statements and has been 
prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. (CA06)

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and its environment obtained in the course of the audit,  
we did not identify any material misstatements in the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report. (CA06)

168 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

THE DIRECTORS’ ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS OF THE GROUP AND OF THE 
PRINCIPAL RISKS THAT WOULD THREATEN THE SOLVENCY OR LIQUIDITY OF THE GROUP

We have nothing material to add or draw attention to regarding:
 • The directors’ confirmation on page 99 of the Annual Report that they have carried out a robust assessment  

of the principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, 
solvency or liquidity;

 • The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those risks and explain how they are being managed or 

mitigated; and

 • The directors’ explanation on page 50 of the Annual Report as to how they have assessed the prospects of the 

Group, over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate and their statement 
as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to continue in operation and meet its 
liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to 
any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We have nothing to report having performed a review of the directors’ statement that they have carried out a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing the Group and statement in relation to the longer-term viability of the Group.  
Our review was substantially less in scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries and considering the 
directors’ process supporting their statements; checking that the statements are in alignment with the relevant provisions 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”); and considering whether the statements are consistent with the 
knowledge and understanding of the Group and its environment obtained in the course of the audit. (Listing Rules)

OTHER CODE PROVISIONS

We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when: 
 • The statement given by the directors, on page 160, that they consider the Annual Report taken as a whole to be 

fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for the members to assess the Group’s 
position and performance, business model and strategy is materially inconsistent with our knowledge of the Group 
obtained in the course of performing our audit;

 • The section of the Annual Report on page 120 describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee does not 

appropriately address matters communicated by us to the Audit and Risk Committee; and

 • The directors’ statement relating to the Company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose a 

departure from a relevant provision of the Code specified, under the Listing Rules, for review by the auditors.

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit

Responsibilities of the directors for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement set out on page 160, the directors are responsible for the 

preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give  

a true and fair view. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the 

preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going 

concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless 

the directors either intend to liquidate the Group or to cease operations or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material 

misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance 

is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect  

a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually 

or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of 

these financial statements. 

A  further  description  of  our  responsibilities  for  the  audit  of  the  financial  statements  is  located  on  the  FRC’s  website  at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

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AR

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

169

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

Use of this report

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the Company’s members as a body in accordance 

with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept 

or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands  

it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

OTHER REQUIRED REPORTING

Companies Act 2006 exception reporting

Under the Companies Act 2006, we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

 • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

 • certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made. 

We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility. 

Appointment

Following the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, we were appointed by the members on 18 March 2016 

to audit the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2016 and subsequent financial periods. The period of total 

uninterrupted engagement is three years, covering the years ended 31 March 2016 to 31 March 2018.

OTHER MATTER

We  have  reported  separately  on  the  Company  financial  statements  of  Mediclinic  International  plc  for  the  year  ended  

31 March 2018 and on the information in the Directors’ Remuneration Report that is described as having been audited.

Giles Hannam (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

London

23 May 2018

170 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF
FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 MARCH 2018

ASSETS
Non-current assets

Property, equipment and vehicles
Intangible assets
Equity accounted investments
Other investments and loans
Deferred income tax assets

Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Other investments and loans
Current income tax assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Assets classified as held for sale

Total assets
EQUITY
Capital and reserves

Share capital
Share premium reserve
Treasury shares
Retained earnings
Other reserves

Attributable to equity holders of the Company

Non-controlling interests

Total equity
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities

Borrowings
Deferred income tax liabilities
Retirement benefit obligations
Provisions
Derivative financial instruments
Cash-settled share-based payment liabilities

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables
Borrowings
Provisions
Retirement benefit obligations
Derivative financial instruments
Current income tax liabilities
Liabilities classified as held for sale

Total liabilities
Total equity and liabilities

Notes

6
7
8
9
10

11
12
9

28.8
31

13
13
13

14

16

17
10
18
19
20

21
17
19
18
20

31

2018
£’m

5 382
3 590
1 406
 357
 7
 22
 961
 90
 607
 1
 1
 261
 1
6 343

 74
 690
 (1)
5 057
(2 534)
3 286
 87
3 373

2 445
1 866
 467
 86
 23
 2
 1
 525
 424
 71
 15
 10
–
 5
–
2 970
6 343

2017
£’m

6 353
3 703
2 156
 465
 8
 21
1 069
 90
 591
 16
 2
 361
 9
7 422

 74
 690
 (2)
5 525
(2 201)
4 086
 78
4 164

2 668
1 961
 527
 154
 23
 2
 1
 590
 472
 69
 22
 10
 7
 8
 2
3 258
7 422

These financial statements and the accompanying notes were approved for issue by the Board of Directors on 23 May 2018 

and were signed on its behalf by:

DP Meintjes 
Chief Executive Officer 

PJ Myburgh
Chief Financial Officer

Mediclinic International plc (Company no 08338604)

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

171

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CONSOLIDATED INCOME  
STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

Revenue

Cost of sales

Administration and other operating expenses

Impairment of properties

Impairment of intangible assets

Other administration and operating expenses

Other gains and losses

Operating (loss)/profit
Finance income

Finance cost

Share of net profit of equity accounted investments

Impairment of equity accounted investment

(Loss)/profit before tax
Income tax expense

(Loss)/profit for the year

Attributable to:
Equity holders of the Company

Non-controlling interests

(Loss)/earnings per ordinary share attributable to the equity holders  
of the Company – pence
Basic

Diluted

Notes

22

22

6 & 22

7 & 22

22

23

24

8

8

25

16

26

26

2018
£’m

2 870

(1 773)

(1 387)

 (84)

 (560)

 (743)

 2

 (288)

 9

 (94)

 3

 (109)

 (479)

 5

 (474)

 (492)

 18

 (474)

(66.7)

(66.7)

2017
£’m

2 749

(1 696)

 (689)

–

–

 (689)

 (2)

 362

 7

 (74)

 12

–

 307

 (64)

 243

 229

 14

 243

31.0

31.0

172 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF 
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

(Loss)/profit for the year

Other comprehensive (loss)/income

Items that may be reclassified to the income statement

Currency translation differences

Fair value adjustment – cash flow hedges

Items that may not be reclassified to the income statement

Remeasurements of retirement benefit obligations

Other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of tax

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year

Attributable to:
Equity holders of the Company

Non-controlling interests

Notes

27

27

27

27

2018
£’m

 (474)

 (309)

 (310)

 1

 60

 60

 (249)

 (723)

 (742)

 19

 (723)

2017
£’m

 243

 388

 388

–

 34

 34

 422

 665

 635

 30

 665

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173

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF 
CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

Balance at 1 April 2016
Profit for the year

Other comprehensive income  
for the year

Total comprehensive income  
for the year

Transactions with non-controlling 
shareholders

Dividends paid

Balance at 31 March 2017

(Loss)/profit for the year

Other comprehensive  
(loss)/income for the year

Total comprehensive  
(loss)/income for the year

Transfer to retained earnings

Non-controlling shareholders 
derecognised on disposal of 
subsidiaries

Share-based payment expense

Settlement of Forfeitable  
Share Plan

Transactions with non-controlling 
shareholders

Dividends paid

Share
capital
(note 13)
£’m

 74

–

–

–

–

–

 74

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 6

–

–

–

–

–

 6

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 690

(3 014)

 (2)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 690

(3 014)

 (2)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 1

–

–

 (1)

Balance at 31 March 2018

 74

 6

 690

(3 014)

Capital
redemption
reserve
(note 14)
£’m

Share
premium
reserve
(note 13)
£’m

Reverse
acquisition
reserve
(note 14)
£’m

Treasury
shares
(note 13)
£’m

Share-based
payment
reserve
(note 14)
£’m

Foreign
currency
translation
reserve
(note 14)
£’m

Hedging
reserve
(note 14)
£’m

Retained
earnings
£’m

Attributable
to equity
holders
of the
Company
£’m

Non-
controlling
interests
(note 16)
£’m

 24

–

–

–

–

–

 24

–

–

–

 (23)

–

 1

 (1)

–

–

 1

 407

–

 372

 372

–

–

 779

–

 (311)

 (311)

–

–

–

–

–

–

 468

 4

–

–

–

–

–

 4

–

 1

 1

–

–

–

–

–

–

 5

5 320

 229

 34

 263

 4

 (62)

5 525

 (492)

 60

 (432)

 23

–

–

–

 (1)

 (58)

5 057

3 509

 229

 406

 635

 4

 (62)

4 086

 (492)

 (250)

 (742)

–

–

 1

–

 (1)

 (58)

3 286

 61

 14

 16

 30

 (4)

 (9)

 78

 18

 1

 19

–

 (1)

–

–

 1

 (10)

 87

Total
equity
£’m

3 570

 243

 422

 665

–

 (71)

4 164

 (474)

 (249)

 (723)

–

 (1)

 1

–

–

 (68)

3 373

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174 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

175

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF 
CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

2018
£’m
Inflow/
(outflow)

Notes

2 809

(2 343)

 466

 9

 (74)

 (56)

 345

 (319)

 (112)

 (142)

 (83)

 2

 (2)

 5

 13

 26

 (108)

 (10)

 (58)

 6

 (30)

 (12)

 (4)

–

 (82)

 361

 (18)

 261

28.1

28.2

28.3

28.4

28.5

29

30

8

16

28.6

28.7

28.7

16

28.8

(Re-

presented)*

2017
£’m
Inflow/
(outflow)

2 735

(2 243)

 492

 7

 (77)

 (45)

 377

 (201)

 (101)

 (131)

–

 44

 (1)

 4

 (16)

 176

 (169)

 (9)

 (62)

 247

 (327)

 (3)

–

 (15)

 7

 305

 49

 361

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Cash received from customers

Cash paid to suppliers and employees

Cash generated from operations
Interest received

Interest paid

Tax paid

Net cash generated from operating activities

CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES
Investment to maintain operations

Investment to expand operations

Acquisition of subsidiaries

Disposal of subsidiaries

Acquisition of investment in associate

Dividends received from equity accounted investment

Proceeds from/(acquisition of) money market funds

Net cash generated before financing activities

CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Distributions to non-controlling interests

Distributions to shareholders

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Refinancing transaction costs

Settlement of interest rate swap

Acquisition of non-controlling interest

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Opening balance of cash and cash equivalents

Exchange rate fluctuations on foreign cash

Closing balance of cash and cash equivalents

*  Refer to note 2.1.

176 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED  
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

1. 

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
 Mediclinic International plc is a private hospital group with three operating divisions, namely Switzerland, Southern 
Africa (South Africa and Namibia) and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) and with an equity investment in the United 
Kingdom. Its core purpose is to enhance the quality of life of patients by providing value-based healthcare services.

2. 

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements are set out 

below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the periods presented, unless otherwise stated.

2.1.  Basis of preparation

 The consolidated financial statements of the Group are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRS”), as adopted by the European Union, including IFRS Interpretations Committee (“IFRS IC”) and 
with the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS. The financial statements are prepared 

on  the  historical  cost  convention,  except  for  the  following  items,  which  are  carried  at  fair  value  or  valued  using 

another measurement basis:

 • Derivative financial assets and liabilities and available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value;

 • Retirement benefit obligations that are measured in terms of the projected unit credit method; and

 • Liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments are measured at fair value.

 The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting 

estimates.  It  also  requires  management  to  exercise  its  judgement  in  the  process  of  applying  the  Company’s  

accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions 

and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements, are disclosed in note 4.

Functional and presentation currency
 The consolidated financial statements and financial information are presented in pounds sterling (the presentation 

currency), rounded to the nearest million. The functional currency of the majority of the Group’s entities, and the 

currencies of the primary economic environments in which they operate, is the Swiss franc, the South African rand  

and UAE dirham. The UAE dirham is pegged against the United States dollar at a rate of 3.6725 per US Dollar.

 Exchange rates
 The Group uses the average of exchange rates prevailing during the period to translate the results and cash flows 

of  foreign  subsidiaries,  the  joint  venture  and  associated  undertakings  into  pounds  sterling  and  period-end  rates  

to translate the net assets of those undertakings. The following exchange rates were applicable for the period:

Average rates:

Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

Period end rates:

Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

2018

2017

1.29

17.22

4.87

1.34

16.57

5.15

1.29

18.41

4.80

1.25

16.74

4.59

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Going concern
 Having  assessed  the  principal  risks  and  the  other  matters  discussed  in  connection  with  the  viability  statement, 

the  directors  considered  it  appropriate  to  adopt  the  going  concern  basis  of  accounting  in  preparing  the  

financial statements.

Cash flow statement reclassification
 The  cash  flow  statement  for  the  year  ended  31  March  2017  has  been  re-presented  to  reclassify  certain  capital 

expenditure cash flows from cash generated from operations to cash flows from investment activities. The impact 

of the reclassification was a decrease in cash generated from operations from £509m to £492m and a decrease in 

cash outflows from investment activities from £218m to £201m. This reclassification had no impact on reported cash, 

profits or net assets. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

177

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.2  Consolidation and equity accounting
a) 

Basis of consolidation
 Subsidiaries are all entities (including structured entities) over which the Group has control. The Group controls an 
entity when the Group is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has 
the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity.

 The results of subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements from the effective date of acquisition 
until control is lost.

 Adjustments to the financial statements of subsidiaries are made when necessary to bring their accounting policies 
in line with those of the Group.

 All intra-company transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated in full on consolidation.

 Non-controlling interests in the net assets of consolidated subsidiaries are identified and recognised separately from 
the Group’s interest therein, and are recognised within equity. Losses of subsidiaries attributable to non-controlling 

interests are allocated to the non-controlling interest even if this results in a debit balance being recognised.

b) 

Business combinations
 The Group accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. The cost of the business 
combination is measured as the aggregate of the fair values of assets given, liabilities incurred or assumed. Costs 
directly attributable to the business combination are expensed as incurred, except the costs to issue debt that are 
amortised as part of the effective interest and costs to issue equity, which are included in equity.

 The  acquiree’s  identifiable  assets,  liabilities  and  contingent  liabilities  that  meet  the  recognition  conditions  
of IFRS 3 Business Combinations are recognised at their fair values at acquisition date, except for non-current assets 
(or disposal company) that are classified as held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held-for-sale 
and Discontinued Operations, which are recognised at fair value less costs to sell.

 Contingent liabilities are only included in the identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquiree where there is a present 
obligation at acquisition date.

 On  acquisition,  the  Group  assesses  the  classification  of  the  acquiree’s  assets  and  liabilities  and  reclassifies  them 
where the classification is inappropriate for Group purposes. This excludes lease agreements and insurance contracts, 
whose classification remains as per their inception date.

 Non-controlling  interests  arising  from  a  business  combination,  which  are  present  ownership  interests,  and  entitle 
their holders to a proportionate share of the entity’s net assets in the event of liquidation, are measured either at 
the  present  ownership  interests’  proportionate  share  in  the  recognised  amounts  of  the  acquiree’s  identifiable  net 
assets or at fair value. The treatment is not an accounting policy choice but is selected for each individual business 
combination, and disclosed in the note for business combinations. All other components of non-controlling interests 
are measured at their acquisition date fair values, unless another measurement basis is required by IFRS.

 In  cases  where  the  Company  held  a  non-controlling  shareholding  in  the  acquiree  prior  to  obtaining  control,  that 
interest is measured to fair value as at acquisition date. The measurement to fair value is included in profit or loss for 
the year. Where the existing shareholding was classified as an available-for-sale financial asset, the cumulative fair 
value adjustments recognised previously to other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity, are recognised 
in profit or loss as a reclassification adjustment.

 Goodwill is determined as the consideration paid, plus the fair value of any shareholding held prior to obtaining control, 
plus non-controlling interest, less the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquiree. If the total of 
consideration transferred, non-controlling interest recognised and previously held interest measured is less than the fair 
value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognised directly in the income statement.

 Goodwill is not amortised but is tested on an annual basis for impairment or more frequently if events or changes 
in  circumstances  indicate  a  potential  impairment.  If  goodwill  is  assessed  to  be  impaired,  that  impairment  is  not 
subsequently reversed.

 Goodwill  arising  on  acquisition  of  foreign  entities  is  considered  an  asset  of  the  foreign  entity.  In  such  cases,  the  
goodwill  is  translated  to  the  functional  currency  of  the  Company  at  the  end  of  each  reporting  period  with  

the adjustment recognised in equity through other comprehensive income.

178 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.2  Consolidation and equity accounting (continued)
c) 

Investments in associates and joint ventures
 Associates are all entities over which the Group has significant influence but not control, generally accompanying  

a  shareholding  of  between  20%  and  50%  of  the  voting  rights.  Investments  in  joint  arrangements  are  classified  

as either joint operations or joint ventures depending on the contractual rights and obligations of each investor. The 

Group has assessed the nature of its joint arrangements and determined them to be joint ventures. Investments in 

associates and joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.

 Under the equity method, the equity accounted investments are initially recognised at cost and adjusted thereafter  

to recognise the Group’s share of the post-acquisition profits or losses and movements in other comprehensive income. 

Dividends received or receivable from equity accounted investments are recognised as a reduction in the carrying 

amount of the investment. The Group’s investments in associates and joint ventures include goodwill identified on 

acquisition. When the Group’s share of losses in an associate or joint venture equals or exceeds its interests in the 

investment (which includes any long-term interests that, in substance, form part of the Group’s net investment), the Group 

does not recognise further losses, unless it has incurred obligations or made payments on behalf of the entity.

 Unrealised  gains  on  transactions  between  the  Group  and  its  equity  accounted  investments  are  eliminated  to  the 

extent of the Group’s interest in these investments. Unrealised losses are eliminated unless the transaction provides 

evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred. Accounting policies of the equity accounted investments have 

been changed where necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by the Group.

 If  the  ownership  interest  in  an  equity  accounted  investment  is  reduced  but  significant  influence  or  joint  control 

is  retained,  only  a  proportionate  share  of  the  amounts  previously  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income  is 

reclassified to profit or loss where appropriate. The Group’s share of post-acquisition profit or loss is recognised in 

the income statement, and its share of post-acquisition movements in other comprehensive income is recognised  

in other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the carrying amount of the investment.

 The Group determines at each reporting date whether there is any objective evidence that the equity accounted 

investment is impaired. If this is the case, the Group calculates the amount of impairment as the difference between 

the recoverable amount of the investment and its carrying value and recognises the amount adjacent to share of 

profit or loss of the investment in the income statement.

2.3 

Segment reporting
 Consistent with internal reporting, the Group’s segments are identified as the three geographical operating divisions 

in  Switzerland,  Southern  Africa  and  Middle  East.  The  United  Kingdom  and  Corporate  segments  are  additional 

non-operating  segments.  The  chief  operating  decision-maker,  who  is  responsible  for  allocating  resources  and 

assessing performance of the segments, has been identified as the Group Executive Committee that makes strategic 

decisions. The Executive Committee comprises the executive directors and senior management as disclosed in the  

AR

Annual Report on page 95.

2.4  Property, equipment and vehicles

 Land  and  buildings  comprise  mainly  hospitals  and  offices.  All  property,  equipment  and  vehicles  are  shown  at  cost 

less accumulated depreciation and impairment, except for land, which is shown at cost less impairment. Cost includes 

expenditure  that  is  directly  attributable  to  the  acquisition  of  the  items.  Subsequent  costs  are  included  in  the  asset’s 

carrying amount or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits 

associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. All other repairs and 

maintenance costs are charged to the income statement during the financial period in which they are incurred.

 Land is not depreciated. Depreciation on the other assets is calculated using the straight-line method to allocate the 

cost less its residual value over its estimated useful life as follows:

 • Buildings: 

 • Equipment: 

 • Furniture and vehicles: 

10 – 100 years

3 – 10 years

3 – 8 years

 The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each statement of financial 

position date.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.4  Property, equipment and vehicles (continued)

Refer to note 2.6 for impairment of property, equipment and vehicles.

 An asset is derecognised on disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected from its use. Profit or loss on 

disposals is determined by comparing proceeds with carrying amounts. These are included in the income statement.

2.5 
a) 

Intangible assets
Goodwill
 Goodwill  is  determined  as  the  consideration  paid,  plus  the  fair  value  of  any  shareholding  held  prior  to  obtaining 

control,  plus  non-controlling  interest,  less  the  fair  value  of  the  identifiable  assets  and  liabilities  of  the  acquiree. 

Goodwill  on  acquisition  of  subsidiaries  is  included  in  intangible  assets.  Goodwill  on  acquisition  of  associates  and 

joint ventures is included in investments in associates and joint ventures. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment 

or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate a potential impairment. Goodwill is carried at cost 

less accumulated impairment. Impairment on goodwill are not reversed. Gains and losses on the disposal of an entity 

include the carrying amount of goodwill relating to the entity sold.

 Goodwill  is  allocated  to  cash-generating  units  (“CGUs”)  for  the  purpose  of  impairment  testing.  The  allocation  is 
made to those CGUs or groups of CGUs that are expected to benefit from business combinations in which goodwill 

arose. Management monitors goodwill for impairment at an operating segment level. Any impairment losses that are 

recognised are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the CGU and then to reduce 

the carrying amount of other assets in the CGU where the carrying amount is greater than the recoverable amount.

b) 

Trade names
 Trade names have been recognised by the Group as part of a business combination. No value is placed on internally 

developed  trade  names.  Trade  names  that  are  deemed  to  have  an  indefinite  useful  life  are  carried  at  cost  less 

accumulated impairment. Trade names that are deemed to have a finite useful life are capitalised at the cost to the 

Group and amortised on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful lives of 1 to 75 years. Expenditure to maintain 

trade names is accounted for against income as incurred.

c) 

Computer software
 Acquired computer software licences are capitalised on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire and bring to use the 

specific software. These costs are amortised over their estimated useful lives (1 to 5 years) using the straight-line method.

 Internally  developed  computer  software  that  is  clearly  associated  with  an  identifiable  and  unique  system,  which 

will be controlled by the Group and have a probable future economic benefit beyond one year, are recognised as 

intangible assets. Costs associated with maintaining computer software or development expenditure that does not 

meet the recognition criteria are expensed as incurred.

2.6 

Impairment of non-financial assets
 Assets  that  have  an  indefinite  useful  life  are  not  subject  to  amortisation  and  are  tested  annually  for  impairment 

and  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  a  potential  impairment.  Assets  that  are  subject  to 

amortisation  or  depreciation  are  tested  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  a 

potential impairment. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset’s carrying value exceeds 

its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in 

use.  The  recoverable  amount  is  calculated  by  estimating  future  cash  benefits  that  will  result  from  each  asset  and 

discounting those cash benefits at an appropriate discount rate. For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets 

are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are separately identifiable and independent cash flows – CGUs. Non-

financial assets other than goodwill that suffered an impairment are reviewed for possible reversal of the impairment 

at each reporting date.

2.7 

Financial assets
 The Group classifies its financial assets in the following categories: loans and receivables, available for sale financial 

assets and financial assets at fair value through profit and loss. The classification depends on the purpose for which 

the asset was acquired. Management determines the classification of its investments at initial recognition.

 Purchases and sales of investments are recognised on trade date – the date on which the Group commits to purchase 

or sell the asset. Investments are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs for all financial assets not 

subsequently carried at fair value through profit or loss.

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2. 
2.7 

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
Financial assets (continued)
 Financial assets are derecognised when the rights to receive cash flows from the financial assets have expired or have 

been transferred and the Group has transferred substantially all risks and rewards of ownership.

Loan and receivables
 Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in 

an active market. Loans and receivables are included in current assets, except for maturities greater than 12 months 

after the reporting date, which are classified as non-current assets. Loans and receivables are carried at amortised 

cost using the effective interest rate method less provision for impairment.

Investments available for sale
 Other  long-term  investments  are  classified  as  available  for  sale  and  are  included  within  non-current  assets  unless 

management intends to dispose of the investment within 12 months of the reporting date. These investments are carried 

at  fair  value.  Unrealised  gains  and  losses  arising  from  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  available-for-sale  investments  are 

recognised in other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise. When available-for-sale investments  

are either sold or impaired, the accumulated fair value adjustments are realised and included in profit or loss.

Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss
 These instruments, consisting of financial instruments held for trading and those designated at fair value through 

profit and loss at inception, are carried at fair value. Derivatives are also classified as held for trading unless they 

are designated as hedges. Realised and unrealised gains and losses arising from changes in the fair value of these 

financial instruments are recognised in the income statement in the period in which they arise.

Impairment
 At each reporting date, the Group assesses whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset or a group of 

financial assets are impaired. A financial asset is impaired and impairment losses are incurred only if there is objective 

evidence of impairment as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the asset and 

that loss has an impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial asset that can be reliably estimated.

 For financial assets carried at amortised cost, evidence of impairment may include indications that the receivables  

or a group of receivables are experiencing significant financial difficulty, default or delinquency in interest or principal 

payments, the probability that they will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganisation, and where observable 

data  indicate  that  there  is  a  measurable  decrease  in  the  estimated  future  cash  flows,  such  as  changes  in  arrears 

or economic conditions that correlate with defaults. The amount of the provision for impairment is the difference 

between the carrying amount of the asset and the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the 

original effective interest rate. The movement in the provision is recognised in the income statement.

 In the case of available-for-sale financial assets, a significant or prolonged decline in the fair value of the asset below 

its cost is considered an indicator that the investment is impaired. If any such evidence exists for available-for-sale 

financial assets, the cumulative loss – measured as the difference between the acquisition cost and the current fair 

value, less any impairment loss on that financial asset previously recognised in profit or loss – is removed from other 

comprehensive income and recognised in the income statement.

 Impairment  losses  recognised  in  the  income  statement  on  equity  instruments  are  not  reversed  through  the  

income statement.

2.8  Offsetting of financial assets and liabilities

 Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the statement of financial position when 

there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised amounts, the legal enforceable right is not contingent 

on a future event and is enforceable in the normal course of business even in the event of default, bankruptcy or 

insolvency, and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

2.9 

Inventories
 Inventories  are  measured  at  the  lower  of  cost,  determined  on  the  weighted  average  method,  or  net  realisable  

value.  Net  realisable  value  is  the  estimated  selling  price  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  less  applicable  variable  

selling expenses.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.10  Trade and other receivables

 Trade and other receivables are recognised at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost, less provision 

for impairment. A provision for impairment of trade receivables is established when there is objective evidence that 

the Group will not be able to collect all amounts due according to the original terms of the receivables. The amount 

of the provision is the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated future cash 

flows. The movement in the provision is recognised in the income statement.

2.11  Cash and cash equivalents

 Cash and cash equivalents consist of balances with banks and cash on hand and are classified as loans and receivables. 

Bank  overdrafts  are  classified  as  financial  liabilities  at  amortised  cost  and  are  disclosed  as  part  of  borrowings  

in current liabilities in the statement of financial position.

2.12  Derivative financial instruments and hedging activities

 Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently 

measured  at  fair  value.  The  method  of  recognising  the  resulting  gain  or  loss  depends  on  whether  the  derivative 

is designated as a hedging instrument, and if so, the nature of the item being hedged. Hedges of a particular risk 
associated with a recognised liability or a highly probable forecast transaction is designated as a cash flow hedge. 

The Group uses interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges.

 The Group documents, at inception of the transaction, the relationship between hedging instruments and hedged 

items,  as  well  as  its  risk  management  objectives  and  strategy  for  undertaking  various  hedging  transactions.  The 

Group documents its assessment, both at hedge inception and on an ongoing basis, of whether the derivatives that 

are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting cash flows of hedged items.

 The fair values of various derivative instruments used for hedging purposes are disclosed in note 20. The hedging 

reserve in shareholders’ equity is shown in note 14. On the statement of financial position hedging derivatives are not 

classified based on whether the amount is expected to be recovered or settled within, or after, 12 months. The full fair 

value of a hedging derivative is classified as a non-current asset or liability when the remaining maturity of the hedge 

relationship is more than 12 months; it is classified as a current asset or liability when the remaining maturity of the 

hedge relationship is less than 12 months.

Cash flow hedges
 The  effective  portion  of  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  derivatives  that  is  designated  and  qualifies  as  a  cash  flow 

hedge is recognised in other comprehensive income. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognised 

immediately in the income statement.

 Amounts accumulated in other comprehensive income are recycled to the income statement in the periods when 

the hedged item affects profit or loss (for example, when the interest expense on hedged variable rate borrowings  

is recognised in profit or loss).

 When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, or when a hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, 

any  cumulative  gain  or  loss  existing  in  equity  at  that  time  remains  in  equity  and  is  recognised  when  the  forecast 

transaction is ultimately recognised in the income statement. When a forecast transaction is no longer expected to 

occur, the cumulative gain or loss that was reported in equity is immediately transferred to the income statement.

2.13  Share capital

 Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Shares in the Company held by wholly-owned Group companies are classified 

as treasury shares and are held at cost.

 Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in equity as a deduction from 

the proceeds, net of tax.

2.14  Treasury shares

 Treasury shares are deducted from equity until the shares are cancelled, reissued or disposed. No gains or losses  

are recognised in profit or loss on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of treasury shares. All consideration paid 

or received for treasury shares is recognised directly in equity.

182 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.15  Trade and other payables

 Trade and other payables are recognised initially at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the 

effective interest rate method. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year 

or less (or in the normal operating cycle of the business if longer). If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities.

2.16  Borrowings

 Borrowings  are  recognised  initially  at  fair  value,  net  of  transaction  costs  incurred.  Borrowings  are  subsequently 

stated at amortised cost. Any difference between the proceeds (net of transaction costs) and the redemption value 

is recognised in the income statement over the period of the borrowings using the effective interest rate method. 

Borrowings are classified as current liabilities unless the Group has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the 

liability for at least 12 months after the reporting date.

 Borrowing costs are expensed when incurred, except for borrowing costs directly attributable to the construction or 

acquisition of qualifying assets. Borrowing cost directly attributable to the construction or acquisition of qualifying 

assets is added to the cost of those assets, until such time as the assets are substantially ready for their intended use. 

A qualifying asset is an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use.

2.17  Provisions

 Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation, as a result of past events, 

and it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, 

and a reliable estimate of the amount of the obligation can be made.

 Provisions are determined by discounting the expected future cash flows using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects 

current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability.

2.18  Current and deferred income tax

 The tax expense for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the income statement, except 

to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. In this case,  

the tax is also recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity, respectively.

 The  current  income  tax  charge  is  calculated  on  the  basis  of  the  tax  laws  enacted  or  substantively  enacted  at 

the  reporting  date  in  the  countries  where  the  Group  and  its  subsidiaries  operate  and  generate  taxable  income. 

Management periodically evaluates positions taken in tax returns with respect to situations in which applicable tax 

regulation is subject to interpretation. It establishes provisions, where appropriate, on the basis of amounts expected 

to be paid to the tax authorities.

 Deferred  income  tax  is  recognised,  using  the  liability  method,  on  temporary  differences  arising  between  the  tax 

bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the consolidated financial statements. However, deferred 

tax  liabilities  are  not  recognised  if  they  arise  from  the  initial  recognition  of  goodwill;  and  deferred  income  tax  is 

not  accounted  for  if  it  arises  from  initial  recognition  of  an  asset  or  liability  in  a  transaction  other  than  a  business 

combination  that,  at  the  time  of  the  transaction,  affects  neither  accounting  nor  taxable  profit  or  loss.  Deferred 

income tax is determined using tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantially enacted by the reporting 

date, and are expected to apply when the related deferred income tax asset is realised or the deferred income tax 

liability is settled.

 Deferred income tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be 

available against which the temporary differences can be utilised.

 Deferred  income  tax  is  provided  on  temporary  differences  arising  on  investments  in  subsidiaries  and  associates, 

except for deferred income tax liabilities where the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference is controlled by 

the Group and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

 Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax 

assets against current tax liabilities, and when the deferred income tax assets and liabilities relate to income taxes 

levied by the same taxation authority on either the same taxable entity or different taxable entities where there is an 

intention to settle the balances on a net basis.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.19  Employee benefits
a) 

Retirement benefit costs
 The Group provides defined benefit and defined contribution plans for the benefit of employees, the assets of which 

are held in separate trustee administered funds. These plans are funded by payments from the employees and the 

Group, taking into account recommendations of independent qualified actuaries.

 Defined contribution plans
 A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. 

Each  member’s  fund  value  is  directly  linked  to  the  contributions  and  the  related  investment  returns.  The  Group 

has no legal or constructive obligations to make further contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to 

pay all employees the benefits relating to employee service in the current and prior periods. The contributions are 

recognised as employee benefit expenses when they are due.

Defined benefit plans
 This plan defines an amount of pension benefit an employee will receive on retirement, dependent on one or more 

factors such as age, years of service and compensation. The liability recognised in the statement of financial position 
in respect of defined benefit pension plans is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the end of the 

reporting period less the fair value of plan assets. The defined benefit obligation is calculated annually by independent 

actuaries using the projected unit credit method. The present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined 

by  discounting  the  estimated  future  cash  outflows  using  interest  rates  of  high-quality  corporate  bonds  that  are 

denominated in the currency in which the benefits will be paid, and that have terms to maturity approximating to the 

terms of the related pension obligation.

 Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or 

credited to equity in other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise. Past service costs are recognised 

immediately in the income statement. A net pension asset is recorded only to the extent that it does not exceed the 

present value of any economic benefit available in the form of reductions in future contributions to the plan, and 

any unrecognised actuarial losses and past service costs. The annual pension costs of the Group’s benefit plans are 

charged to the income statement.

 Incurred interest costs/income on the defined benefit obligations are recognised as wages and salaries.

b) 

Post-retirement medical benefits
 Some  Group  companies  provide  for  post-retirement  medical  contributions  in  relation  to  current  and  retired 

employees. The expected costs of these benefits are accounted for by using the projected unit credit method. Under 

this method, the expected costs of these benefits are accumulated over the service lives of the employees. Valuation 

of these obligations is carried out by independent qualified actuaries. All actuarial gains and losses are charged or 

credited to other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise.

c) 

Equity-settled share-based compensation 
 The Group operates an equity-settled, share-based compensation plan, under which the entity receives services from 

employees as consideration for equity instruments (options) of the Company. The fair value of the employee services 

received in exchange for the grant of the options is recognised as an expense. The total amount to be expensed is 

determined by reference to the fair value of the options granted:

 •

including any market performance conditions;

 • excluding the impact of any service and non-market performance vesting conditions; and

 •

including the impact of any non-vesting conditions.

 At  the  end  of  each  reporting  period,  the  Group  revises  its  estimates  of  the  number  of  options  that  are  expected  

to vest based on the non-market vesting conditions and service conditions. It recognises the impact of the revision  
to original estimates, if any, in the income statement, with a corresponding adjustment to equity.

184 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.19  Employee benefits (continued)
d) 

Cash-settled share-based compensation
 The Group operates cash-settled share-based compensation plans. The Group recognises the value of the services 

received (expense), and the liabilities to pay for those services, as the employees render service. The liabilities are 

measured, initially, and at each reporting date until settled, at the fair value appropriate to the scheme, taking into 

account the terms and conditions on which the rights were granted, and the extent to which the employees have 

rendered service to date, excluding the impact of any non-market-related vesting conditions. Non-market-related 

vesting conditions are included in the assumptions regarding the number of units expected to vest. These assumptions 

are revised at the end of each reporting period. All changes to the fair value of the liability are recognised in the 

income statement.

e) 

Profit sharing and bonus plans
 The  Group  recognises  a  liability  and  an  expense  where  a  contractual  obligation  exists  for  short-term  incentives.  

The amounts payable to employees in respect of the short-term incentive schemes are determined based on annual 

business performance targets.

2.20  Revenue recognition

 Revenues are measured at the fair value of the consideration that has been received or is to be received and represent 

the  amounts  that  can  be  received  for  services  in  the  regular  course  of  business  when  the  significant  risks  and 

rewards of ownership have been transferred or services have been rendered. Discounts, sales taxes and other taxes 

associated with the revenues have to be deducted.

 Revenue primarily comprises fees charged for inpatient and outpatient medical services. Services include charges for 

accommodation, theatre, medical professional services, equipment, radiology, laboratory and pharmaceutical goods 

used. Revenue is recorded and recognised during the period in which the medical service is provided, based on the 

amounts due from patients and/or medical funding entities. Fees are calculated and billed based on various tariff 

agreements with funders.

 In Switzerland, the cost of treating inpatients with basic health insurance is fixed by the government. The pricing 
model is based on diagnostic related groups (“Swiss DRGs”) for inpatients and can be seen as a fixed fee arrangement. 
Invoicing  occurs  when  the  patient  is  discharged.  Revenue  is  recognised  over  the  estimated  length  of  stay  of  the 

patient. In some cases, the pricing model for DRGs is based on provisional tariffs as delays occur in the agreement 

of the tariffs between the healthcare providers and the funders. When the tariffs are provisional, revenue continues 

to  be  recognised  and  the  outstanding  amount  is  claimed  from  the  insurance.  Tariff  provisions  are  recognised  as 

adjustments  in  revenue  to  reflect  any  uncertainty  about  the  collectability  of  the  amounts  invoiced  and  collected.  

If a provisional tariff is changed, the insurer can claim the difference from the healthcare provider. The tariff provision 

is  recognised  when  it  is  probable  that  an  outflow  of  resources  will  be  required  to  settle  the  obligation  towards 

the insurer. The tariff provision is calculated based on historical experience of outcomes to negotiations between 

healthcare providers and funders. This is regularly reassessed based on the actual outcome of tariff negotiations.

 Swiss private and semi-private patients enter into supplementary insurance contracts for costs not covered by basic 

health insurance. The pricing model is based on fee-for-service principles and the contract with Hirslanden includes 

technical medical services (such as the nursing and infrastructure). The doctor fees are agreed directly between the 

insurer and the relevant doctor. The revenue is recognised as the services are rendered over the period of the stay  

of the patient.

 For Switzerland outpatient cases, the pricing model is based on the TARMED rates. The applicable TARMED rate 

varies depending on the relevant canton, procedure and patient. Invoicing occurs when the patient is discharged 

directly after the treatment and revenue is recognised at the same time.

 In Southern Africa and the Middle East (Dubai) a fee-for-service model is used with funders. Mediclinic will invoice 

the funders for technical medical services (such as nursing, infrastructure, pharmaceutical goods, etc.). The revenue 

is recognised as the services are rendered over the period of the stay of the patient.

 Discounts  comprise  retrospective  volume  discounts  granted  to  certain  funders  on  attainment  of  certain  levels  of 

patient visits from Mediclinic Southern Africa and Mediclinic Middle East. These are accrued over the course of the 

arrangement  based  on  estimates  of  the  level  of  business  expected  and  are  adjusted  against  revenue  at  the  end  

of the arrangement to reflect actual volumes.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.20  Revenue recognition (continued)

 For certain procedures in Southern Africa and the Middle East (Abu Dhabi DRGs) the fixed fee contract model is 

used with funders. In these scenarios, the transaction price is fixed and no adjustments can be made to the amount 

invoiced to the funder. Invoicing occurs when the patient is discharged. Revenue is recognised over the estimated 

length  of  stay  of  the  patient.  Efficiencies  or  inefficiencies  is  not  charged  to  the  funder  and  is  absorbed  by  the 

operating division.

Other income
Other income earned are recognised on the following bases:

 •

Interest income is recognised on a time-proportioned basis using the effective interest rate method.

 • Rental income, which is insignificant, is recognised on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

With the exception of interest income, all the items above are presented as revenue.

2.21  Cost of sales

 Cost of sales consists of the cost of inventories, including obsolete stock, which have been expensed during the year, 

together with personnel costs and related overheads which are directly attributable to the provision of services.

 In the Middle East, rebates received from suppliers are recognised when all the conditions agreed with the suppliers 

are met, the amount of cost of sales can be measured reliably and it is probable that the economic benefits associated 

with the transaction will flow to the entity.

2.22  Leased assets

 Leases  of  property,  equipment  and  vehicles  where  the  Group  assumes  substantially  all  the  benefits  and  risks  of 

ownership are classified as finance leases. Finance leases are capitalised at the lease’s commencement at the lower 

of the fair value of the leased property and the present value of the minimum lease payments. Each lease payment 

is  allocated  between  the  liability  and  finance  charges  so  as  to  achieve  a  constant  rate  on  the  finance  balance 

outstanding. The corresponding rental obligations, net of finance charges, are included in borrowings. The interest 

element of the finance charges is charged to the income statement over the lease period. The property, equipment 

and vehicles acquired under finance leasing contracts are depreciated over the useful lives of the assets or the term 

of the lease agreement, if shorter, and transfer of ownership at the end of the lease period is uncertain.

Leases where the lessor retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as operating leases.

 Payments made under operating leases (net of any incentives received from the lessor) are charged to the income 

statement on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

2.23  Dividend distribution

 Final  dividends  are  recorded  in  the  Group’s  financial  statements  in  the  period  in  which  they  are  approved  by  the 

Company’s shareholders. Interim dividends are recorded when paid.

2.24  Foreign currency transactions
Transactions and balances
 Foreign currency transactions are translated into the respective Group entities’ functional currencies at exchange 

rates prevailing at the date of the transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of 

such transactions and from the translation of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at 

year end exchange rates, are recognised in the income statement (except when recognised in other comprehensive 

income as part of qualifying cash flow hedges).

 Non-monetary  assets  and  liabilities  denominated  in  foreign  currencies  that  are  measured  at  historical  cost  are 

translated using the exchange rate at the transaction date, and those measured at fair value are translated at the 

exchange rate at the date that the fair value was determined. Exchange rate differences on non-monetary items are 

accounted for based on the classification of the underlying items.

 Translation  differences  on  non-monetary  financial  assets  classified  as  available-for-sale,  are  included  in  other 

comprehensive  income.  Foreign  exchange  gains  and  losses  are  presented  in  the  income  statement  within 

“Administration and other operating expenses”.

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.24  Foreign currency transactions (continued)

Group entities
 The results and financial position of all foreign operations that have a functional currency different from the Group’s 

presentation currency are translated into the presentation currency as follows:

 • Assets and liabilities are translated at the closing rate at the reporting date.

 •

Income and expenses for each income statement are translated at average exchange rates for the year.

 • All resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income.

 On consolidation, exchange differences arising from the translation of the net investment in foreign operations are 

taken  directly  to  other  comprehensive  income.  Goodwill  and  fair  value  adjustments  arising  on  the  acquisition  of 

foreign operations are treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign operation and translated at closing rates at the 

reporting date.

2.25  Standards, interpretations and amendments

 Published standards, amendments and interpretations effective for the 31 March 2018 financial 
period:
 The  following  published  standards,  amendments  and  interpretations  are  mandatory  for  the  accounting  period  

beginning on or after 1 April 2017 and have been adopted:

 •

 •

IAS 7 (amendment) – Disclosure initiative

IAS 12 (amendment) – Recognition of deferred tax assets for unrealised losses

 • Annual  improvements  2012  –  2014  cycle  –  Amendments  and  clarifications  to  existing  IFRS  standards  

(1 January 2017)

 The implementation of these standards and amendments had no material financial impact on the reported results  

or financial position of the Group.

Published standards, amendments and interpretations not yet effective and not early adopted:
 The  following  new  standards,  amendments  and  interpretations  are  expected  to  have  an  impact  on  the  financial 

statements in the period of initial application. 

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (1 January 2018)
 The  IASB  issued  the  final  version  of  IFRS  9  Financial  Instruments  that  replaces  IAS  39  Financial  Instruments: 

Recognition and Measurement. IFRS 9 brings together all three aspects of the accounting for financial instruments 

project: classification and measurement, impairment and hedge accounting. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods 

beginning on or after 1 January 2018, with early application permitted. Except for hedge accounting, retrospective 

application  is  required,  but  providing  comparative  information  is  not  compulsory.  For  hedge  accounting,  the 

requirements are applied prospectively.

 The Group plans to adopt the new standard on 1 April 2018 and will not restate comparative information. During the 
2018 financial year, the Group performed a detailed impact assessment of all three aspects of IFRS 9. The assessment 

is  based  on  currently  available  information  and  may  be  subject  to  changes  arising  from  further  reasonable  and 

supportable information being made available to the Group in the 2019 financial year. Overall, the Group expects no 

significant impact on its statement of financial position and equity except for the effect of applying the impairment 

requirements  of  IFRS  9.  The  Group  expects  an  increase  in  the  expected  loss  allowance  resulting  in  a  negative  

impact  on  equity  as  discussed  below.  In  addition,  the  Group  will  implement  changes  in  classification  of  certain 

financial instruments.

a)  Classification and measurement

 The Group does not expect a significant impact on its statement of financial position or equity on applying the 

classification and measurement requirements of IFRS 9.

 The equity shares in non-listed companies are intended to be held for the foreseeable future. These shares are 
currently classified as available for sale with gains and losses recorded in other comprehensive income (“OCI”). 
The Group will apply the option to continue to present fair value changes in OCI and, therefore, the application 

of IFRS 9 will not have a significant impact. Unlike IAS 39, under IFRS 9 the cumulative fair value gains or losses 

cannot be recycled to the income statement upon the derecognition or disposal of an equity investment.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.25  Standards, interpretations and amendments (continued)

 Published standards, amendments and interpretations not yet effective and not early adopted: 
(continued)
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (1 January 2018) (continued)
a)  Classification and measurement (continued)

 Loans as well as trade receivables are held to collect contractual cash flows and are expected to give rise to 

cash flows representing solely payments of principal and interest. The Group analysed the contractual cash flow 

characteristics of those instruments and concluded that they meet the criteria for amortised cost measurement 

under IFRS 9. Therefore, reclassification of these instruments is not required.

b) 

Impairment

 IFRS  9  requires  the  Group  to  record  expected  credit  losses  on  all  its  loans  and  trade  receivables,  either  on  

a 12-month or lifetime basis. The Group will apply the simplified approach and record lifetime expected credit 

losses  on  all  trade  receivables.  Based  on  current  estimates,  the  Group  has  determined  that  the  provision  for 

impairment  of  receivables  balance  will  increase  by  approximately  2%.  The  decrease  in  the  trade  receivables 

balance in the statement of financial position is expected to be less than £1m. This decrease is after the effect of 
reclassifying the disallowances in Mediclinic Middle East from operating expenses to revenue as discussed under 

the IFRS 15 transition below.

c)  Hedge accounting

 The Group determined that all existing hedge relationships currently designated in effective hedging relationships 

will continue to qualify for hedge accounting under IFRS 9. As IFRS 9 does not change the general principles 

of how an entity accounts for effective hedges, applying the hedging requirements of IFRS 9 will not have a 

significant  impact  on  the  Group’s  financial  statements.  The  Group  currently  has  no  hedge  relationships  that  

are ineffective.

IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (1 January 2018)
 IFRS 15 establishes a five-step model to account for revenue arising from contracts with customers. Under IFRS 15, 

revenue  is  recognised  at  an  amount  that  reflects  the  consideration  to  which  an  entity  expects  to  be  entitled  in 

exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer.

 The  new  revenue  standard  will  supersede  all  current  revenue  recognition  requirements  under  IFRS.  Either  a  full 

retrospective application or modified retrospective application is required for annual periods beginning on or after 

1  January  2018.  Early  adoption  is  permitted.  The  Group  plans  to  adopt  the  new  standard  from  1  April  2018  using 

the  modified  retrospective  application  method.  During  the  2018  financial  year,  the  Group  performed  a  detailed 

impact assessment of IFRS 15. The assessment is based on currently available information and may be subject to  

changes  arising  from  further  reasonable  and  supportable  information  being  made  available  to  the  Group  in  the  

2019 financial year.

 Revenue  primarily  comprises  fees  charged  for  inpatient  and  outpatient  hospital  services.  The  recognition  and 

measurement of revenue does not differ materially from the principles applied by the Group under IAS 18.

 In preparing to adopt IFRS 15, the Group considered the following:

a)  Volume discounts

 Discounts comprise retrospective volume discounts granted to certain funders on attainment of certain admission 

levels from Mediclinic Southern Africa and Mediclinic Middle East. These volume discounts are negotiated with 

funders on an annual basis. Under IFRS 15, retrospective volume discounts give rise to variable consideration. 

Variable consideration should be measured using the most likely outcome of the expected value. Currently, these 

discounts are accrued over the course of the period based on estimates of the level of business expected. This 

is adjusted at the end of the period to reflect the actual volumes. Volume discounts are recorded as a reduction 

in  revenue  with  a  corresponding  entry  against  accruals  (as  volume  discounts  are  not  settled  on  a  net  basis 

with funders). Therefore, Mediclinic’s current treatment of volume discounts is in line with the requirements of  

IFRS 15.

188 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.25  Standards, interpretations and amendments (continued)

 Published standards, amendments and interpretations not yet effective and not early adopted: 
(continued)
IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (1 January 2018) (continued)
b)  Disallowances

 In  the  Middle  East,  the  normal  business  process  associated  with  transactions  with  insurers  includes  an  amount 
of claims disallowed (disallowance provision) which is not paid by the insurer. These disallowed claims could be 
for various technical or medical reasons. Currently, revenue is recognised based on the contract with the insurers 
and a provision for bad debt is recognised for the rejections based on historical trends. Disallowance write-offs on 
rejected claims is a general practice by the insurers in the Middle East. Accordingly, Mediclinic Middle East accepts 
and expects an amount of consideration that is less than what was originally claimed. These write-offs constitute 
variable consideration under IFRS 15. Variable consideration is recognised as revenue to the extent that it is highly 
probable that a reversal of revenue will not occur. Based on current estimates, the Group expects a reclassification 
from operating expenses (bad debts) to revenue of approximately £17m to account for the difference in treatment 
between the existing standard (IAS 18) and IFRS 15. The change will have no impact on net profit.

c)  Tariff provision

 In Switzerland, tariff provisions are recognised in revenue when the pricing model for DRGs is based on provisional 
tariffs (see note 2.20). At the time of revenue recognition, the revenue based on the provisional tariff is billed 
and claimed from the insurer or the canton. Subsequently, when the tariffs are finalised and payment made, the 
insurer can claim from the healthcare provider if the tariffs are lower than the provisional tariffs billed. 

 Under the existing standard (IAS 37), tariff provisions are classified as a reduction in revenue, with a corresponding 
entry to provisions in the statement of financial position. We concluded that the tariff adjustments should not be 
adjusted against accounts receivable under IFRS 15 due to the fact that the original invoices are settled before 
the finalisation of the tariffs (unlike in the Middle East). Tariff adjustments are therefore classified as provisions 
as is the case under the current accounting treatment and not as a reduction in accounts receivable. This view is 
supported by the fact that balances due to funders are not settled on a net basis.

d)  Principal versus agent considerations

 Hirslanden hospitals have affiliated doctors who are partners cooperating with Hirslanden under a contractual 
agreement. The contracts with these affiliated doctors allow them to use the Hirslanden facilities and nursing 
staff. The doctors are responsible for the treatment of the patient and Hirslanden is responsible for the technical 
services  such  as  the  medical  equipment  and  nursing.  Swiss  regulatory  requirements  require  Hirslanden  to 
provide statistics to the government based on all the costs incurred for patient procedures, including doctors’ 
fees. Hirslanden therefore invoices its own technical services together with the doctors’ fees to the insurer and 
subsequently refunds the amount of the doctors’ services to the affiliated doctors. The refund paid to the doctor 
is recorded in revenue and thus revenue is shown on a net basis. For DRG procedures, the process is the same, 
but the refund is calculated using a contractually agreed-upon percentage for doctors’ services. 

 The  following  indicators  in  IFRS  15  were  considered  in  the  assessment  of  whether  Hirslanden  is  acting  as  a 
principal or as an agent in these cases:
 • The affiliated doctors are responsible for fulfilling the contract of treating the patient. Every affiliated doctor 
needs own liability insurance for any claim against any human error of the doctor. The hospital is responsible 
for any process failures at the hospital.

 • Hirslanden does not have discretion in establishing prices. These are determined by contracts in place between 

the doctor and the insurer or the relevant percentage of the total revenue for DRG procedures.

 • An administrative cost contribution (a form of commission) is deducted from the doctors’ fees before the 

transfer of these fees to the doctors.

 Therefore, we have concluded that Hirslanden is acting as an agent in this scenario and revenue will be accounted 
for on a net basis. The same conclusion was reached under the current revenue standard and thus there will be 
no change in treatment upon implementation of IFRS 15.

e)  Presentation and disclosure requirements

 The presentation and disclosure requirements in IFRS 15 are more detailed than under the current IFRS standard.  
The Group will disaggregate revenue recognised from contracts with customers into categories that depict how  

the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

2. 
2.25  Standards, interpretations and amendments (continued)

 Published  standards,  amendments  and  interpretations  not  yet  effective  and  not  early  adopted: 
(continued)
IFRS 16 Leases (1 January 2019)
 The  new  standard  addresses  the  definition  of  a  lease,  recognition  and  measurement  of  leases  and  establishes 

principles for reporting useful information to users of financial statements about the leasing activities of both lessees 

and lessors. A key change arising from IFRS 16 is that most operating leases will be accounted for on balance sheet 

for lessees. The standard replaces IAS 17 Leases, and related interpretations. In general, properties are owned by the 

Group with the exception of the Middle East division where properties are leased. In the 2019 financial year, the Group 

will evaluate the effect of IFRS 16 on its consolidated financial statements.

Other standards
 The  following  new  accounting  standards,  interpretations  and  amendments  will  have  no  material  impact  on  the 

financial statements:

 •

 •

 •

 •

IFRS 2 (amendment) – Classification and measurement of share-based payment transactions (1 January 2018)

IFRS 4 – Clarification on the implementation approach together with IFRS 9 (1 January 2018)

IAS 40 – Transfers of investment property (1 January 2018)

IFRIC 22 – Foreign currency transactions and advance consideration (1 January 2018)

 • Annual improvements 2014 – 2016 cycle – Amendments and clarifications to existing IFRS standards (1 January 2018)

 •

 •

 •

IAS 19 – Plan amendment, curtailment or settlement (1 January 2019)

IAS 28 – Long term interests in associates and joint ventures (1 January 2019)

IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments (1 January 2019)

 • Annual improvements 2015 – 2017 cycle – Amendments and clarifications to existing IFRS standards (1 January 2019)

 •

 •

IFRS 17 – Insurance contracts (1 January 2021)

IFRS 10 and IAS 28 (amendments) – Sale or contribution of assets between an investor and its associate or joint 

venture (postponed)

3. 
3.1 

FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Financial risk factors
 Normal  business  activities  expose  the  Group  to  a  variety  of  financial  risks:  market  risk  (including  currency  risk, 

interest rate risk and other price risk), credit risk and liquidity risk. The Group’s overall risk management programme 

seeks to minimise the effect of potential adverse events on the Group’s financial performance.

a) 

Market risk

i) Currency risk

Investments in foreign operations
 The  Group  has  investments  in  foreign  operations,  whose  net  assets  are  exposed  to  foreign  currency  translation  risk.  

Changes  in  the  pounds  sterling/Swiss  franc,  pounds  sterling/South  African  rand  and  pounds  sterling/UAE  dirham 

exchange rates over a period of time result in increased/decreased earnings. Other than the Group’s earnings and payment 

of dividends which are presented and declared in sterling and thus exposed to currency risk, the Group is not significantly 

exposed to currency risk since the operating platforms predominantly operates and is funded in their local currency.

 In the case of corporate offshore transactions and or cross-border business combinations, generally forward cover 

contracts  are  considered  or  taken  out  to  minimize  foreign  currency  risk.  Currently  there  are  no  forward  cover 

contracts in place.

 The  impact  of  a  10%  change  in  the  sterling/Swiss  franc,  sterling/South  African  rand  and  the  sterling/UAE  dirham 

exchange rates for a sustained period of one year is:

 • profit for the period would increase/decrease by £12m (2017: increase/decrease by £14m) due to exposure to the 

sterling/Swiss franc exchange rate;

 • profit for the period would increase/decrease by £9m (2017: increase/decrease by £8m) due to exposure to the 

sterling/South African Rand exchange rate;

 • profit for the period would increase/decrease by £4m (2017: increase/decrease by £2m) due to exposure to the 

sterling/UAE dirham exchange rate;

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3. 
3.1 
a) 

FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (continued)
Financial risk factors (continued)
Market risk (continued)

i) Currency risk (continued)

Investments in foreign operations (continued)

 •

foreign currency translation reserve would increase/decrease by £152m (2017: increase/decrease by £196m) due 

to exposure to the sterling/Swiss franc exchange rate;

 •

foreign  currency  translation  reserve  would  increase/decrease  by  £7m  (2017:  increase/decrease  by  £6m)  due  

to exposure to the sterling/South African rand exchange rate; and

 •

foreign currency translation reserve would increase/decrease by £153m (2017: increase/decrease by £154m) due 

to exposure to the sterling/UAE dirham exchange rate.

ii) Interest rate risk
 The Group’s interest rate risk arises from long-term borrowings as well as short-term deposits. Borrowings and short-

term deposits issued at variable rates expose the Group to cash flow interest rate risk. Interest rate derivatives expose 

the Group to fair value interest rate risk. Group policy is to maintain an appropriate mix between fixed and floating 

rate borrowings and placings.

 The Group’s interest rate risk arises from bank borrowings at variable interest rates. The Group manages its interest 

rate risk by using floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps. Such interest rate swaps have the economic effect of converting 

borrowings  from  floating  rates  to  fixed  rates.  Under  the  interest  rate  swaps,  the  Group  agrees  with  other  parties 

to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed contract rates and floating-rate interest amounts 

calculated by reference to the agreed notional amounts. At year end a portion of the South African borrowings was 

hedged and the Swiss and Middle East borrowings was unhedged (refer to note 20). The unhedged borrowings are 

evaluated on a regular basis to ensure interest rate risk is managed. 

 With  the  interest  rate  swap  agreements  the  Group  entered  into  to  mitigate  interest  rate  risk,  the  Group  did  not 

consider there to be a significant concentration of interest rate risk.

Interest rate sensitivity
 The sensitivity analyses below were determined based on the exposure to interest rates to net debt at the reporting 

date and the stipulated change taking place at the beginning of the financial year, and held constant throughout 

the  reporting  period  in  the  case  of  instruments  that  have  floating  rates.  The  sensitivity  of  interest  rates  can  be 

summarised as follows:

 • Switzerland  –  at  31  March  2018,  the  3M  Swiss  LIBOR  was  -0.74%  (2017:  -0.73%).  Interest  rates  would  have  

to increase by 74 basis points to have an impact on profit for the period with all other variables held constant.  

An increase in the interest rate of 25 basis points would have no impact on profit for the period (2017: no impact); 

 • Southern Africa – profit for the period would increase/decrease by £1m (2017: increase/decrease by £2m) if the 

interest rates had been 100 basis points higher/lower in Southern Africa with all other variables held constant; and

 • Middle East – profit for the period would increase/decrease by £0.5m (2017: increase/decrease by £0.5m) if the 

interest rates had been 50 basis points higher/lower in the Middle East with all other variables held constant.

iii) Other price risk
The Group is not materially exposed to commodity or any other price risk.

b) 

Credit risk
 Financial assets that potentially subject the Group to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash, short-

term  deposits,  trade  and  other  receivables  and  derivative  financial  contracts.  The  Group’s  cash  equivalents  and 

short-term  deposits  are  placed  with  quality  financial  institutions  with  a  high  credit  rating.  Trade  receivables  are 

represented net of the allowance for doubtful receivables. Credit risk with respect to trade receivables is limited due 

to the large number of customers comprising the Group’s customer base, which consists mainly of medical schemes 

and insurance companies. The financial condition of these clients in relation to their credit standing is evaluated on 

an  ongoing  basis.  Medical  schemes  and  insurance  companies  are  forced  to  maintain  minimum  reserve  levels.  The 

policy for patients that do not have a medical scheme or an insurance company paying for the Group’s service, is to 

require a preliminary payment instead. The Group does not have any significant exposure to any individual customer 

or counterparty.

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N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

3. 
3.1 
b) 

FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (continued)
Financial risk factors (continued)
Credit risk (continued)
 The  Group  is  exposed  to  credit-related  losses  in  the  event  of  non-performance  by  counterparties  to  hedging 

instruments. The counterparties to these contracts are major financial institutions. The Group monitors its positions 

and limits the extent to which it enters into contracts with any one party.

 The  carrying  amounts  of  financial  assets  included  in  the  statement  of  financial  position  represent  the  Group’s 

maximum exposure to credit risk in relation to these assets. At 31 March 2017 and 31 March 2018, the Group did not 

consider there to be a significant concentration of credit risk.

c) 

Liquidity risk
 The  Group  manages  liquidity  risk  by  monitoring  cash  flow  forecasts  to  ensure  that  it  has  sufficient  cash  to  meet 

operational  needs,  while  maintaining  sufficient  headroom  on  its  undrawn  borrowing  facilities  at  all  times  so  that  

the Group does not breach borrowing limits or covenants (where applicable) on any of its borrowing facilities. 

The Group’s unused overdraft facilities are:

 In addition the Group has unused banking facilities of £342m (2017: £48m).

2018
£’m

 125

2017
£’m

 95

 The following table details the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its financial liabilities. The table has been 

prepared  based  on  the  undiscounted  cash  flows  of  financial  liabilities  based  on  the  required  date  of  repayment. 

The table includes both interest and principal cash flows. The analysis of derivative financial instruments has been 

prepared based on undiscounted net cash inflows/(outflows) that settle on a net basis.

Financial liabilities

31 March 2018
Borrowings

Derivative financial 
instruments

Trade payables

Other payables and 
accrued expenses

31 March 2017
Borrowings

Derivative financial 
instruments

Trade payables

Other payables and 
accrued expenses

Carrying
value

Contractual
cash
flows

1 – 12
months

1 – 5
years

Beyond 5
years

1 937

2 766

 2

 210

 144

 2

 210

 144

2 030

2 279

 9

 227

 167

 9

 227

 167

 146

 1

 210

 144

 153

 7

 227

 167

 990

1 630

 1

–

–

–

–

–

2 048

 78

 2

–

–

–

–

–

192 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (continued)

3. 
3.2  Capital management

 The Group manages its capital to ensure that entities in the Group will be able to continue as a going concern while 

maximising the return to stakeholders through the optimisation of the debt and equity balance. The capital structure 

of the Group consists of debt, which includes the borrowings disclosed in note 17, cash and cash equivalents and 

equity attributable to equity holders of the parent, comprising issued capital, retained earnings and other reserves 

and non-controlling interest as disclosed in notes 13, 14 and 16 respectively. The Group’s Audit and Risk Committee 

reviews the going concern status and capital structure of the Group bi-annually. The Group balances its overall capital 

structure  through  the  payment  of  dividends,  new  share  issues  and  share  buy-backs,  as  well  as  the  issue  of  new  

debt or the redemption of existing debt. The Group’s dividend policy is to target a pay-out ratio of between 25% and 

30% of adjusted earnings. The Board may revise the policy at its discretion. The debt-to-adjusted capital ratios at  

31 March 2018 and 31 March 2017 were as follows:

Borrowings

Less: cash and cash equivalents

Net debt

Total equity

Debt-to-equity capital ratio

2018
£’m

1 937

 (261)

1 676

3 373

49.7%

2017
£’m

2 030

 (361)

1 669

4 164

40.1%

 The  impairment  charges  at  Hirslanden  affected  the  calculation  of  the  economic  capital  covenant  in  the  finance 

agreements. While the Group had an unconditional contractual right through an equity cure any potential breach was 

actually avoided through a contractual amendment agreed with the lending consortium.

4. 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGEMENTS
 The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. Although these estimates and assumptions are 

based  on  management’s  best  information  regarding  current  circumstances  and  future  events,  actual  results  may 

differ. The estimates and assumptions that have a risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of 

certain assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.

Critical accounting judgements
 • Level at which management monitors goodwill for impairment testing (refer to note 7)

 • Useful life assigned to the Swiss trade names (refer to note 7)

 • Deferred tax on unremitted earnings (refer to note 10)

 • Useful lives and residual values of property, equipment and vehicles (refer to note 6)

 • Determination of CGUs for impairment testing (refer to note 6)

Key estimates

 •

 •

 •

Impairment of properties (refer to note 6)

Impairment of goodwill and indefinite useful life intangible assets (refer to note 7)

Impairment of equity-accounted investments (refer to note 8)

 • Recognition of deferred tax assets arising from tax losses (refer to note 10)

 • Retirement benefits (refer to note 18)

 • Purchase price allocation assessments (refer to note 29)

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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R
O
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F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

5. 

SEGMENTAL REPORT
 The  reportable  operating  segments  are  identified  as  follows:  Switzerland,  Southern  Africa,  and  Middle  East  and 

additional segments are shown for the United Kingdom and Corporate.

Year ended 31 March 2018
Revenue

EBITDA
EBITDA before  
management fee
Management fees included  
in EBITDA
Other gains and losses
Depreciation and 
amortisation
Impairment of properties 
Impairment of  
intangible assets
Operating (loss)/profit
Income from associate
Impairment of associate
Finance income
Finance cost (excluding 
intersegment loan interest)
Total finance cost
Elimination of intersegment 
loan interest
Taxation

Segment result

At 31 March 2018
Investments in associates
Investments in joint ventures
Capital expenditure
Total segment assets
Total segment  
liabilities (excluding 
intersegment loan)
Total liabilities from 
reportable segment
Elimination of  
intersegment loan

Reportable operating segments

Other

Total
£’m

Switzerland
£’m

Southern
Africa
£’m

Middle
East
£’m

United
Kingdom
£’m

Corporate
£’m

2 870

1 349

 522

 522

–
 2

 (168)
 (84)

 (560)
 (288)
 3
 (109)
 9

 (94)
 (94)

–
 5
 (474)

 352
 5
 245
6 343

 251

 254

 (3)
 9

 (86)
 (84)

 (560)
 (470)
–
–
 1

 (48)
 (64)

 16
 46
 (471)

 2
–
 101
3 448

2 970

1 985

3 827

2 842

 (857)

 (857)

 877

 189

 194

 (5)
–

 (29)
–

–
 160
–
–
 7

 (38)
 (38)

–
 (40)
 89

 2
 5
 62
 747

 672

 672

–

 643

 85

 88

 (3)
 (7)

 (53)
–

–
 25
–
–
 1

 (8)
 (8)

–
–
 18

–
–
 80
1 757

 309

 309

–

–

–

–

–
–

–
–

–
–
 3
 (109)
–

–
–

–
–
 (106)

 348
–
–
 348

–

–

–

 1

 (3)

 (14)

 11
–

–
–

–
 (3)
–
–
–

–
 16

 (16)
 (1)
 (4)

–
–
2
 43

 4

 4

–

194 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
5. 

SEGMENTAL REPORT (continued)

Reportable operating segments

Other

Total
£’m

Switzerland
£’m

Southern
Africa
£’m

Middle
East
£’m

United
Kingdom
£’m

Corporate
£’m

Year ended 31 March 2017
Revenue

EBITDA
EBITDA before management 
fee
Management fees included  
in EBITDA
Other gains and losses
Depreciation and amortisation
Operating profit
Income from associate
Finance income
Finance cost (excluding 
intersegment loan interest)
Total finance cost
Elimination of intersegment 
loan interest
Taxation

Segment result

At 31 March 2017
Investments in associates
Investments in joint ventures
Capital expenditure
Total segment assets
Total segment liabilities 
(excluding intersegment loan)
Total liabilities from reportable 
segment
Elimination of intersegment 
loan

2 749

1 321

 509

 509

–
 (2)
 (145)
 362
 12
 7

 (74)
 (74)

–
 (64)
 243

 461
 4
 251
7 422

 277

 279

 (2)
–
 (76)
 201
–
–

 (28)
 (44)

 16
 (32)
 141

 2
–
 128
4 258

3 258

2 235

4 163

3 140

 (905)

 (905)

 780

 165

 170

 (5)
–
 (25)
 140
–
 7

 (33)
 (33)

–
 (32)
 82

–
 4
 70
 676

 650

 650

–

 648

 71

 74

 (3)
 1
 (44)
 28
–
–

 (7)
 (7)

–
–
 21

–
–
 53
1 987

 372

 372

–

–

–

–

–
–
–
–
 12
–

–
–

–
–
 12

 459
–
–
 459

–

–

–

–

 (4)

 (14)

 10
 (3)
–
 (7)
–
–

 (6)
 10

 (16)
–
 (13)

–
–
–
 42

 1

 1

–

The total non-current assets, excluding financial instruments and deferred  
tax assets per geographical location are:
Switzerland
Southern Africa
Middle East
United Kingdom

ENTITY-WIDE DISCLOSURES
Revenue
From UK
From foreign countries

Revenues from external customers are primarily from hospital services.

The total non-current assets, excluding financial instruments and deferred  
tax assets:
From UK
From foreign countries

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

2 958
 498
1 549
 348

3 700
 453
1 712
 459

–
2 870

–
2 749

 348
5 005

 459
5 865

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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F
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A
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A
L
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E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

6. 

PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES

Land – cost

Buildings

Cost

Accumulated depreciation and impairment

Land and buildings

Capital expenditure in progress

Equipment

Cost

Accumulated depreciation

Furniture and vehicles

Cost

Accumulated depreciation

2018
£’m

864

2 184

2 509

(325)

3 048

181

306

810

(504)

55

224

(169)

2017
£’m

911

2 294

2 512

(218)

3 205

113

328

795

(467)

57

218

(161)

3 590

3 703

Land and
buildings
£’m

Capital
expenditure
in progress
£’m

Equipment
£’m

Furniture
and 
vehicles
£’m

Net book value at 1 April 2016
Additions

Depreciation

Prior year capital expenditure 
completed

Disposal of subsidiaries

Transfer to assets held for sale

Exchange differences

Net book value at 31 March 2017

Additions

Depreciation

Business combinations

Prior year capital expenditure 
completed

Impairment

Transfer to assets held for sale

Exchange differences

Net book value at 31 March 2018

2 771

57

(37)

96

(5)

(3)

326

3 205

39

(39)

103

28

(84)

–

(204)

3 048

131

77

–

(118)

–

(3)

26

113

107

–

–

(32)

–

–

(7)

181

251

83

(60)

18

(5)

(2)

43

328

55

(70)

7

3

–

(1)

(16)

306

Total additions

To maintain operations

To expand operations

196 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

46

22

(22)

4

–

–

7

57

22

(23)

–

1

–

–

(2)

55

2018
£’m

223

98

125

Total
£’m

3 199

239

(119)

–

(10)

(8)

402

3 703

223

(132)

110

–

(84)

(1)

(229)

3 590

2017
£’m

239

105

134

6. 

PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES (continued)
 Property,  equipment  and  vehicles  with  a  book  value  of  £2  594m  (2017:  £2  731m)  are  encumbered  as  security  for 

borrowings (see note 17).

 Included in equipment is capitalised finance lease equipment with a book value of £2m (2017: £1m).

Critical accounting estimates and judgements
 The estimation of the useful lives of property, equipment and vehicles is based on historical performance as well as 

expectations about future use and therefore requires a significant degree of judgement to be applied by management. 

Rates  of  depreciation  represent  management’s  current  best  estimate  of  the  useful  lives  and  residual  values  of  

the assets.

 For  a  private  hospital,  it  is  fundamentally  important  that  the  earnings  potential  of  a  building  is  maintained  on  a 

permanent basis. The Group therefore follows a structured maintenance programme with regard to hospital buildings 

with the specific goal to prolong the useful lifetime of these buildings.

 Property,  equipment  and  vehicles  are  considered  for  impairment  if  impairment  indicators  are  identified  at  an 

individual CGU level. A CGU is the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely 

independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. The Group defines CGUs as combined inter-

dependent hospitals and/or clinics or as individual hospitals depending on the geographical location or the degree 

of integration.

 The impairment assessment is performed at CGU level and any impairment charge that arises would be allocated 

to the CGU’s goodwill first, followed by other assets (such as property, equipment and vehicles and other intangible 

assets).

 Impairment of properties in Swiss CGU
 During the year, the CGUs in the Switzerland segment were tested for impairment due to changes in the market and 

regulatory  environment  in  which  the  CGUs  operate  (refer  to  note  7  for  further  information  about  these  changes).  

The  recoverable  amounts  of  the  CGUs  were  based  on  their  value  in  use  calculations,  which  were  determined  by 

discounting the future cash flows that are expected to be generated from continuing use of the CGUs. The recoverable 

amount is the higher of the CGU’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use which amounted to £448m. In determining 

the  value  in  use  for  the  CGUs,  the  cash  flows  were  discounted  at  rates  between  4.9%  and  5.1%.  Beyond  five  years,  

the cash flows were extrapolated using a 1.6% (2017: 1.6%) growth rate. The carrying value of one CGU was determined 

to  be  higher  than  its  recoverable  amount  and  as  a  result  an  impairment  charge  of  £84m  was  recognised  in  the  

income statement.

7. 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill

Cost

Accumulated impairment

Trade names

Cost

Accumulated amortisation and impairment

Computer software

Cost

Accumulated amortisation 

Leases

Cost

Accumulated amortisation 

2018
£’m

1 253

1 553

 (300)

 83

 386

 (303)

 48

 91

 (43)

 22

 24

 (2)

2017
£’m

1 715

1 715

–

 377

 399

 (22)

 38

 73

 (35)

 26

 27

 (1)

1 406

2 156

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I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

7. 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS (continued)

Net book value at 1 April 2016
Additions

Amortisation

Disposal of subsidiaries

Exchange differences

Net book value at 31 March 2017

Additions

Amortisation

Business combinations

Disposal of subsidiaries

Impairment

Exchange differences

Net book value at 31 March 2018

Goodwill
£’m

Trade
names
£’m

Computer
software
£’m

Leases*
£’m

1 532

–

–

 (33)

 216

1 715

–

–

 13

 (3)

 (300)

 (172)

1 253

 354

–

 (16)

–

 39

 377

–

 (24)

 17

–

 (260)

 (27)

 83

 31

 12

 (9)

–

 4

 38

 22

 (11)

–

–

–

 (1)

 48

 24

–

 (1)

–

 3

 26

–

 (1)

–

–

–

 (3)

 22

Total
£’m

1 941

 12

 (26)

 (33)

 262

2 156

 22

 (36)

 30

 (3)

 (560)

 (203)

1 406

* 

 Relates  to  favourable  lease  contracts  on  buildings.  The  leases  are  characterised  by  fixed  annual  rent  with  no 
annual rent escalations for majority of the contract.

Critical accounting estimates and judgements
 The Group tests annually whether goodwill and the indefinite useful life intangible assets, resulting from the Al Noor 

and Hirslanden acquisitions, have suffered any impairment. The recoverable amounts of CGUs have been determined 

based on value in use calculations. These calculations require the use of estimates in respect of growth and discount 

rates and assume a stable regulatory environment. Regulatory environments are subject to uncertainties that can 

have an impact on goodwill and the intangible assets’ carrying value.

 IFRS  requires  the  impairment  assessment  to  be  performed  at  the  level  at  which  goodwill  and  trade  names  are 

monitored for impairment by management, provided that this level cannot be bigger than an operating segment. 

Management assesses goodwill at a Hirslanden and Mediclinic Middle East operating division level. This means that 

for the Mediclinic Middle East division, recoverability of goodwill is assessed by reference to the aggregated cash 

flows  of  the  legacy  Middle  East  and  Al  Noor  businesses.  The  Mediclinic  Middle  East  goodwill  originated  mainly 

from  the  Al  Noor  business  combination  with  a  portion  originating  from  other  UAE  business  combinations.  The 

initial commercial rationale for the acquisition of Al Noor included expected synergies from integrating the legacy  

Al Noor business with the legacy MCME business that would be realised across the combined Middle East division.  

In accordance with IFRS, goodwill shall be allocated to all CGUs, or groups of CGUs, that are expected to benefit 

from the expected synergies.

 The Hirslanden trade name cannot be allocated on a reasonable and consistent basis to the CGUs that consists of 

individual hospitals (refer to note 6). As a result, it is viewed as a corporate asset and the carrying amount of the net 

assets of the group of CGUs (including the allocation of trade name) is tested for impairment at Hirslanden operating 

division level alongside the related goodwill.

 The estimation of the indefinite useful life of the Hirslanden trade name was previously based on the expectation 

that there is no foreseeable limit to the period over which the asset is expected to generate net cash flows for the 

Group.  The  useful  lives  of  both  the  Hirslanden  trade  name  and  the  other  Swiss  trade  names  were  considered  as 

part of the annual impairment test and were subsequently changed from indefinite useful lives to finite useful lives 

effective 31 March 2018. The respective useful lives of the Hirslanden trade name and the other Swiss trade names 
were determined based on an analysis of relevant factors, such as the effect of technological changes on the delivery 

of healthcare services, patient attendance, the effect of regulatory changes in healthcare and the possible actions by 

competitors. Based on the analysis, a useful life of 75 years was allocated to the remaining Hirslanden trade name and 

a useful life of 25 years was allocated to the other Swiss trade names reflecting the relative significance, geographical 

coverage and longevity of the Group’s trade names in Switzerland. The impact going forward is approximately an 

additional £2m annual amortisation charge. This expectation requires a significant degree of management judgement.

198 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
7. 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS (continued)
Impairment testing of significant goodwill balances and indefinite useful life trade name
 The Group tests goodwill and indefinite useful life trade names for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently 

if there are indications that these assets may be impaired. The annual impairment assessment is performed at year 

end when the budget process is finalised. The Group’s impairment assessment compares the carrying value of the 

group of CGUs with its recoverable amount. The group of CGUs for goodwill impairment assessment purposes are 

identified on a segmental or operating division level in terms of IFRS 8.

 The recoverable amount of a group of CGUs is determined by its value in use which is derived from discounted cash 

flow calculations. The key inputs to its calculations are described below. 

Forecasts
 The  Group’s  operating  divisions  are  required  to  submit  budgets  for  the  next  financial  year  and  forecasts  for  the 

following  four  years,  which  are  approved  by  the  Board.  Future  earnings  in  the  value  in  use  calculation  are  based 

on these budgets and forecasts that is calculated on a per hospital basis and considers both internal and external 

market  information.  These  budgets  and  forecasts  represent  management’s  best  view  of  future  revenues  and  

cash flows.

 Growth rates
 Growth  rates  are  determined  from  budgeted  and  forecasted  revenue.  Terminal  growth  rates  are  country  specific  

and determined based on the forecast market growth rates and considers long term inflation. A stable regulatory and 

tariff environment is assumed. Growth rates have been benchmarked against external data for the relevant markets. 

Discount rates
 The weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) was determined by considering the respective debt and equity costs 
and ratios. The discount rate is based on the risk-free rate for government bonds adjusted for a risk premium to reflect 

the increased risk of investing in equities. Discount rates are lower for the operating divisions which operate in more 

mature markets with low inflation and higher for those operating in markets with a higher inflation. Discount rates 

reflect the time value and the risks associated with the segment or operating division cash flows. The assumptions 

used in the calculation of the discount rate are benchmarked to externally available data. 

 The impairment calculations indicated that there was impairment in the carrying value of the Hirslanden goodwill 

and the Hirslanden indefinite useful life trade name. The calculation for the Mediclinic Middle East goodwill indicated  

no impairment.

Impairment of the Hirslanden goodwill and the Hirslanden indefinite useful life trade name
 The recoverable amount of the Hirslanden group of CGUs was based on its value in use and amounted to £3 240m. 

This was determined by discounting the future cash flows to be generated from the continuing use of the Hirslanden 

group of CGUs. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell or value in use.

 Regulatory  changes  implemented  on  1  January  2018  (new  TARMED  tariffs  and  regulations  that  require  enhanced 

outmigration of medical treatments) as well as the changing market in Switzerland had a significant impact on the 

Hirslanden value in use calculation both for the five year forecast period as well as the determination of the terminal 

value.  As  a  result,  the  carrying  amount  of  the  group  of  CGUs  was  determined  to  be  higher  than  its  recoverable 

amount and an impairment of £300m and £260m was recognised against goodwill and the trade name, respectively. 

Impairment testing of Hirslanden goodwill and indefinite useful life trade names
 The  Hirslanden  goodwill  of  £nil  (2017:  £307m)  originated  mainly  from  the  Hirslanden  business  combination  and 

other smaller business combinations (refer to note 29). The Hirslanden trade name of £37m (2017: £319m) originated 

from  the  Hirslanden  business  combination.  Key  assumptions  used  for  the  value  in  use  calculations  for  the  annual 

impairment testing were as follows:

Discount rates – The discount rate applied to cash flow projections is 5.0% (2017: 4.7%).

Growth rates – The terminal growth rate beyond five years are extrapolated using a 1.6% (2017: 1.6%) growth rate.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

199

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

7. 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS (continued)
Impairment testing of Hirslanden goodwill and indefinite useful life trade names (continued)
 Forecasts – In comparison with the prior year, forecasted cash flows were adjusted downwards as a result of changes 

in  the  regulatory  and  market  environment  (including  new  TARMED  tariffs  and  regulations  that  require  enhanced 

outmigration of medical treatments).

 The carrying amount of the goodwill and Hirslanden indefinite useful life trade name was impaired during the year. 

The impairment charge recognised in the income statement consisted of £300m for the impairment of goodwill and 

£260m for the impairment of the Hirslanden indefinite useful life trade name.

Impairment testing of Mediclinic Middle East goodwill
 The Mediclinic Middle East goodwill with a carrying amount of £1 245m (2017: £1 401m) originated mainly from the 

Al  Noor  Hospital  Group  plc  (Al  Noor)  business  combination,  with  a  portion  originating  from  other  UAE  business 

combinations.  Key  assumptions  used  for  the  value  in  use  calculations  for  the  annual  impairment  testing  were  

as follows:

Discount rates – The discount rate applied to cash flow projections is 8.7% (2017: 7.8%).

Growth rates – The terminal growth rate beyond five years are extrapolated using a 3.0% (2017: 2.5%) growth rate.

 Sensitivity  analysis  –  The  recoverable  amount  calculated  based  on  value  in  use  exceeded  the  carrying  value  by 

approximately £245m (2017: £259m). A fall in growth rate to 1.4% (2017: 1.6%) or a rise in discount rate to 9.6% (2017: 

8.5%) would reduce the headroom to nil.

Al Noor trade name
 On 15 February 2016, an intangible asset relating to the Al Noor trade name of £33m was recognised as part of the 

acquisition of Al Noor. The useful life of the asset was determined to be five years. Up until the end of February 2017, 

£7m of the trade name was amortised. Following the announcement on 21 February 2017 regarding the rebranding 

of all Al Noor facilities to Mediclinic, the carrying value and the useful economic life of the trade name recognised 

were  reassessed.  The  rebranding  of  all  the  Al  Noor  hospitals  and  clinics  was  completed  during  the  current  year. 

Accelerated amortisation of £7m was recognised in the previous financial year and the remainder of the balance of 

£23m was amortised in the current year.

8. 

EQUITY ACCOUNTED INVESTMENTS

Investment in associates

Investment in joint venture

8.1

Investment in associates
Listed investment

Unlisted investments

Reconciliation of carrying value at the beginning and end of the period

Opening balance

Additional investment in unlisted associate

Share of net profit of associated companies

Impairment of listed associate

Dividends received from associated companies

2018
£’m

 352

 5

 357

 348

 4

 352

 461

 2

 3

 (109)

 (5)

352

2017
£’m

 461

 4

 465

 459

 2

 461

 452

 1

 12

–

 (4)

461

200 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. 
8.1 

EQUITY ACCOUNTED INVESTMENTS (continued)
Investment in associates (continued)
Set out below are details of the associate which is material to the Group:

Country of incorporation 
and place of business

%
ownership

Spire Healthcare Group plc (Spire)

United Kingdom

29.9%

 Spire is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It does not issue publicly available quarterly financial information and 

has a December year-end. The investment in associate was equity accounted for the 12 months to 31 December 2017 

(2017: 31 December 2016). No significant events occurred since 1 January 2018 to the reporting date. 

 Non-contractual  relationships  with  consultants  (“NCRC”)  were  identified  as  part  of  the  notional  purchase  price 
allocation as the only significant intangible asset. The fair value of the total NCRC asset was determined as £225m 

and the remaining useful life was assessed as 22 years. The Group’s 29.9% portion of the asset amounted to £68m at 

the acquisition date.

 During the year, an impairment loss was recognised on the Spire investment. The impairment charge decreased the 

notional goodwill recognised to £nil (2017: £75m) and the remainder of the impairment charge of £34m decreased 

the  notional  NCRC  intangible.  The  carrying  amount  of  the  NCRC  intangible  will  be  amortised  over  its  remaining 

useful life. The amortisation charge for the current period is £2m (2017: £4m).

Summarised financial information in respect of the Group’s material associate is set out below.

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

Summarised statement of financial position
Non-current assets

Current assets

Total assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Net assets

Mediclinic’s effective interest

Mediclinic’s effective interest in net assets

Transaction costs capitalised

NCRC

Goodwill

Total carrying value of equity investment

Market value of listed investment at 31 March*

Summarised statement of comprehensive income
Revenue

Profit from continuing operations

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income

As at
31 Dec
2017
£’m

As at
31 Dec
2016
£’m

1 555

 179

1 734

 (571)

 (125)

1 038

29.9%

 310

 10

 28

–

 348

 251

 932

 17

–

 17

1 509

 215

1 724

 (567)

 (122)

1 035

29.9%

 310

 10

 64

 75

 459

 389

 926

 54

–

 54

* 

 The market value of the listed investment on 22 May 2018 was £304m.

Refer to the Annexure on page 247 for further details of investments in associates.

AR

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

201

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

8. 
8.1 

EQUITY ACCOUNTED INVESTMENTS (continued)
Investment in associates (continued)
Critical accounting estimates and judgements
 The Group tests whether equity accounted investments have suffered any impairment when indicators of impairment 

are identified, in this case the significant and prolonged decline in the fair value of the investment below its carrying 

value. The value in use calculation of the investment is based on a discounted cash flow model. These calculations 

require the use of estimates in respect of growth and discount rates and it assumes a stable regulatory environment.

 At  30  September  2017,  the  market  value  of  the  investment  in  Spire  was  £270m,  which  was  below  the  carrying 

value. An impairment test was performed by updating the key assumptions applied in the value in use calculation 

performed at 31 March 2017. In particular, the Group adjusted the value in use calculation for the guidance announced 

by  Spire  in  September  2017  about  the  current  financial  performance  and  about  the  related  impact  on  short-  and 

medium-term growth rates and revisited the other key assumptions in this context. As a result, an impairment loss of 

£109m was recorded against the carrying value.

 At year end, another impairment test, updated for latest guidance announced by Spire in March 2018, was performed 

and indicated no further impairment losses. The following key assumptions were used in the calculation:

 Discount rates – a discount rate of 5% was applied to the discreet period cash flow projections and a discount rate 

of 7% was applied to the terminal year.

 Growth rates – a terminal growth rate of 2.5% was applied in the calculation.

 Sensitivity analysis – an increase in the discount rate or a decrease in the growth rate will likely give rise to further 

impairment as there is little headroom to the current carrying value.

8.2 

Investment in joint venture

Reconciliation of carrying value at the beginning and end of the period

Opening balance

Exchange differences

2018
£’m

 4

 1

 5

2017
£’m

 3

 1

 4

 The  Group  has  a  49.9%  interest  in  Wits  University  Donald  Gordon  Medical  Centre  (Pty)  Ltd.  The  unlisted  joint  

venture  is  accounted  for  by  using  its  financial  information  for  the  12  months  ended  31  December  2017  (2017:  

31 December 2016) since it has a different year-end.

AR

 Details of the joint venture appear in the Annexure on page 247.

202 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. 

OTHER INVESTMENTS AND LOANS

Unlisted – no active market
Loans and receivables*

Available-for-sale: Shares

Other receivables**

Short-term deposits***

Non-current

Current

Total other investments and loans

Other investments and loans are held in the following currencies:
Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

 7

 1

–

–

 8

 7

 1

 8

 1

 7

–

 8

 5

 2

 1

 16

 24

 8

 16

 24

 2

 5

 17

 24

 Supported by the underlying business’ financial position, the credit quality of the loans is considered satisfactory.

* 
**  The other receivables relate to prepaid lease agreements in the UAE.
***  This related to fixed deposits in the UAE, the maturity date of these deposits were during July 2017.

10.  DEFERRED TAX

The movement on the deferred tax account is as follows:

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

Opening balance

Income statement charge for the year

Provision for the year

Previously unused tax losses recognised

Exchange differences

Business combinations

Charged to other comprehensive income

Balance at the end of the year

Deferred income tax assets

Deferred income tax liabilities

2018
£’m

506

(59)

(59)

–

(38)

20

16

445

(22)

467

445

2017
£’m

430

21

24

(3)

46

–

9

506

(21)

527

506

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

203

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

10.  DEFERRED TAX (continued)

 The deferred tax relating to current assets and current liabilities contain temporary differences that are most likely 
to realise in the next 12 months. The deferred tax balance comprises temporary differences arising in separate legal 
entities. Offsetting has been applied on a legal entity basis. The table below shows the deferred tax balances and 
movements in the various categories before offsetting was applied:

Tangible
assets
£’m

Intangible
assets
£’m

Current
assets
£’m

Provisions
and others
£’m

Total
£’m

Deferred tax liabilities
At 1 April 2016
Charged/(credited) to the income statement
Exchange differences
At 31 March 2017
Set-off of deferred tax liabilities pursuant  
to set-off provisions
Net deferred tax liabilities at the end  
of the year

At 1 April 2017
Credited to the income statement
Business combinations
Exchange differences
At 31 March 2018

Set-off of deferred tax liabilities pursuant  
to set-off provisions
Net deferred tax liabilities at the end  
of the year

409
3
43
455

455
(10)
17
(30)
432

73
–
7
80

80
(55)
5
(7)
23

6
–
1
7

7
–
–
–
7

15
(1)
2
16

16
(1)
–
(1)
14

503
2
53
558

(31)

527

558
(66)
22
(38)
476

(9)

467

 The impairment of the trade names (£260m) and the impairment of the properties (£84m) lead to the release of 
deferred  tax  liabilities  in  the  “Tangible  assets”  and  “Intangible  assets”  categories  of  £55m  and  £13m  respectively. 
Refer to notes 6 and 7 regarding the impairment charge recognised.

Current
 assets
£’m

Provisions
and others
£’m

Long-term
liabilities
£’m

Derivatives
£’m

Tax losses
carried
forward
£’m

Total
£’m

Deferred tax assets
At 1 April 2016
Charged to the income 
statement
Charged to other 
comprehensive income
Exchange differences
At 31 March 2017
Set-off of deferred tax assets 
pursuant to set-off provisions
Net deferred tax assets at 
the end of the year

At 1 April 2017
(Credited)/charged to the 
income statement
Charged to other 
comprehensive income
Business combinations
At 31 March 2018

Set-off of deferred tax assets 
pursuant to set-off provisions
Net deferred tax assets at 
the end of the year

204 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

(2)

–

–
–
(2)

(2)

–

–
–
(2)

(7)

–

–
–
(7)

(7)

(2)

–
–
(9)

(31)

1

9
(4)
(25)

(25)

–

15
(2)
(12)

(4)

2

–
–
(2)

(29)

16

–
(3)
(16)

(2)

(16)

1

1
–
–

8

–
–
(8)

(73)

19

9
(7)
(52)

31

(21)

(52)

7

16
(2)
(31)

9

(22)

 
 
10.  DEFERRED TAX (continued)

Critical accounting estimates and judgements
Recognition of deferred tax assets
 The Group has tax losses and other deductible temporary differences that have the potential to reduce tax payments 

in future years. Deferred tax assets are only recognised to the extent that the realisation of the related tax benefit 

through future taxable profits is probable, having regard to the projected future taxable income of these entities and 

after taking into account specific risk factors that affect the recovery of these assets. Management uses the same 

profit  projections  for  these  purposes  as  are  used  by  the  business,  for  example  in  assessing  the  carrying  value  of 

goodwill. Management’s judgement in this area is applied on a case-by-case basis due to the jurisdictional nature  

of taxation. This analysis is reconsidered at each balance sheet date.

 At 31 March 2018, the Group had unutilised tax losses of approximately £96m (2017: £121m) potentially available for 

offset against future profits. A deferred tax asset of £8m (2017: £16m) has been recognised in respect of losses based 

on profitability from approved budgets and business plans. No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of 

the remaining losses due to the unpredictability and availability of future profit streams in the relevant jurisdictions. 

The majority of the unrecognised losses relate to the Mediclinic International plc in the United Kingdom, which have 

no  expiry,  and  the  remainder  relate  to  Switzerland,  which  expire  after  seven  years.  Their  utilisation  is  dependent 
on  the  profitability  of  the  related  entities.  The  financial  projections  used  in  assessing  the  future  profitability  are 

consistent with those used in assessing the carrying value of goodwill as set out in note 7. The rate of utilisation of 

these losses will depend on the incidence and timing of profits within each entity which consequently impacts their 

recognition as deferred tax assets. 

 Unused tax losses for the Group are as follows:

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

Unused tax losses not recognised as deferred tax assets
Expiry in 1 year

Expiry in 2 years

Expiry in 3 to 7 years

No expiry

2018
£’m

–

18

5

40

63

2017
£’m

1

–

13

33

47

Deferred tax on unremitted earnings
 The  Group  recognised  a  deferred  tax  liability  of  £1m  (2017:  £nil)  in  respect  of  temporary  differences  relating  to 

unremitted earnings. This liability relates to non-resident shareholder tax of the Group’s Namibian subsidiaries and 

the amount is included in the “provisions and other” category of deferred tax liabilities above. No deferred tax liability 

has been recognised for the other foreign subsidiaries and equity accounted investments of the Group where the 

Group is able to control the timing of any distributions and it is not probable that any distributions will be made in 

the foreseeable future. Similarly, tax is not provided where it is expected at the reporting date that such distributions 

will  not  give  rise  to  a  tax  liability.  The  gross  timing  difference  in  this  regard  amounts  to  £1  616m  (2017:  £1  518m). 

There are no significant expected income tax consequences of earnings being distributed from Switzerland and the 

UAE, as there is no dividend withholding tax applicable to earnings being distributed from these operations neither 

should there be any tax liability on the receipt of these dividends. Although South African distributions to the UK are 

typically subject to dividend withholding taxes, distributions from South Africa are not expected to have income tax 

consequences in the foreseeable future as the operations in South Africa have a significant contributed tax capital 

balance from which may be paid dividends free from withholding tax. In line with the South African Reserve Bank 

requirement,  it  is  intended  that  dividends  to  the  South  African  resident  shareholders  on  the  South  African  share 

register will be paid from the dividend access scheme. Refer to note 13 for details on the dividend access scheme.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

205

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

11. 

INVENTORIES

Inventories consist of:
Pharmaceutical products

Consumables

Finished goods and work in progress

2018
£’m

80

10

–

90

2017
£’m

79

10

1

90

The cost of inventories recognised as an expense and included in cost of sales amounted to £683m (2017: £630m).

12. 

TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES

Trade receivables

Less provision for impairment of receivables

Trade receivables – net

Other receivables*

* 

 Included  in  other  receivables  are  Swiss  unbilled  services  of  £79m  (2017: 
£79m).  More  than  92%  will  be  recovered  by  Swiss  insurance  companies 
and federal authorities (cantons). Swiss insurance companies are subject 
to regular creditworthiness checks (e.g. minimum reserve levels).

Trade  and  other  receivables  are  categorised  as  loans  and  receivables.  The 

carrying amounts of the Group’s trade and other receivables are denominated 

in the following currencies:

Swiss franc

South African rand

UAE dirham

Trade  receivables  to  the  value  of  £61m  (2017:  £53m)  have  been  ceded  as 

security for banking facilities.

 Included in the Group’s trade receivables balance are trade receivables with 

a  carrying  value  of  £167m  (2017:  £165m)  that  are  past  due  at  the  reporting 

date, but which the Group has not impaired as there has not been a significant 

change in credit quality and the amounts are still considered to be recoverable. 

The ageing of these receivables are as follows:

Up to 3 months

Between 3 and 6 months

Over 6 months

2018
£’m

 485

 (45)

 440

 167

 607

 380

 90

 137

 607

 90

 41

 36

 167

2017
£’m

 466

 (41)

 425

 166

 591

 379

 83

 129

 591

 106

 40

 19

 165

206 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

12.

TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES (continued)

Movement in the provision for impairment of receivables
Opening balance

Provision for receivables impairment

Exchange differences

Amounts written off as uncollectable

Balance at the end of the year

2018
£’m

 41

 23

 (10)

 (9)

 45

2017
£’m

 19

 26

 11

 (15)

 41

Amounts written off during the year relate to individually identified accounts that are considered to be uncollectable.

Provision  for  impairment  of  receivables  is  based  on  historical  collection  trends,  current  market  conditions  and 

expected future cash flows.

Management considers the credit quality of the unprovided trade receivables to be high in light of the nature of these 
trade receivables as described in note 3.1(b).

13.

SHARE CAPITAL

Issued share capital
Share capital

Share premium

Treasury shares

Ordinary Shares

Number of shares in issue

Nominal value

2018
£’m

 74

 690

 (1)

 763

2017
£’m

 74

 690

 (2)

 762

2018

2017

737 243 810

737 243 810

10p

10p

Value: indicating nominal and share premium amount

 Rights of the Ordinary Shares (the “Ordinary Shares”) to profits:  All dividends shall be declared and paid according 
to the amounts paid up on the Ordinary Shares.

 Rights of the Ordinary Shares to capital: If there is a return of capital on winding-up or otherwise, the Ordinary Shares 

shall confer full rights but they do not confer any rights of redemption, and shall rank after the Subscriber Shares.

 Voting rights of the Ordinary Shares: The Ordinary Shares shall confer, on each holder of the Ordinary Shares, the 

right to receive notice of and to attend, speak and vote at all general meetings of the Company. Each Ordinary Share 

carries the right to one vote on a poll.

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

207

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

13.

SHARE CAPITAL (CONTINUED)

Treasury Shares

At 1 April 2016

Utilised by the Mpilo Trusts

At 31 March 2017

Vesting of Forfeitable Share Plan

At 31 March 2018

The balance of the treasury shares comprise:
Forfeitable Share Plan

Mpilo Trusts

Subscriber Shares – fully paid up

Number of shares in issue

Nominal value (pence)

Value:  indicating nominal and share premium amount

Number
of shares

272 781

(1 161)

271 620 

(137 948)

133 672 

101 342 

32 330

133 672

2018

–

–

Total
£’m

(2)

–

(2)

1

(1)

2017

10

10p

 10 issued Ordinary Shares were converted into and designated as Subscriber Shares of 10 pence each. The Subscriber 

Shares  carry  no  rights  to  receive  any  of  the  profits  of  the  Company  available  for  distribution  by  way  of  dividend 

or otherwise. If there is a return of capital on a winding-up or otherwise, the assets of the Company available for 

distribution among the members shall be applied first in repaying in full to the holder of the Subscriber Shares the 

amount paid up on such shares. 

 Except as provided above, the Subscriber Shares shall not carry any right to participate in profits or assets of the 

Company. The holders of the Subscriber Shares shall not be entitled to receive notice of or attend and vote at any 

general meeting of the Company unless a resolution is proposed which varies, modifies, alters or abrogates any of 

the rights attaching to the Subscriber Shares.

 The Subscriber Shares were cancelled during the year.

Dividend Access Scheme (“DAS”)
 A  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company,  Mediclinic  International  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd,  formed  a  Dividend  Access 

Trust to comply with a South African Reserve Bank requirement that dividends from a South African source due to  

South African shareholders on the South African share register must be paid locally to avoid an outflow of funds 

from South Africa.

 The beneficiaries of the trust are the South African shareholders of the Company who hold their shares via the South 

African share register on the relevant record date in respect of each distribution paid through the DAS. The Dividend 

Access Trust does not participate in any profits.

 When a dividend is declared by the Company, the Dividend Access Trust would receive a dividend from Mediclinic 

International (RF) (Pty) Ltd, which in turn is paid over to the Company’s transfer secretaries in South Africa, who 

arrange for the payment of the relevant amount to the South African shareholders (the beneficiaries of the trust) 

through  the  usual  dividend  payment  procedures,  as  if  they  were  dividends  received  from  Mediclinic  International 

plc. To the extent that the dividends due to South African shareholders are not ultimately funded from Mediclinic 

International  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd,  they  receive  those  dividends  as  normal  dividends  from  Mediclinic  International  plc.  

The South African shareholders’ entitlement to receive dividends declared by Mediclinic International plc is reduced 

by any amounts they receive via the trust.

208 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14.

OTHER RESERVES

Other reserves comprise of:
Equity-settled share-based payment reserves (refer to note 15)

Foreign currency translation reserve

Hedging reserve

Reverse acquisition reserve*

Capital redemption reserve**

Movements in other reserves

Equity-settled share-based payment reserves (refer to note 15)

Opening balance

Share-based payment expense

Settlement of Forfeitable Share Plan

Transfer to retained earnings

Foreign currency translation reserve

Opening balance

Currency translation differences

Hedging reserve

Opening balance

Fair value adjustments of cash flow hedges, net of tax

2018
£’m

 1

 468

 5

(3 014)

 6

(2 534)

 1

 24

 1

 (1)

 (23)

 468

 779

 (311)

 5

 4

 1

2017
£’m

 24

 779

 4

(3 014)

 6

(2 201)

 24

 24

–

–

–

 779

 407

 372

 4

 4

–

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

Reverse acquisition
During  February  2016,  Mediclinic  completed  the  combination  between  Al  Noor  Hospitals  Group  plc  (Al  Noor)  

and Mediclinic International Limited. The combination was classified as a reverse acquisition.

* 

 The reverse acquisition reserve represents the net of the following adjustments resulting from the Al Noor reverse 
acquisition:
 • adjustment of the capital structure (share capital and share premium) of the Group to that of the legal parent;
 • adjustment to account for the premium on shares issued to the Mediclinic International Limited shareholders; 

** 

and 
the share value component of the total consideration.

 •
 The UK Companies Act provides that where shares of a company are repurchased and funded by a new issue 
of shares, the amount by which the Company’s issued share capital is diminished on cancellation of the shares 
are transferred to a capital redemption reserve to maintain capital. The reduction of the Company’s share capital 
shall be treated as if the capital redemption reserve was paid up capital of the Company.

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

209

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

15.

SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

Equity-settled share-based payment reserve (refer to note 14 and 15.1)

Cash-settled share-based payment liability (refer to note 15.2)

Total share-based payment reserves and liabilities

15.1

Equity settled share-based payment arrangements
The balance of the equity-settled share-based payment reserve comprise:

Executive share option scheme*

Forfeitable Share Plan

Al Noor share option scheme*

Mpilo trusts (employee share trusts)*

Strategic South African black partners*

Expenses arising from equity-settled share-based payment transactions

Forfeitable Share Plan

2018
£’m

 1

 1

 2

–

 1

–

–

–

 1

 1

 1

2017
£’m

 24

 1

 25

 1

 1

 (2)

 17

 7

 24

–

–

* 

 During the financial year, the balance of the reserve relating to the executive share option scheme, the Al Noor 
share option scheme, the Mpilo Trusts and the strategic South African black partners were transferred to retained 
earnings. These share-based payment arrangements were settled in the previous financial years.

Forfeitable Share Plan
 The Mediclinic International Limited Forfeitable Share Plan ("FSP") was approved by the Company’s shareholders 
in July 2014 as a long-term incentive scheme for selected senior management (executive directors and prescribed 

officers).  This  share-based  payment  arrangement  is  accounted  for  as  an  equity-settled  share-based  payment 

transaction.  With  the  change  in  control  and  the  acquisition  of  Al  Noor,  the  performance  conditions  of  FSP  have 

been finalised to the extent that the performance conditions were met as at 30 September 2015. The performance 
conditions  constitute  a  combination  of:  absolute  total  shareholder  return  (“TSR”)  (40%  weighting)  and  adjusted 
diluted  headline  earnings  per  share  (60%  weighting).  The  vesting  of  the  shares  granted  in  2015  are  subject  to 

continued employment. The remaining shares will vest after the vesting period has lapsed in June 2018.

Opening balance

Granted

Shares sold

Vested

Closing balance

Weighted
average fair
value at
grant date
offer price

2018
Number 
of shares

R87.41

239 290

–

–

(137 948)

101 342

2017
Number
of shares

239 290

–

–

–

239 290

 A  valuation  has  been  determined  and  an  expense  recognised  over  a  three-year  period.  The  fair  value  of  the  TSR 

performance condition has been determined by using the Monte Carlo simulation model and for the headline earnings 

per share performance condition, consensus forecasts have been used. The following assumptions were used with 

the valuation of the scheme: risk-free rate of 7.49%, dividend yield of 1.0% and volatility of 20%.

 Apart from the FSP, there are no other share option schemes in place. Therefore, no director exercised any rights  

in relation to share option schemes during the reporting period. 

210 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS (continued)

15. 
15.2  Cash-settled share-based payment arrangements

Long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) awards
 The  LTIP  awards  are  phantom  shares  awarded  to  selected  senior  management.  This  share-based  payment 

arrangement is accounted for as a cash-settled share-based payment transaction.

 Under the LTIP, conditional phantom shares are granted to selected employees of the Group. The vesting of these 

shares are subject to continued employment and is conditional upon achievement of performance targets, measured 

over  a  three-year  period.  The  performance  conditions  for  the  year  under  review  constitute  a  combination  of:  
absolute total shareholder return (“TSR”) (40% weighting) and adjusted earnings per share (60% weighting).

Opening balance

Share-based payment expense*

Benefits paid

Closing balance

*  Amount is less than £0.5m.

A reconciliation of the movement in the LTIP award units is detailed below:

2018
£’m

 1

–

–

 1

2017
£’m

–

 1

–

 1

Opening balance

Granted

Vested

Lapsed

Closing balance

Valuation assumptions relating to the outstanding units:

Grant date

Vesting date

Outstanding units

Closing share price

Risk-free interest rate

Expected dividend yield

Volatility

Average
price
(pence)

781 – 1 059

809 – 1 000

2018
Number
of shares

284 011

593 492

(1 657)

–

875 846

2017
Number
 of shares

–

287 694

(3 683)

–

284 011

2017 LTIP
allocation

2016 LTIP
allocation

1 June 2017

14 June 2016*
1 June 2020/2022*** 14 June 2019/2021**

593 492

 601

271 579

 601

0.82% – 1.01%

0.74% – 0.89%

0.0%

34.7%

0.0%

34.7%

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

*  49 281 units were allocated on 1 August 2016
**  101 376 units vests on 31 July 2018 and 49 281 units vests on 14 June 2021
*** 129 626 units vests on 31 July 2018 and 65 263 units vests on 1 June 2022

 Certain awards were also granted to management that were subject only to service conditions. These awards were 
granted on 1 September 2016 and vest on different dates between 1 September 2016 and 14 June 2019. The total 

number of these awards granted was 16 115. Of these awards, 3 683 vested in 2017 and 1 657 units of these awards 

vested in 2018.

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

211

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

16.  NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS

Opening balance

Transactions with non-controlling shareholders*

Dividends to non-controlling shareholders

Non-controlling shareholders derecognised on disposal of subsidiaries

Share of total comprehensive income

Share of profit

Currency translation differences

Non-controlling interest 

* 

 In the prior year, the statement of cash flows includes an amount of £15m 
relating  to  the  acquisition  of  non-controlling  interest.  Included  in  this 
amount  is  £14m  which  relates  to  the  acquisition  of  the  minority  share  in  
Al Madar Medical Centre LLC in the prior year.

Details  of  non-wholly-owned  subsidiaries  that  have  material  non-controlling 
interests (“NCIs”):

Mediclinic (Pty) Ltd**
Ownership interest held by NCI

Accumulated non-controlling interests in statement of financial position

Profit allocated to non-controlling interests

Curamed Holdings (Pty) Ltd (group)**
Ownership interest held by NCI

Accumulated non-controlling interests in statement of financial position

Profit allocated to non-controlling interests

**  Place of business: South Africa

2018
£’m

78

1

(10)

(1)

19

18

1

87

3.6%

 7

 2

30.4%

 22

 4

2017
£’m

61

(4)

(9)

–

30

14

16

78

3.7%

 7

 2

30.4%

 21

 4

212 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

16.  NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS (continued)

 Summarised  financial  information  in  respect  of  the  Group’s  subsidiaries  that  has  material  NCIs  is  set  out  below.  

The summarised financial information below represents amounts before inter-group eliminations.

Mediclinic (Pty) Ltd
Non-current assets

Current assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Revenue

Profit for the year

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income

Net cash inflow from operating activities

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Net cash outflow from financing activities

Net cash inflow

Curamed Holdings (Pty) Ltd (group)
Non-current assets

Current assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Revenue

Profit for the year

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income

Net cash inflow from operating activities

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Net cash outflow from financing activities

Net cash outflow

17.

BORROWINGS

Bank loans

Preference shares

Listed bonds

Other liabilities

Non-current borrowings

Current borrowings

Total borrowings

2018
£’m

168

158

(36)

(161)

391

39

–

39

62

(15)

(45)

1

50

38

(3)

(12)

66

13

–

13

15

(14)

(8)

(7)

2018
£’m

1 559

 200

 176

 2

1 937

1 866

 71

1 937

2017
£’m

167

129

(32)

(150)

350

38

–

38

55

(27)

(27)

1

37

45

(3)

(12)

60

13

–

13

16

(9)

(7)

–

2017
£’m

1 642

 199

 189

–

2 030

1 961

 69

2 030

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

213

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

17.

BORROWINGS (continued)

2018
£’m
Non-current

2018
£’m
Current

2017
£’m
Non-current

2017
£’m
Current

Swiss operations (denominated in Swiss franc)
Secured 
bank loan 
one1

These loans bear interest at  
variable rates linked to the 3M 
LIBOR plus 1.25% (2017: 3M LIBOR 
plus 1.5% and 2.85%) and are 
repayable by 16 October 2023. 
The non-current portion includes 
capitalised financing costs of £11m 
(2017: £22m).
These loans were acquired as part 
of the Linde acquisition and bear 
interest linked to the 3M LIBOR plus 
0.92% and are repayable during  
May 2023.
This fixed interest mortgage  
loan was acquired as part of  
the Linde acquisition and bears 
interest at 0.9% compounded 
quarterly. The loan is repayable  
by December 2023.
The listed bonds consist of 
CHF145m 1.625% and CHF90m 2% 
Swiss franc bonds. The bonds are 
repayable on 25 February 2021 and 
25 February 2025 respectively.
These liabilities bear interest at 
variable rates ranging between 1% 
and 12% (2017: 8% and 12%) and 
are repayable in equal monthly 
payments in periods ranging from 
one to five years. 

Secured 
bank loan 
two1

Secured 
bank loan 
three2

Listed 
bonds

Secured 
long term 
finance3

Balance carried forward

1 085

 26

1 138

 40

 13

 7

 176

–

–

–

–

–

 189

–

–

–

 1

1 282

 1

 27

–

1 327

–

 40

1 

 The loan is secured by Swiss properties with a book value of £2 326m (2017: £2 483m) and Swiss bank accounts 
with a book value of £64m (2017: £142m).

2  These loans are secured by mortgage notes on the properties and buildings of the Linde Group.
3  Equipment with a book value of £2m (2017: £1m) is encumbered as security for these loans.

214 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

17.

BORROWINGS (continued)

Balance carried forward
Southern African operations (denominated  
in South African rand)
Secured 
bank loan 
one4

The loan bears interest at the  
3 month JIBAR variable rate plus 
a margin of 1.51% (2017: 1.51%) 
compounded quarterly, and is 
repayable on 3 June 2019. 
The loan bears interest at the  
3 month JIBAR variable rate plus 
a margin of 1.69% (2017: 1.69%) 
compounded quarterly and is 
repayable on 15 December 2020.
The loan bears interest at the  
3 month JIBAR variable rate plus 
a margin of 1.06% (2017: 1.06%) 
compounded quarterly. The 
remaining amount was repaid on  
9 October 2017.
These loans bear interest at variable 
rates linked to the prime overdraft 
rate and are repayable in periods 
ranging between one and  
twelve years.
Dividends are payable monthly 
at a rate of 69% of prime interest 
rate (10.0%) (2017: 10.5%). The 
outstanding balance will be 
redeemed on 3 June 2019.
Dividends are payable semi-annually 
at a rate of 73% of the prime  
interest rate (10.0%) (2017: 10.5%). 
The amount is repayable on  
29 June 2020.

Secured 
bank loan 
two4

Secured 
bank loan 
three4

Secured 
bank loan 
four5

Preference 
shares4

Preference 
shares

Middle East operations (denominated in UAE 
dirham)
Secured 
bank loan 
one6

The loan bears interest at variable 
rates linked to the 3M LIBOR and 
a margin of 2.50% (2017: 2.75%) 
with respective 4-year and 5-year 
amortising terms, expiring  
in June 2020 and May 2021. 

2018
£’m
Non-current

2018
£’m
Current

2017
£’m
Non-current

2017
£’m
Current

1 282

 27

1 327

 40

 208

 2

 206

 73

–

 6

 108

 91

–

–

 2

 1

–

 72

–

 4

 108

 90

 1

–

 7

 1

 1

–

 98
1 866

 39
 71

 154
1 961

 19
 69

4 

5 

6 

 Property and equipment with a book value of £251m (2017: £231m) are encumbered as security for these loans. 
Cash  and  cash  equivalents  of  £34m  (2017:  £9m)  and  trade  receivables  of  £60m  (2017:  £52m)  have  also  been 
ceded as security for these borrowings.
 Property, equipment and vehicles with a book value of £15m (2017: £16m) are encumbered as security for these 
loans. Net trade receivables of £1m (2017: £1m) have also been ceded as security for these loans.
 Shares of investments in Emirates Healthcare Holdings Limited and Emirates Healthcare Limited are encumbered 
as security for these loans as well as an account pledge on receivable collection accounts.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

215

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

17. 

BORROWINGS (continued)
 On 16 October 2017, Hirslanden signed a new facility agreement for the secured bank loans. The financing amounts to 

£1.5bn (CHF2bn), including a £1.2bn (CHF1.5bn) term loan, £308m (CHF400m) capex facility and £77m (CHF100m) 

revolving facility. The effective date for funding and closing is 31 October 2017.

 The refinancing agreement in Hirslanden has been treated as an extinguishment of the original financial liability due 

to the substantial modifications of the terms (including the term of the financing and the margin). As a result, the 

original financial liability was derecognised and a new financial liability was recognised. The unamortised portion of 

the capitalised finance cost of the original agreement of £19m was derecognised as a result of the extinguishment  

of the liability (refer to note 24).

18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

Statement of financial position obligations for:
Swiss pension benefit obligation

South African post-retirement medical benefit obligation

UAE end-of-service benefit obligation

Total retirement benefit obligations

Short-term portion of retirement benefit obligations

Non-current retirement benefit obligations

Total amount charged to the income statement:
Swiss pension benefit obligation

South African post-retirement medical benefit obligation

UAE end-of-service benefit obligation

Total amount credited to the other comprehensive income:
Swiss pension benefit obligation

South African post-retirement medical benefit obligation

UAE end of service benefit obligation

 4

 40

 52

 96

 96

 (10)

 86

 34

 6

 9

 49

 (74)

–

 (2)

 (76)

 73

 35

 56

 164

 164

 (10)

 154

 23

 5

 8

 36

 (45)

–

 2

 (43)

Critical accounting estimates and judgements
 The cost of defined benefit pension plans, post-retirement medical benefit liability obligations and the UAE end-of-

service obligations are determined using actuarial valuations. The actuarial valuation involves making assumptions 

about discount rates, expected rates of return on assets, future salary increases, mortality rates and future pension 

increases. Due to the long-term nature of these plans, such estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and can 

have a material impact on the valuations. Details of the key assumptions for each relevant obligation, together with 

the sensitivities of the carrying value of the obligations, are disclosed below.

216 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
(a) Swiss pension benefit obligation
The Group’s Swiss operations has six defined benefit pension plans, namely:

 • Pensionskasse Hirslanden (cash balance plan)

 • Vorsorgestiftung VSAO (cash balance plan) (Association for Swiss Assistant and Senior Doctors)

 • Radiotherapie Hirslanden AG; Pension fund at foundation “pro” (cash balance plan)

 • Clinique La Colline SA; Pension fund at banque cantonal vaudois (cash balance plan)

 • Privatklinik Linde AG; Pension fund at foundation Gemini (cash balance plan)

 • Röntgeninstitut Cham AG; Pension fund at foundation Swisscanto (cash balance plan)

Swiss pension benefit obligation

Statement of financial position

Amounts recognised in the statement of financial position  
are as follows:
Present value of funded obligations

Fair value of plan assets

Net pension liability

The movement in the defined benefit obligation over the period  
is as follows:

Opening balance

Current service cost

Interest cost

Past service cost

Employee contributions

Benefits paid

Business combinations

Actuarial gain

Exchange differences

Balance at the end of the year

The movement of the fair value of plan assets over the period  
is as follows:

Opening balance

Employer contributions

Plan participants contributions

Benefits paid from fund

Business combinations

Interest income on plan assets

Return on plan assets greater than discount rate

Administration costs

Exchange differences

Balance at the end of the year

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

1 045

(1 041)

 4

1 086

(1 013)

 73

1 086

 37

 6

 (4)

 34

 (35)

 39

 (45)

 (73)

1 045

1 013

 38

 34

 (35)

 28

 6

 29

 (1)

 (71)

1 041

 949

 35

 4

 (13)

 30

 (16)

–

 (3)

 100

1 086

 830

 35

 30

 (16)

–

 4

 42

 (1)

 89

1 013

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
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A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

217

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

18.

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)

Swiss pension benefit obligation (continued)

Statement of financial position (continued)

Net pension liability reconciliation

Opening net liability

Expenses recognised in the income statement

Contributions paid by employer

Business combinations

Exchange differences

Actuarial gain

Closing net liability

Statement of other comprehensive income

Amounts recognised in other comprehensive income are as follows:

Actuarial loss – experience

Actuarial gain due to liability assumption changes

Return on plan assets greater than discount rate

Total other comprehensive income

Income statement

Amounts recognised in the income statement are as follows:

Current service cost

Past service cost

Interest on liability

Interest on plan assets

Administration cost

Actual return on plan assets

Principal actuarial assumptions on statement of financial position
Discount rate

Future salary increases

Future pension increases

Inflation rate

Number of plan members
Active members

Pensioners

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

 73

 34

 (38)

 11

 (2)

 (74)

 4

 (6)

 51

 29

 74

 37

 (4)

 6

 (6)

 1

 34

35

0.75%

1.75%

0.00%

1.25%

9 168

 844

 119

 23

 (35)

–

 11

 (45)

 73

 (9)

 12

 42

 45

 35

 (13)

 4

 (4)

 1

 23

46

0.55%

1.50%

0.00%

1.00%

8 969

 744

218 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

18.

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)

Swiss pension benefit obligation 
(continued)

Asset allocation

Quoted investments
Fixed income investments

Equity investments

Real estate

Other

Non-quoted investments
Fixed income investments

Equity investments

Real estate

Other

2018
£’m

 352

 247

 28

 138

 765

 4

 13

 207

 52

 276

2018
%

33.8%

23.7%

2.7%

13.3%

73.5%

0.4%

1.2%

19.9%

5.0%

26.5%

2017
£’m

 338

 255

 60

 98

 751

 3

 12

 181

 66

 262

2017
%

33.4%

25.2%

5.9%

9.7%

74.1%

0.3%

1.2%

17.9%

6.5%

25.9%

1 041

100.0%

1 013

100.0%

Assumptions and sensitivity analysis

Impact on defined benefit obligation

Base
assumption

Change in
assumption

Discount rate

Salary growth rate

Pension growth rate

0.75%

1.75%

0.00%

0.25%

0.50%

0.25%

Increase

Decrease

(2.6%)

0.8%

2.3%

2.7%

(0.8%)

0.0%

Life expectancy (mortality)

Change in assumption

1 year in expected life time 
of plan participant

Increase by
1 year in
assumption

Decrease by
1 year in
assumption

2.0%

(2.0%)

 The  Group  accounts  for  actuarially  determined  future  pension  benefits  and  provides  for  the  expected  liability  in 

the statement of financial position. The assumptions used to calculate the expected liability are based on actuarial 

advice. The discount rate is based on market yields obtained on high quality corporate bonds that have durations 

consistent with the term of the obligation. It has been assumed that salary growth rate will take place at a rate in line 

with price inflation.

 The above sensitivity analyses are based on a change in an assumption while holding all other assumptions constant. 

In practice, this is unlikely to occur and changes in some of the assumptions may be correlated. When calculating the 

sensitivity of the defined benefit obligation to significant actuarial assumptions the same method (present value of 

the defined benefit obligation calculated with the projected unit credit method at the end of the reporting period) 

has been applied as when calculating the pension liability recognised within the statement of financial position.

 The methods and types of assumptions used in preparing the sensitivity analysis did not change compared to the 

previous period.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

219

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
(a) Swiss pension benefit obligation (continued)

Assumptions and sensitivity analysis (continued)
 Expected employer contributions to be paid to the pension plans for the year ended 31 March 2018 are £32m and 

it is anticipated that these contributions will remain at a similar level in the foreseeable future subject to change in 

financial conditions.

 The weighted average duration of the defined benefit obligation is 12.9 years (2017: 13.6 years). The maturity profile 

of the defined benefit obligation is as follows:

31 March 2018
Defined benefit obligation

31 March 2017
Defined benefit obligation

<= 1 year
£’m

1 – 5 years
£’m

> 5 years
£’m

 73

 73

 219

 220

 877

 898

Total
£’m

 1 169

1 191

Pension plan results
 The assumptions underlying the valuation of the Swiss pension obligation were reassessed during the year and as  

a result the following adjustments were made:

 •

 The discount rate used to value plan obligations has changed from 0.55% to 0.75%.

 • The assumed underlying inflation rate was increased from 1.00% to 1.25%, impacting the salary increase rate.

 •

 The  future  mortality  improvement  rates  have  been  based  on  the  2016  CMI  mortality  improvement  rates  with  

a 1.25% long-term trend rate.

 The change in the above mentioned assumptions coupled with an increase in the fair value of the plan assets resulted 

in  a  decrease  of  the  net  liability  after  taking  into  account  the  additional  defined  benefit  liability  of  £11m  acquired 

through business combinations (refer to note 29). 

Additional information on Swiss defined benefit pension plans
 Additional information are provided for the largest two Swiss defined benefit pension plans: 

Pensionskasse Hirslanden
 For  employees  of  Hirslanden  Group  in  Switzerland,  the  Pensionskasse  Hirslanden  (“PH”)  Fund  provides  post-
employment, death-in-service and disability benefits in accordance with the Federal Law on Occupational Old-age, 

Survivor’s  and  Disability  Insurance  (German:  BVG).  PH  Fund  is  a  foundation  and  an  entity  legally  separate  from 

Hirslanden  Group.  The  PH  Fund’s  governing  body  is  composed  of  an  equal  number  of  employer  and  employee 

representatives. This governing body determines the level of benefits and the investment strategy for the plan assets 

based on asset-liability analyses performed periodically. The basis for these asset-liability analyses are the statutory 

pension obligations, as these largely determine the cash flows of the PH Fund. In addition, the investment of the plan 

assets is based on regulations developed by the governing body in accordance with the legal investment guidelines 

(BVV2). The investment committee of the governing body is responsible for their implementation. 

 The investment strategy complies with the legal guidelines and is relatively conservative. Alternative investments and 

unhedged foreign currency positions are rare.

 The  benefits  of  the  pension  plan  are  substantially  higher  than  the  legal  minimum.  They  are  determined  by  the 

employer’s and employee’s contributions and interest granted on the plan members’ accumulated savings; the interest 

rate is determined annually by the governing body in accordance with the legal framework (defined contribution,  

as defined by the occupational pension law). The employee’s and the employer’s contributions are determined based 

on the insured salary and range from 1.25% to 15.5% of the insured salary depending on the age of the beneficiary.

220 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
(a) Swiss pension benefit obligation (continued)

Additional information on Swiss defined benefit pension plans (continued)
Pensionskasse Hirslanden (continued)
 If  an  employee  leaves  Hirslanden  Group  or  the  pension  plan  respectively  before  reaching  retirement  age,  the 

law  provides  for  the  transfer  of  the  vested  benefits  to  the  new  pension  plan.  These  vested  benefits  comprise  

the employee’s and the employer’s contributions plus interest, the money originally brought in to the pension plan 

by the beneficiary. On reaching retirement age, the plan participant may decide whether to withdraw the benefits 

in the form of an annuity or (partly) as a lump-sum payment. The pension law requires adjusting pension annuities 

for  inflation  depending  on  the  financial  condition  of  the  pension  fund.  Although  the  pension  plan  is  fully  funded 

at  present  in  accordance  with  the  pension  law,  the  financial  situation  of  the  PH  Fund  will  not  allow  for  inflation 

adjustments.

 The pension law in Switzerland envisages that benefits provided by a pension fund are fully financed through the 

annual contributions defined by the regulations. If insufficient investment returns or actuarial losses lead to a plan 

deficit as defined by the pension law, the governing body is legally obliged to take actions to close the funding gap 

within a period of five years to a maximum of seven years. Besides adjustments to the level of benefits, such actions 
could  also  include  additional  contributions  from  respective  Group  companies  and  the  beneficiaries.  The  current 

financial situation of the PH Fund does not require such restructuring actions. None of the Group companies benefit 

from any plan surpluses.

VSAO
 For employed physicians of Hirslanden Group in Switzerland, the VSAO Pension Fund provides post-employment, 

death-in-service  and  disability  benefits  in  accordance  with  the  Federal  Law  on  Occupational  Old-age,  Survivor’s 

and Disability Insurance (German: BVG). VSAO Fund is a foundation and an entity legally separate from Hirslanden 

Group. The Fund’s governing body is composed of an equal number of employer and employee representatives. The 

investment of the plan assets is in accordance with the legal investment guidelines (BVV2).

 The  benefits  of  the  pension  plan  are  substantially  higher  than  the  legal  minimum.  They  are  determined  by  

the  employer’s  and  employee’s  contributions  and  interest  granted  on  the  plan  members’  accumulated  savings;  

the interest rate is determined by the governing body in accordance with the legal framework (defined contribution, 

as defined by the occupational pension law).

 If  an  employee  leaves  Hirslanden  Group  or  the  pension  plan  respectively  before  reaching  retirement  age,  the 

law  provides  for  the  transfer  of  the  vested  benefits  to  the  new  pension  plan.  These  vested  benefits  comprise  

the employee’s and the employer’s contributions plus interest, the money originally brought in to the pension plan 

by the beneficiary. On reaching retirement age, the plan participant may decide whether to withdraw the benefits 

in the form of an annuity or as a lump-sum payment. The employee’s and the employer’s contributions are 14% of  

the insured salary.

 The  pension  law  in  Switzerland  envisages  that  benefits  provided  by  a  pension  fund  are  fully  financed  through 

the  annual  contributions  defined  by  the  regulations.  If  insufficient  investment  returns  or  actuarial  losses  lead  to 

a  plan  deficit  as  defined  by  the  pension  law,  the  governing  body  is  legally  obliged  to  take  actions  to  close  the 

funding gap within a period of five years to a maximum of seven years. Besides adjustments to the level of benefits, 

such  actions  could  also  include  additional  contributions  from  respective  Group  companies  and  the  beneficiaries.  

The current financial situation of the VSAO Pension Fund does not require such restructuring actions. None of the 

Group companies benefit from any plan surpluses.

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

221

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
(b) South African post-retirement medical benefit obligation
 The  Group’s  Southern  African  operations  have  a  post-retirement  medical  benefit  obligation  for  employees  who 

joined before 1 July 2012.

 The  Group  accounts  for  actuarially  determined  future  medical  benefits  and  provides  for  the  expected  liability  in 

the statement of financial position. The assumptions used to calculate the expected liability are based on actuarial 

advice. The discount rate is based on market yields obtained on high quality corporate bonds which have durations 

consistent with the term of the obligation. It has been assumed that medical inflation will take place at a rate of 2.40% 

in excess of consumer price inflation.

 In the last valuation on 31 March 2018, an 8.10% (2017: 8.65%) medical inflation rate and a 9.10% (2017: 9.60%) discount 

rate were assumed. The average retirement age was set at 63 years (2017: 63 years). 

The assumed rates of mortality are as follows:

 • During employment: SA 85/90 tables of mortality

 • Post-employment: PA(90) tables

Amounts recognised in the statement of financial position are as follows:
Opening balance

Amounts recognised in the income statement

Current service cost

Interest cost

Benefits paid

Exchange differences

Present value of unfunded obligations

Assumptions and sensitivity analysis

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

 35

 6

 2

 4

 (1)

–

 40

 24

 5

 2

 3

 (1)

 7

 35

Impact on defined benefit obligation

Base
assumption

Change in
assumption

Increase

Decrease

Discount rate

Medical inflation rate

9.10%

8.10%

0.50%

1.00%

(7.0%)

16.0%

8.0%

(13.0%)

Expected post-employment medical benefits payable for the year ended 31 March 2019 is £1m.

222 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
18. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
(c) UAE end-of-service benefit obligation
 In  terms  of  UAE  labour  law,  employees  are  entitled  to  severance  pay  at  the  end  of  employment.  Severance  pay  

is calculated as follows:

 First five years of service: between 7 and 30 days’ wage per year of service and thereafter 30 days per additional 

year. The employee benefit was actuarially determined.

 The Group accounts for actuarially determined future end-of-service benefits and provides for the expected liability 

in the statement of financial position. The assumptions used to calculate the expected liability are based on actuarial 

advice. The discount rate is based on market yields obtained on high quality corporate bonds which have durations 

consistent with the term of the obligation. 

The following are the principal actuarial assumptions:

Discount rate

Future salary increases

Average retirement age

Annual turnover rate

Amounts recognised in the statement of financial position are as follows:
Opening balance

Amounts recognised in the income statement

Current service cost

Interest cost

Contributions

Disposal of subsidiaries

Classified as held for sale

Exchange differences

Actuarial (gain)/loss recognised in other comprehensive income

Present value of unfunded obligations

Current portion of retirement benefit obligations

Non-current retirement benefit obligations

2018

3.4%

2.0%

60 years

10.3%

2017

4.0%

3.5%

60 years

9.3%

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

 56

 9

 7

 2

 (6)

–

–

 (5)

 (2)

 52

 10

 42

 52

 45

 8

 6

 2

 (4)

 (1)

 (1)

 7

 2

 56

 10

 46

 56

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

223

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

18.

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued)
Assumptions and sensitivity analysis

Impact on defined benefit obligation

Base
assumption

Change in
assumption

Increase

Decrease

Discount rate

Future salary increases

3.35%

2.00%

1.00%

1.00%

(6.0%)

6.0%

7.0%

(6.0%)

 Expected  employer  contributions  to  be  paid  to  the  UAE  end-of-service  benefit  obligation  for  the  year  ended  

31 March 2019 are £11m.

 None of the Directors of Mediclinic International plc participate in Swiss pension benefits or the UAE end-of-service 

benefit.  One  Executive  Director  of  Mediclinic  International  plc  participates  in  the  South  African  post-retirement 

medical benefit obligation.

19.

PROVISIONS

Non-current

Employee benefits

Tariff risks

Current

Employee benefits

Legal cases and other

Tariff risks

2018
£’m

 23

 14

 9

 15

 2

 5

 8

 38

2017
£’m

 23

 15

 8

 22

 2

 5

 15

 45

Opening balance at 1 April 2016

Charged to the income statement

Utilised during the year

Unused amounts reversed

Exchange differences

Closing balance at 31 March 2017
Charged to the income statement

Utilised during the year

Unused amounts reversed

Business combinations

Exchange differences

Closing balance at 31 March 2018

Employee
benefits
£’m

Legal cases
and other
£’m

Tariff risks
£’m

Total
£’m

 15

 3

 (2)

–

 1

 17

 2

 (2)

–

–

 (1)

 16

 2

 7

 (3)

 (1)

–

 5

 2

 (2)

 (1)

–

 1

 5

 26

 7

 (1)

 (11)

 2

 23

 4

 (5)

 (5)

 2

 (2)

 17

 43

 17

 (6)

 (12)

 3

 45

 8

 (9)

 (6)

 2

 (2)

 38

224 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
19. 

PROVISIONS (continued)
(a) Employee benefits
This provision is for benefits granted to employees for long service.

(b) Legal cases and other
 This  provision  relates  to  third-party  excess  payments  for  malpractice  claims  which  are  not  covered  by  insurance  

and other costs for legal claims.

(c) Tariff risks
 This  provision  relates  to  compulsory  health  insurance  tariff  risks  in  Switzerland  and  other  tariff  disputes  at  some  

of the Group’s Swiss hospitals.

Provisions are expected to be payable during the following financial years:

Within one year

After one year but not more than five years

More than five years

20. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Non-current
Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges

Current
Interest rate swaps – cash flow hedges*

2018
£’m

 15

 16

 7

 38

2018
£’m

 2

 2

–

–

 2

2017
£’m

 22

 16

 7

 45

2017
£’m

 2

 2

 7

 7

 9

*  Amount is less than £1m in current year.

Effective interest rate swaps
 In  order  to  hedge  specific  exposures  in  the  interest  rate  repricing  profile  of  existing  borrowings,  the  Group  uses 

interest rate derivatives to generate the desired interest profile. At 31 March 2018, the Group had ten effective interest 

rate swap contracts (2017: twelve) for borrowings specifically in Southern Africa. The value of borrowings hedged  

by the interest rate derivatives and the rates applicable to these contracts are as follows:

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

225

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

20. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (continued)

Borrowings
hedged
£’m

Fixed
interest
payable

Interest
receivable

Fair value
gain/(loss)
for the year
£’m

31 March 2018

1 to 3 years*

31 March 2017

222 

6.9 – 7.7%

1 to 3 years*

184 

5.5 – 8.1%

3 month
JIBAR/
69% of prime
interest rate

3 month
JIBAR/
69% of prime
interest rate

1 

– 

* 

 The interest rate swap agreement resets every three months on 1 June, 1 September, 1 December and 1 March with 
a final reset on 3 June 2019 for £60m, 2 March 2020 for £30m, 1 June 2020 for £89m and on 1 September 2020 
for £42m. There is no ineffective portion recognised in the profit and loss that arises from the cash flow hedges.

Ineffective interest rate swaps
 Due  to  the  current  negative  interest  rates  in  Switzerland,  the  hedge  relationship  in  respect  of  the  3  month  Swiss 

LIBOR interest rate swaps became ineffective since the interest on the borrowings is capped at a rate of 0% but 

is fully considered as interest payments on the swap. Hedge accounting discontinued from the date when hedge 

effectiveness could not be demonstrated, i.e. from 1 October 2014. During the financial year, as part of the refinance 

of the Swiss debt, the swap contract was cancelled and an amount of £4m was agreed for the early redemption of 

the swap.

Opening balance

Fair value adjustments booked through profit and loss (finance cost)

Settlement of swap

Exchange differences

Balance at the end of the period

21.

TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES

Trade payables

Other payables and accrued expenses

Social insurance and accrued leave pay

Value added tax

2018
£’m

(7)

4

4

(1)

–

2018
£’m

210

144

62

8

424

2017
£’m

(19)

13

–

(1)

(7)

2017
£’m

227

167

70

8

472

226 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
22.

EXPENSES BY NATURE

Fees paid to the Group’s auditors for the following services:

Audit of the parent company and consolidated financial statements

Audit company subsidiaries

Audit services

Audit related services

Tax advice

All other services

Cost of inventories

Depreciation (note 6)

Buildings

Equipment

Furniture and vehicles

Employee benefit expenses

Wages and salaries

Retirement benefit costs – defined contribution plans

Retirement benefit costs – defined benefit obligations (note 18)

Share-based payment expense (note 15)

Increase in provision for impairment of receivables (note 12)

Maintenance costs

Operating leases

Buildings

Equipment

Amortisation of intangible assets (note 7)

Impairments (note 6 and 7)

Impairment of properties

Impairment of goodwill

Impairment of trade names

Other expenses

Classified as:

Cost of sales

Administration and other operating expenses

Depreciation and amortisation is classified as:

Cost of sales

Administration and other operating expenses

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

0.4

2.0

2.4

0.4

–

0.2

3.0

 665

 132

 39

 70

 23

1 293

1 228

 15

 49

 1

 23

 52

 57

 54

 3

 36

 644

 84

 300

 260

 255

3 160

1 773

1 387

3 160

 112

 56

 168

0.3

1.8

2.1

0.5

0.4

0.1

3.1

 630

 119

 37

 60

 22

1 231

1 181

 13

 36

 1

 26

 50

 56

 53

 3

 26

–

–

–

–

 244

2 385

1 696

 689

2 385

 107

 38

 145

Number of employees

31 504

32 625

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

227

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

23. OTHER GAINS AND LOSSES

Release of pre-acquisition Swiss provision

Loss on disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign exchange rate losses on corporate transactions

Fair value adjustments on derivative contracts

24.

FINANCE COST

Interest expenses

Interest rate swaps

Amortisation of capitalised financing costs

Derecognition of unamortised financing costs

Fair value gains on ineffective cash flow hedges

Preference share dividend

Less: amounts included in cost of qualifying assets

25.

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

Current tax

Current year

Previous year

Deferred tax (credit)/charge (note 10)

Taxation per income statement

Composition

UK tax

Foreign tax

2018
£’m

 9

 (7)

–

–

2

2018
£’m

 55

 6

 5

 19

 (4)

 15

 (2)

 94

2018
£’m

 56

 (2)

 (59)

 (5)

–

 (5)

 (5)

2017
£’m

–

–

 (3)

 1

(2)

2017
£’m

 58

 11

 7

–

 (13)

 12

 (1)

 74

2017
£’m

 46

 (3)

 21

 64

–

 64

 64

228 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

25.

INCOME TAX EXPENSE (continued)

Reconciliation of rate of taxation:
UK statutory rate of taxation

Adjusted for:

Benefit of tax incentives

Share of net profit of equity accounted investments
Non-deductible expenses1

Non-controlling interests’ share of profit before tax
Effect of different tax rates2
Effect of differences between deferred and current tax rates3

Non-recognition of tax losses in current year

Recognition/derecognition of tax losses relating to prior years

Prior year adjustment

Effective tax rate4

2018

2017

19.0%

0.1%

0.1%

(18.0%)

0.2%

0.7%

(0.6%)

(0.5%)

(0.2%)

0.3%

1.1%

20.0%

(0.2%)

(0.8%)

1.8%

(0.3%)

0.7%

–

0.9%

(0.5%)

(0.8%)

20.8%

1 

2 

3 

4 

 The impact of the following non-deductible expenses on the tax rate was a decrease of 17.3% (£83m):
 •

Impairment  of  goodwill  of  £300m  was  not  deductible  for  tax  purposes.  The  tax  effect  amounted  to  £61m 
(decrease of 12.7% in effective tax rate).
Impairment of the listed associate of £109m was not deductible for tax purposes. The tax effect amounted to 
£21m (decrease of 4.4% in effective tax rate). 

 •

 • Loss on disposal of subsidiaries of £7m was not deductible for tax purposes. The tax effect amounted to £1m 

(decrease of 0.2% in effective tax rate).  

 The effect of different tax rates can be attributed to the following items:
 • Accelerated amortisation of £23m (2017: £7m) was recognised on the Al Noor trade names during the year.  
The profits earned in the UAE are not subject to income tax. The tax effect amounted to £4m (decrease of 0.8% 
in effective tax rate) (2017: £1m).

 • The effect of different tax rates is mainly because of profit earned from South Africa, which is subject to an 

income tax rate of 28%, reduced by profit earned from the UAE, which is not subject to income tax.

 The impairment of the trade names (£260m) and the impairment of the properties (£84m) in Switzerland led  
to the release of a deferred tax liability of £68m. A reconciling item arises because the tax rate applied in calculating 
the deferred tax liabilities was lower than the current statutory rate of taxation. 
 If the impairment charges (and related deferred tax effect) discussed in point 3 above together with the items 
listed in points 1 and 2 were excluded from the effective tax rate calculation, the adjusted effective tax rate would 
be 20.8% (2017: 20.4%). The higher proportional contribution towards profits from the Southern Africa segment 
increased the adjusted effective tax rate. The adjusted effective tax rate also decreased slightly with the higher 
proportional contribution towards profits from the Middle East segment.

 The income tax liability includes an amount of approximately £1m (2017: £3m) relating to unresolved tax matters.  

The range of possible outcomes relating to this liability is not considered to be material.

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

229

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

26.

EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE

(Loss)/earnings per ordinary share (pence)

Basic (pence)

Diluted (pence)

Earnings reconciliation
(Loss)/profit attributable to equity holders of the Company

Adjusted for:

No adjustments

(Loss)/earnings for basic and diluted earnings per share

Number of shares reconciliation

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic earnings  

per share
Number of ordinary shares in issue at the beginning of the year

Weighted average number of treasury shares

BEE shareholder

Mpilo Trusts

Forfeitable Share Plan

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for diluted earnings 

per share
Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue 

Weighted average number of treasury shares held not yet released from 
treasury stock

BEE shareholder*

Mpilo Trusts

Forfeitable Share Plan

2018
£’m

(66.7)

(66.7)

(492)

–

(492)

2017
£’m

31.0

31.0

229

–

229

2018
Number
of shares

2017
Number
of shares

737 243 810

737 243 810

(133 672)

–

(32 330)

(101 342)

(303 656)

(31 238)

(33 128)

(239 290)

737 110 138

736 940 154

737 110 138

736 940 154

133 672

–

32 330

101 342

303 656

31 238

33 128

239 290

737 243 810

737 243 810

* 

 Represents  the  equivalent  weighted  average  number  of  shares  for  which  no  value  has  been  received  from  the  
BEE shareholder (Mpilo Investment Holdings 2 (RF) (Pty) Ltd) in terms of the Group’s black ownership initiative. 

 Mpilo Investment Holdings 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd and Mpilo Investment Holdings 2 (RF) (Pty) Ltd are structured entities 

that are not consolidated due to the Group not having control. These companies are investment holding companies 

and were incorporated as part of the Mediclinic BEE transaction. The companies hold ordinary shares in Mediclinic 

International  plc  on  which  it  receives  dividends.  These  dividends  are  used  to  repay  the  outstanding  debt  of  the 

companies. The outstanding debt referred to is provided by third parties with no recourse to the Group.

230 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
26.  EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE (continued)

Headline earnings per ordinary share
 The  Group  is  required  to  calculate  headline  earnings  per  share  (HEPS)  in  accordance  with  the  JSE  Limited  (JSE) 

Listings  Requirements,  determined  by  reference  to  the  South  African  Institute  of  Chartered  Accountants’  circular 

04/2018 (Revised) ‘Headline Earnings’. The table below sets out a reconciliation of basic EPS and HEPS in accordance 

with that circular. Disclosure of HEPS is not a requirement of IFRS, but it is a commonly used measure of earnings in 

South Africa. The table below reconciles the profit for the financial year attributable to equity holders of the parent 

to headline earnings and summarises the calculation of basic HEPS:

Headline earnings per share

(Loss)/earnings for basic and diluted earnings per share
Adjustments

Impairment of equity accounted investment

Impairment of properties and intangible assets

Loss on disposal of subsidiaries

Associate’s impairment of property, plant and equipment

Headline earnings

Headline earnings per share (pence)

Diluted headline earnings per share (pence)

27.

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Components of other comprehensive income
Currency translation differences

Fair value adjustments – cash flow hedges

Remeasurement of retirement benefit obligations

Other comprehensive income, net of tax

2018
£’m

(492)

109

576

7

3

203

27.6

27.6

2018
£’m

 (310)

 1

 60

 (249)

Attributable
to equity
holders of
Company
(before tax)
£'m

Tax charge
attributable
to equity
holders of
the Company
£'m

Attributable
 to non-
controlling
interest
(after tax)
£'m

 (311)

 1

 76

 (234)

 372

 43

 415

–

–

 (16)

 (16)

–

 (9)

 (9)

 1

–

–

 1

 16

–

 16

Year ended 31 March 2018
Currency translation differences

Fair value adjustments – cash flow 
hedges

Remeasurement of retirement benefit 
obligations

Other comprehensive income

Year ended 31 March 2017
Currency translation differences

Remeasurement of retirement benefit 
obligations

Other comprehensive income

2017
£’m

229

–

–

–

229

31.0

31.0

2017
£’m

 388

–

 34

 422

Total
£'m

 (310)

 1

 60

 (249)

 388

 34

 422

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

231

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

28.

CASH FLOW INFORMATION

28.1 Reconciliation of profit before taxation to cash generated  

from operations
(Loss)/profit before taxation

Adjustments for:

Finance cost – net

Share of net profit of equity accounted investments

Other gains and losses

Share-based payments

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment provision of trade receivables

Movement in provisions

Movement in retirement benefit obligations

Impairment of properties and intangible assets

Impairment of equity accounted investment

Loss on disposal of subsidiaries

Release of pre-acquisition Swiss provision

Operating income before changes in working capital

Working capital changes

Increase in inventories

Increase in trade and other receivables

Decrease in trade and other payables

28.2 Interest paid

Finance cost per income statement

Refinancing costs shown as financing activities

Non-cash items

Amortisation of capitalised financing fees

Derecognition of unamortised financing fees

Fair value gains on ineffective cash flow hedges

28.3 Tax paid

Liability at the beginning of the period

Provision for the period

Liability at the end of the period

28.4 Investment to maintain operations

Property, equipment and vehicles purchased

Intangible assets purchased

Movement in capital expenditure payables

232 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

(Re-

presented)*

2017
£’m

 307

 67

 (12)

 2

 1

 145

 26

 (1)

 (4)

–

–

–

–

 531

 (39)

 (4)

 (14)

 (21)

 492

 74

 (3)

 (7)

–

 13

 77

 8

 43

 51

 (6)

 45

 105

 6

 (10)

 101

2018
£’m

 (479)

 85

 (3)

–

 1

 168

 23

 (7)

 3

 644

 109

 7

 (9)

 542

 (76)

 (3)

 (61)

 (12)

 466

 94

–

 (5)

 (19)

 4

 74

 6

 54

 60

 (4)

 56

 98

 10

 4

 112

28.

CASH FLOW INFORMATION (continued)

28.5 Investment to expand operations

Property, equipment and vehicles purchased

Intangible assets purchased

Movement in capital expenditure payables

*  Refer to note 2.1.

(Re-

presented)*

2017
£’m

 134

 6

 (9)

 131

2018
£’m

 125

 12

 5

 142

Date paid/
payable

Dividend
per share
(pence)

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

28.6 Dividends

Dividends declared

Year ended 31 March 2018
Interim dividend

Final dividend

18 December 2017

30 July 2018

Year ended 31 March 2017
Interim dividend

Final dividend

12 December 2016

31 July 2017

Dividends paid
Dividends paid during the period

3.20

4.70

7.90

3.20

4.70

7.90

 24

 35

 59

 58

 23

 35

 58

 62

 Under IFRS, dividends are only recognised in the financial statements when authorised by the Board of Directors 
(for interim dividends) or when authorised by the shareholders (for final dividends). The aggregate amount of the 

proposed dividend expected to be paid on 30 July 2018 from retained earnings has not been recognised as a liability 

on 31 March 2018.

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

233

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Net
derivative
financial
instruments
held to
hedge
borrowings
£’m

Total
borrowings
£’m

Total
£’m

2 039

 6

 (30)

 (4)

 (12)

 5

 19

 (5)

 25

 (104)

1 939

 9

–

–

 (4)

–

–

–

 (5)

–

 2

 2

 17

1 858

–

–

–

 (13)

 5

 9

 247

 (327)

 7

 (13)

 267

2 039

2 030

 6

 (30)

–

 (12)

 5

 19

–

 25

 (106)

1 937

1 841

 247

 (327)

 7

–

 262

2 030

28.  CASH FLOW INFORMATION (continued)

28.7 Changes in liabilities arising from financing 

activities
Year ended 31 March 2018
Opening balance

Cash flow movements

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Settlement of interest rate swap

Refinancing transaction cost

Non-cash items

Amortisation of capitalised financing fees

Derecognition of unamortised financing fees

Fair value changes

Business combinations

Exchange rate differences

Closing balance

Year ended 31 March 2017
Opening balance

Cash flow movements

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Non-cash items

Amortisation of capitalised financing fees

Fair value changes

Exchange rate differences

Closing balance

234 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

28.

CASH FLOW INFORMATION (continued)

28.8 Cash and cash equivalents

For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, cash, cash equivalents and 
bank overdrafts include:

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash, cash equivalents and bank overdrafts are denominated in the following 
currencies:

Swiss franc*

South African rand**

UAE dirham***

Pounds sterling****

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

 261

 71

 116

 46

 28

 261

 361

 96

 148

 83

 34

 361

* 

 The facility agreement of the Swiss subsidiary restricts the distribution of cash. The counterparties have a minimum 
A2 credit rating by Moody’s and a minimum A credit rating by Standard & Poor’s.

**  The counterparties have a minimum Baa3 credit rating by Moody’s.
***  The counterparties have a minimum BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s.
**** The counterparty has a Aa3 credit rating by Moody’s.

 Cash  and  cash  equivalents  denominated  in  South  African  rand  amounting  to  £34m  (2017:  £9m)  and  Swiss  bank 

accounts denominated in Swiss franc amounting to £64m (2017: £142m) have been ceded as security for borrowings 

(see note 17). 

29.  BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

The following business combinations occurred during the current year:

I

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A
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E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

Cash flow on acquisition:
Linde Holding Biel/Bienne AG

Rontgeninstitut Cham AG

2018
£’m

 (74)

 (9)

 (83)

Linde Holding Biel/Bienne AG
 With a public take-over offer on 30 June 2017, Hirslanden acquired within four closings a total of 99.62% of the share 

capital of Linde Holding Biel/Bienne AG for £86m (CHF107m) and obtained control over the company. Lindenpark 

Immobilien  AG  and  Privatklinik  Linde  AG  are  both  100%  subsidiaries  of  Linde  Holding  Biel/Bienne  AG  (Linde 

Group). The revaluation of the trade name and equipment resulted in retrospective adjustments to the provisionally 

determined PPA values that were disclosed at 30 September 2017. 

 The Linde Group is a leading private hospital in the Biel-Seeland-Bernese Jura region offering a wide range of medical 

care, focusing on movement and sports medicine, interdisciplinary cancer treatment, breast cancer centre, obstetrics, 

urology and radiology. Adherence to high quality standards is illustrated by numerous certifications. It provides the 

Group with the opportunity to enter the hospital market of the Biel-region, including improved access to the private- 

and semi-private patient market in the region. Furthermore, Linde Group will serve as an important referring hospital 

to Hirslanden Bern AG and Hirslanden Klinik Aarau AG, facilitating recruitment of highly-specialised medicine patients 

(heart surgery, thoracic surgery) from the growing area of the Espace Mittelland.

 The goodwill of £3m (CHF3.6m) arising from the acquisition is attributable to the acquired workforce and economies 

of scale expected from combining the operations of Hirslanden and the Linde Group. None of the goodwill recognised 

is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

235

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

29.  BUSINESS COMBINATIONS (continued)

 The  following  table  summarises  the  consideration  paid  for  the  Linde  Group,  the  fair  value  of  assets  acquired  and 

liabilities assumed at the acquisition date.

Recognised amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Assets

Property, equipment and vehicles

Intangible assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Deferred tax assets

Total assets

Liabilities

Borrowings

Provisions

Retirement benefit obligations

Deferred tax liabilities

Trade and other payables

Total liabilities

Total identifiable net assets at fair value

Non-controlling interest at fair value

Goodwill

Consideration transferred for the business

Cash flow on acquisition

Net cash acquired with subsidiary

Cash paid

Net cash flow on acquisition

2018
£’m

 109

 17

 1

 9

 12

 2

 150

 25

 2

 10

 22

 8

 67

 83

–

 3

 86

 12

 (86)

 (74)

 The fair value of trade and other receivables is £9m. The best estimate at acquisition date of the contractual cash 

flows not expected to be collected are £0.1m.

 From the date of acquisition, Linde Group has contributed £41m to revenue and £2m to the profit before tax of the 

Group. If the combination had taken place at the beginning of the financial year, revenue from the Linde Group would 

have been £58m and the profit before tax contribution would have been £3m.

236 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
29.  BUSINESS COMBINATIONS (continued)

Röntgeninstitut Cham AG
 On 30 August 2017, Hirslanden acquired 85% of the share capital of Röntgeninstitut Cham AG for £9m (CHF11.5m). 

As a result, the Group’s equity interest in Röntgeninstitut Cham AG increased from 15% to 100%, obtaining control of 

the company.

 Radiology  is  an  integral  part  of  a  hospital  and  therefore,  almost  every  one  of  the  Group’s  hospitals  has  its  own 

radiology unit. Röntgeninstitut Cham AG will provide radiology services for the patients of AndreasKlinik AG Cham. 

The goodwill of £10m (CHF12.6m) arising from the acquisition is attributable to the acquired workforce and economies 

of scale expected from combining the operations of Röntgeninstitut Cham AG and AndreasKlinik AG Cham. None  

of the goodwill recognised is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

 The following table summarises the consideration paid for Röntgeninstitut Cham AG, the fair value of assets acquired 

and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date.

Recognised amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
Assets

Property, equipment and vehicles

Trade and other receivables

Total assets

Liabilities

Retirement benefit obligations

Total liabilities

Total identifiable net assets at fair value

Non-controlling interest at fair value

Goodwill

Consideration transferred for the business

Fair value of the Group’s existing 15% portion

Cash flow on acquisition

Cash flow on acquisition

Net cash acquired with subsidiary

Cash paid

Net cash flow on acquisition

2018
£’m

 1

 1

 2

 1

 1

 1

–

 10

 11

 (2)

 9

–

 (9)

 (9)

Critical accounting estimates and judgements
 Critical  accounting  estimates  and  assumptions  were  made  in  the  purchase  price  allocation  of  the  acquisitions  in 

accordance with IFRS 3 Business Combinations. The purchase consideration for the acquisition is allocated over the 

net  fair  value  of  identifiable  assets,  liabilities  and  contingent  liabilities  with  any  excess  consideration  representing 

goodwill. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed in a business combination are 

measured at their fair values at the acquisition date. The determination of the fair value of the assets, liabilities and 

contingent liabilities acquired requires significant estimates and assumptions. Any intangible assets acquired as part 

of the business combination are recognised at fair value which is based on management’s judgement and includes 

assumptions on the timing and amount of future cash flows generated by the assets as well as the selection of an 

appropriate discount rate. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

237

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
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S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

30.  DISPOSAL OF SUBSIDIARIES

 The Group disposed of the following companies that were part of the Middle East segment during the year: Lookwow 

One  Day  Surgery  Company  LLC  and  the  following  branches  of  Mediclinic  Hospitals  LLC:  Mirfa,  Ajman,  Hamdan 

Pharmacy, Sanaya and ICAD. During the prior year, the following companies were disposed of: Rochester Wellness 

LLC, Emirates American Company for Medical Services LLC, Abu Dhabi Medical Services LLC and National Medical 

Services LLC.

Analysis of assets and liabilities over which control was lost

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

Property, equipment and vehicles

Goodwill

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Retirement benefit obligations

Trade and other payables

Non-controlling interest derecognised

Net assets disposed of

Consideration received

Cash and cash equivalents

Consideration receivable

Other non-cash items

Total consideration

(Loss)/gain on disposal of subsidiary
Consideration received

Net assets disposed of

(Loss)/gain on disposal

Net cash inflow
Total cash flow on disposal of subsidiary

Less: cash and cash equivalents disposed of

Net cash inflow on disposal

8

3

–

–

–

(1)

(1)

9

2

–

–

2

2

(9)

(7)

2

–

2

10

33

10

3

(1)

(4)

–

51

47

1

3

51

51

(51)

–

47

(3)

44

238 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
31.  DISPOSAL GROUPS HELD FOR SALE

 During the 2017 financial year, management decided to sell the following clinics within the Mediclinic Middle East 

segment: Mediclinic Beach Road LLC, Mediclinic Corniche Medical Centre LLC, Lookwow One Day Surgery Company 

LLC, Lookwow One Day Pharmacy LLC, Al Noor Sanaiya Clinic and Pharmacy, Al Noor ICAD Clinic and Pharmacy,  

Al  Noor  International  Medical  Centre  (Sharjah),  Al  Noor  Hamdan  Street  Pharmacy,  Al  Madar  Ajman  Clinic  and 

Pharmacy and Al Madar Diagnostic Centre-Al Ain.

 All the clinics were disposed of during the year with the exception of the following: Mediclinic Beach Road LLC and 

Mediclinic  Corniche  Medical  Centre  LLC  were  closed  and  the  accordingly  the  assets  of  these  clinics  were  written  

off or transferred to other clinics within the Group where possible. The liabilities classified as held for sale relating  

to  these  clinics  were  settled.  The  only  remaining  clinic  that  is  classified  as  held  for  sale  is  Al  Madar  Diagnostic  

Centre-Al Ain. 

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

Analysis of assets and liabilities held for sale

Assets

Property, equipment and vehicles

Inventories

Total assets

Liabilities

Retirement benefit obligations

Trade and other payables

Total liabilities

32.

COMMITMENTS

Capital commitments

Incomplete capital expenditure contracts

Switzerland

Southern Africa

Middle East

Capital expenses authorised by the Board of Directors  
but not yet contracted

Switzerland

Southern Africa

Middle East

 These commitments will be financed from Group and borrowed funds.

1

–

1

–

–

–

2018
£’m

 138

 14

 77

 47

 204

 15

 142

 47

 342

8

1

9

1

1

2

2017
£’m

 170

 13

 61

 96

 227

 19

 153

 55

 397

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

239

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

32.  COMMITMENTS (continued)

Operating lease commitments
 The  Group  has  entered  into  various  operating  lease  agreements  on  premises  and  equipment.  The  future  non-

cancellable minimum lease rentals are payable during the following financial years:

Within 1 year

1 to 5 years

Beyond 5 years

Income guarantees
 As part of the expansion of network of specialist institutes in Switzerland and 

centres of expertise the Group has agreed to guarantee a minimum net income 

to  these  specialists  for  a  start-up  period  of  three  to  five  years.  Payments 
under such guarantees become due if the net income from the collaboration 

does  not  meet  the  amounts  guaranteed.  There  were  no  payments  under 

the above mentioned income guarantees in the reporting period as the net 

income individually generated met or exceeded the amounts guaranteed.

Total of net income guaranteed:

April 2016 to March 2017

April 2017 to March 2018

April 2018 to March 2019

April 2019 to March 2020

April 2020 to March 2021

Contingent liabilities

2018
£’m

 47

 147

 413

 607

–

–

 3

 1

 1

 5

2017
£’m

 45

 166

 366

 577

 4

 1

–

–

–

 5

Litigation
 The  Group  is  not  aware  of  any  pending  legal  claims  that  are  not  covered  by  the  Group’s  extensive  insurance 

programmes.

240 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
33.  RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 Remgro  Limited  owns,  through  various  subsidiaries  (Remgro  Healthcare  (Pty)  Ltd,  Remgro  Health  Ltd  and  

Remgro Jersey GBP Ltd) 44.56% (2017: 44.56%) of the Company’s issued share capital.

The following transactions were carried out with related parties:

i)

Transactions with shareholders

Remgro Management Services Ltd (subsidiary of Remgro Ltd)

Managerial and administration fees

Internal audit services

V&R Management Services AG (subsidiary of Remgro Ltd)

Administration fees*

ii)

Key management compensation
Key management includes the directors (executive and non-executive) and 
members of the executive committee.

Salaries and other short term benefits

Short-term benefits

Post employment benefits*

Share-based payment

iii)

Transactions with associates

Zentrallabor Zurich

Fees earned

Purchases

Spire Healthcare Group plc
Non-executive director fee*

Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre (Pty) Ltd

Fees paid

*  Amount is less than £0.5m

34.  FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

0.3

0.2

–

 6

–

 1

 (2)

 8

–

2

0.3

0.2

–

 6

–

 1

 (1)

 10

–

2

 Financial  instruments  measured  at  fair  value  in  the  statement  of  financial  position,  are  classified  using  a  fair  

value  hierarchy  that  reflects  the  significance  of  the  inputs  used  in  the  valuation.  The  fair  value  hierarchy  has  the 

following levels:

 • Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 • Level 2 – Input (other than quoted prices included within level 1) that is observable for the asset or liability, either 

directly (as prices) or indirectly (derived from prices).

 • Level 3 – Input for the asset or liability that is not based on observable market data (unobservable input).

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

Financial instruments carried at fair value in the statement  
of financial position

Financial assets
Other investments and loans (available-for-sale assets)

Financial liabilities
Derivative financial instruments

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

2018
£’m

 1

 (2)

2017
£’m

 2

 (9)

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

241

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

34.  FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (continued)

 • Available-for-sale  assets  (part  of  other  investments  and  loans):  Fair  value  is  based  on  appropriate  valuation 

methodologies being discounted cash flow or actual net asset value of the investment. These assets are grouped 

as level 2.

 • Derivative  financial  instruments:  Interest  rate  swaps  are  measured  at  the  present  value  of  future  cash  flows 

estimated and discounted based on the applicable yield curves derived from quoted interest rates. Based on the 

degree to which the fair value is observable, the interest rate swaps and forward contracts are grouped as level 2.

Financial instruments not carried at fair value in the statement  
of financial position

Financial assets
Other investments and loans

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Borrowings

Trade and other payables

2018
£’m

 7

 440

 261

2017
£’m

 22

 425

 361

(1 937)

 (354)

(2 030)

 (394)

 • Cash  and  cash  equivalents,  trade  and  other  receivables,  trade  and  other  payables  and  other  investments  and 

loans: Due to the expected short-term maturity of these financial instruments, their carrying value approximate 

their fair value.

 • Borrowings: The fair value of long-term borrowings is based on discounted cash flows using the effective interest 

rate method. As the interest rates of long-term borrowings are all market related, their carrying values approximate 

their fair value.

35.  EVENTS AFTER THE REPORTING DATE

 No  material  events  occurred  between  the  reporting  date  and  the  date  the  financial  statements  were  authorised  

for issue.

242 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
ANNEXURE – INVESTMENTS IN 
SUBSIDIARIES, ASSOCIATES AND 
JOINT VENTURES

SUBSIDIARIES 

Company

Country of
incorporation
and place of
business

Principal activities

Al Noor Holdings Cayman Limited (“ANH Cayman”)

Cayman Islands

Intermediary holding company 

ANMC Management Limited (“ANMC Management”)

Cayman Islands

Mediclinic CHF Finco Limited 

Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands B.V. 

Mediclinic International (RF) (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Middle East Holdings Limited 

Group

Jersey

Netherlands

South Africa

Jersey

Intermediary holding company 
and manager of Al Noor Golden

Treasury

Intermediary holding company 

Intermediary holding company 

Intermediary holding company 

Interest in capital1

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic CHF Finco Limited

Mediclinic Jersey Limited

Jersey

Intermediary holding company 

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic International (RF) (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Group Services (Pty) Ltd (previously held through 
Mediclinic Investments (Pty) Ltd)

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Europe (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Middle East Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Group Services (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Management Services (Pty) Ltd

Medical Innovations (Pty) Ltd (previously held through Mediclinic 
Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd)

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd

Curamed Holdings (Pty) Ltd 

ER24 Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Hedrapix Investments (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Intermediary holding company 

Provision of group services 
within the Mediclinic Group

Deregistered

Dormant

Intermediary holding company 

Deregistered

Hospital equipment and 
procurement

Intermediary holding company 

Intermediary holding company 

Dormant

Howick Private Hospital Holdings (Pty) Ltd* (50% plus 1 share)

South Africa

Intermediary holding company 

Medical Human Resources (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic (Pty) Ltd (ordinary shares and Mediclinic Head Office 
Hospital shares)

Mediclinic Brits (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Finance Corporation (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Holdings (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Lephalale (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Midstream (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Midstream Properties (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Paarl (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Properties (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Namibia 

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Management of healthcare staff

Intermediary holding company 
and operating company of 
Mediclinic Southern Africa 

Healthcare services

Treasury

Intermediary holding company 

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Dormant

Healthcare services

Property ownership and 
management

Mediclinic Tzaneen (Pty) Ltd* (50% plus one share)

South Africa

Healthcare services

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd

Medipark Clinic (Pty) Ltd

Newcastle Private Hospital (Pty) Ltd* (50% plus one share)

Practice Relief (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Dormant

Healthcare services

Provision of debt collection  
and related services

Victoria Hospital (Pty) Ltd* (50% plus one share)

South Africa

Healthcare services

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Holdings (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Capital (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Otjiwarongo (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Properties (Swakopmund) (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Properties (Windhoek) (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Swakopmund (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Windhoek (Pty) Ltd

Namibia

Namibia

Namibia

Namibia

Namibia

Namibia

Investment holding company

Healthcare services

Property ownership and 
management

Property ownership and 
management

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

100.0 

100.0

–

100.0 

100.0 

–

100.0 

69.6 

100.0 

100.0 

50.0 

100.0 

100.0 

67.8 

100.0 

100.0 

91.2 

81.1 

100.0 

75.9 

100.0 

50.0 

–

50.0 

100.0 

50.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

99.0 

96.5 

100.0 

100.0

100.0

100.0 

100.0 

100.0

100.0 

69.6 

100.0 

100.0 

50.0 

100.0 

100.0 

65.2 

100.0 

100.0 

87.3 

81.1 

100.0 

75.2 

100.0 

50.0 

100.0

50.0 

100.0 

50.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

97.2 

96.5 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

243

I

I

G
R
O
U
P
F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

I

I

F
N
A
N
C
A
L
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
S

I

A
D
D
T
O
N
A
L

I

I

N
F
O
R
M
A
T
O
N

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES, ASSOCIATES AND JOINT VENTURES 
(CONTINUED)

SUBSIDIARIES (continued)

Company

Hospital Investment Companies 

Mediclinic Bloemfontein Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Cape Gate Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Cape Town Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Constantiaberg Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Durbanville Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Emfuleni Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic George Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Highveld Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Hoogland Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Kathu Investments (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Klein Karoo Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Legae Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Milnerton Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Morningside Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Nelspruit Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Panorama Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Plettenberg Bay Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Sandton Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Secunda Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Stellenbosch Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Vereeniging Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Vergelegen Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Welkom Investments (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Worcester Investments (Pty) Ltd

Indirectly held through Mediclinic (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Barberton (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Ermelo (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Hermanus (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Kimberley (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Limpopo (Pty) Ltd$* 

Mediclinic Potchefstroom (Pty) Ltd*

Mediclinic Upington (Pty) Ltd* 

Country of
incorporation
and place of
business

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

South Africa

Principal activities

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Dormant

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Hospital investment company

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Interest in capital1

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

98.9 

90.9 

99.0 

75.5 

99.4 

83.0 

97.3 

98.5 

99.1 

100.0 

100.0 

91.8 

99.6 

99.4 

79.5 

98.7 

99.2 

77.4 

93.0 

94.0 

81.8 

72.7 

98.5 

92.9 

91.0 

97.3 

77.0 

52.2 

53.2 

89.4 

50.0 

86.1 

50.0 

98.9 

92.8 

99.0 

75.6 

99.4 

84.1 

97.2 

98.6 

99.2 

100.0 

100.0 

93.1 

99.6 

99.4 

79.0 

98.7 

98.7 

76.4 

95.0 

92.9 

81.8 

90.8 

99.0 

93.1 

91.4 

97.3 

77.0 

50.1 

53.2

89.4 

50.0 

86.8 

50.0 

Indirectly held through Howick Private Hospital Holdings  
(Pty) Ltd

Howick Private Hospital (Pty) Ltd*

South Africa

Healthcare services

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Limpopo (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Limpopo Day Clinic (Pty) Ltd 

Mediclinic Limpopo Investments (Pty) Ltd

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Durbanville Investments  
(Pty) Ltd

South Africa

South Africa

Day clinic investment company

Investment holding company

60.2 

100.0 

60.2 

100.0 

Mediclinic Durbanville Day Clinic (Pty) Ltd 

South Africa

Day clinic investment company

89.9 

89.9 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Tzaneen (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Tzaneen Investments (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

Investment holding company

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Victoria Hospital (Pty) Ltd

Victoria Hospital Investments (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

Investment holding company

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Curamed Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Curamed Hospitals (Pty) Ltd

Curamed Properties (Pty) Ltd

Indirectly held through Curamed Hospitals (Pty) Ltd

South Africa

South Africa

Healthcare services

Property ownership and 
management

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

Mediclinic Thabazimbi (Pty) Ltd 

South Africa

Healthcare services

76.0 

76.0 

Indirectly Held through ER24 Holdings (Pty) Ltd

ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd

ER24 Trademarks (Pty) Ltd

* 

Controlled through long-term management agreements

244 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

South Africa

South Africa

Emergency medical services

Intellectual property holding 
company

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0

 
Company

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands B.V.

Country of
incorporation
and place of
business

Principal activities

Interest in capital1

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

Mediclinic Luxembourg S.à.r.l

Luxembourg

Intermediary holding company

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Luxembourg S.à.r.l.

Hirslanden AG

Switzerland

Intermediary holding company 
and operating company of the 
Hirslanden group

100.0 

100.0 

Indirectly held through Hirslanden AG 

AndreasKlinik AG Cham 

Hirslanden Bern AG

Hirslanden Clinique La Colline SA

Hirslanden Freiburg AG, Düdingen

Hirslanden Klinik Aarau AG

Indirectly held through Hirslanden AG 

Hirslanden Klinik Am Rosenberg AG

Hirslanden Lausanne SA

IMRAD SA

Klinik Belair AG

Klinik Birshof AG

Klinik St. Anna AG

Klinik Stephanshorn AG

Radiotherapie Hirslanden AG

Röntgeninstitut Cham AG

Linde Holding Biel/Bienne AG

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

80.0 

100.0 

99.7 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0

 99.7

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

80.0 

100.0 

99.7 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

15.0

–

Indirectly held through Hirslanden Klinik am Rosenberg AG 

Klinik am Rosenberg Heiden AG

Switzerland

Healthcare services

99.2 

99.2 

I

S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T

G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E
A
N
D
R
E
M
U
N
E
R
A
T
O
N

I

Indirectly held through Linde Holding Biel/Bienne AG

Hirslanden Klinik Linde AG (Previously Privatklinik Linde AG)

Lindenpark Immobilien AG

Indirectly held through Hirslanden Bern AG

Switzerland

Switzerland

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Herzchirurgie Hirslanden Bern AG

Switzerland

Healthcare services

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Middle East Holdings Limited

Mediclinic International Co Limited

Emirates Healthcare Holdings Limited

United Kingdom

Dormant

British Virgin Islands

Intermediary holding company 

Indirectly held through Emirates Healthcare Holdings Limited

Welcare World Holdings Limited

Emirates Healthcare Limited

British Virgin Islands

Healthcare services

British Virgin Islands

Healthcare services

Indirectly held through Emirates Healthcare Limited 

American Healthcare Management Systems Limited 

British Virgin Islands

Management services

Delah Cafe FZ LLC (incorporated in October 2016)

UAE

Food and catering

Emirates Healthcare Estates Limited

British Virgin Islands

Property management

Mediclinic Al Quasis Clinic LLC2

Mediclinic Beach Road LLC2

Mediclinic City Hospital FZ LLC

Mediclinic Clinics Investment LLC2

Mediclinic Ibn Battuta Clinic LLC2

Mediclinic Medical Stores Co LLC2

Mediclinic Mirdif Clinic LLC2

Mediclinic Parkview Hospital LLC2

Mediclinic Al Bahr Clinic LLC (previously named Manchester  
Clinic LLC)

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Healthcare services

Procurement

Healthcare services

Healthcare services 

Healthcare services

Welcare Hospitals Limited (BVI)

British Virgin Islands

Healthcare services

Welcare World Health Systems Limited 

British Virgin Islands

Healthcare services

Mediclinic Hospitals LLC4

Pharma Light Medical Store LLC 

Indirectly held through Welcare Hospitals Limited (BVI)

Mediclinic Welcare Hospital LLC2

UAE

UAE

UAE

Healthcare services

Medical store/procurement

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A
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O
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I

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

49.0 

49.0 

100.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

100.0 

100.0 

49.0

49.0

–

–

–

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

 100.0 

100.0 

49.0 

49.0 

100.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

100.0 

100.0 

–

–

Healthcare services

49.0 

49.0 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

245

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES, ASSOCIATES AND JOINT VENTURES 
(CONTINUED)

SUBSIDIARIES (continued)

Company

Indirectly held through Welcare World Holdings Limited

Mediclinic Corniche Medical Centre LLC2

Mediclinic Pharmacy LLC2

Indirectly held through Welcare World Health Systems Limited

Mediclinic Middle East Management Services FZ LLC

Indirectly held through Al Noor Holdings Cayman Limited and 
ANMC Management Limited 

Al Noor Golden Commercial Investment LLC  
(“Al Noor Golden”)3

Indirectly held through Al Noor Golden Commercial  
Investment LLC

Al Noor Hospital Clinics – Al Ain9

Indirectly held through Mediclinic Hospitals LLC

Al Madar Medical Center LLC5 (previously Al Madar Group)

Al Madar Medical Center Pharmacy LLC10

Mediclinic Al Mamora LLC (previously named Al Noor Hospital 
Family Care Centre – Al Mamoora LLC)6

Mediclinic Khalifa City Clinic LLC (previously named Al Noor 
Hospital Medical Centre Khalifa City LLC)7

Mediclinic Aspetar LLC (previously named Aspetar Al Madar 
Medical Center LLC)8

Mediclinic Pharmacy Aspetar LLC (previously named Aspetar  
Al Madar Medical Pharmacy)11

Notes

Country of
incorporation
and place of
business

Principal activities

Interest in capital1

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

UAE

Healthcare services

Healthcare services (pharmacy)

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

49.0 

Healthcare management 
services

100.0 

100.0 

Intermediary holding company 

49.0 

49.0 

Intermediary holding company 

Healthcare services

Healthcare Services

Healthcare Services

Healthcare Services

Healthcare services 

Healthcare services

99.0 

73.0 

49.0

99.0

49.0

49.0 

49.0 

– 

73.0 

49.0

100.0

49.0

49.0 

49.0 

1 
2 
3 

The actual equity interest in the UAE entities are disclosed herein, with the beneficial interest further explained in the notes.
In terms of the constitutional and contractual arrangements the Group has full management control and an economic interest of 100% in these UAE entities.
 Al Noor Holdings Cayman Limited (“ANH Cayman”) holds 48% and ANMC Management Limited (”ANMC Management”) holds 1% in the share capital of Al Noor 
Golden Commercial Investment LLC (”Al Noor Golden”), collectively 49%. The remaining 51% is held by a third party shareholder, Al Noor Commercial Investment 
Owner Al Nahda International Holdings – Sole Proprietorship LLC (”ANCI”). The constitutional documents of Al Noor Golden provide ANH Cayman with the right 
to receive up to 98% of all distributions by Al Noor Golden, ANMC Management the right to receive 1%, and ANCI the right to receive the remaining 1%. In terms 
of the Mudaraba Agreement, ANH Cayman has the right to receive 99% of ANCI’s right to receive 1% of the distributions of Al Noor Golden. Al Noor Cayman and 
ANMC Management therefore, collectively, have an effective beneficial interest of 99% in Al Noor Golden.
 Al Nahda International Holding LLC holds 100% share capital of Al Noor Commercial Investments Owner Al Nahda International Holding – Sole proprietorship 
LLC. As per the Shareholders Agreement dated 17 May 2017, executed between Emirates Healthcare Limited, Al Nahda International Limited, Al Noor Commercial 
Investment LLC and Mediclinic Hospitals LLC, the parties have agreed that Al Nahda International Holding LLC will become the sole shareholder of ANCI and the 
local sponsor for the group (OPCO of Mediclinic Hospitals LLC and its subsidiaries and their respective registered branches and operational units from time to 
time). In terms of this agreement ANCI holds 51% of the share capital of Mediclinic Hospitals LLC and Emirates Healthcare Limited BVI holds the remaining 49%. 
By virtue of this shareholders agreement, the parties have agreed that ANCI and Mediclinic Hospitals LLC will be managed and controlled by EHL. Every dividend 
declared by Mediclinic Hospitals LLC will be paid directly to Emirates Healthcare Limited. Accordingly, the management, voting rights and the dividend rights 
have been assigned to Emirates Healthcare Limited. As per the termination agreement dated 21 August 2017, between Al Noor Golden Commercial Investment 
LLC, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Butti Al Hamid, Al Noor Commercial Investment LLC, ANMC Management Limited, Al Noor Holdings Cayman and Emirates Healthcare 
Limited whereby the parties agreed to terminate the following:
 a) Relationship management agreement entered into between ANGCI, Sheikh Bin Butti and the OPCO on 20 May 2013 (“Relationship Agreement 1”);
 b) The relationship agreement entered into between ANGCI, ANCI and OPCO on 20 May 2013 (“Relationship Management Agreement 2”);
c) The management agreement entered into between ANCI, ANMC Management on 20 May 2013 (“Management Agreement”); and
 d)  A shareholders agreement entered into between Sheikh Bin Butti, The First Arabian Corporation LLC, Al Noor Cayman, ANMC Management and ANCI on  

20 May 2013 (“Shareholders Agreement”).

4 

5 

 Emirates Healthcare Limited BVI holds 49% of the issued share capital of Mediclinic Hospitals LLC, with the remaining 51% held by ANCI. Emirates Healthcare 
Limited BVI has the right to be appointed as the proxy of ANCI, to attend and to vote at all shareholder meetings of Mediclinic Hospitals LLC.
 Mediclinic Hospitals LLC holds 73% of the issued share capital of Al Madar Medical Center LLC, with the remaining 27% interest held by ANCI. The Memorandum 
of Association of the company provides that Mediclinic Hospitals LLC is entitled to receive 99% of distributions by the company and ANCI is entitled to receive 
1%. The group’s effective beneficial interest in the entity is therefore 99%.

6  Mediclinic Hospitals LLC holds 99% and ANCI holds 1% in the issued share capital of Mediclinic Al Mamora LLC, collectively 100%.
7 

 Mediclinic Hospitals holds 49% of the issued share capital of Mediclinic – Khalifa City Clinic LLC, with the remaining 51% held by ANCI. The Memorandum of 
Association of the company provides that Al Noor Golden is entitled to receive 99% of distributions by the company and ANCI is entitled to receive 1%. The 
group’s effective beneficial interest in the entity is therefore 99%.
 Mediclinic Hospitals LLC holds 49% of the issued share capital of Mediclinic Aspetar LLC, with the remaining 51% held by ANCI. The Memorandum of Association 
of the company provides that Mediclinic Hospitals LLC is entitled to receive 99% of distributions by the company and ANCI is entitled to receive 1%. The group’s 
effective beneficial interest is therefore 99%.
Al Noor Golden holds 99% of the issued share capital of Al Noor Hospital Clinics – Al Ain LLC, with the remaining 1% held by ANCI.
 Mediclinic Hospitals holds 49% of the issued share capital of Mediclinic Pharmacy Aspetar LLC, with the remaining 51% interest held by ANCI. The Memorandum 
of Association of the company provides that Mediclinic Hospitals LLC is entitled to receive 99% of distributions by the company and ANCI is entitled to receive 
1%. The Group’s effective beneficial interest in the entity is therefore 99%.
 Mediclinic Hospitals LLC holds 49% of the issued share capital of Aspetar Al Madar Medical Pharmacy LLC, with the remaining 51% held by ANCI. Mediclinic 
Hospitals LLC holds 99% of the company interest with ANCI holding 1% of the company interest. 

Controlled through long-term management agreements
Operating through trusts or partnerships

8 

9 
10 

11 

* 
$ 

246 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 
 
 
 
 
JOINT VENTURES

Company

Country of
incorporation
and place
of business

Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre 
(Pty) Ltd

South Africa

Principal
activities

Healthcare 
services

Interest in capital

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

49.9

49.9

ASSOCIATES

Company

Listed:

Interest in capital

Book value of investment

31 March
2018
%

31 March
2017
%

31 March
2018
£’m

31 March
2017
£’m

Spire Healthcare Group plc (held through 
Mediclinic Jersey Limited)

Unlisted:

Intercare Medical Proprietary Limited

Zentrallabor Zürich, Zürich

Baukonsortium, Cham*

EFG Parkierung Rigistrasse, Cham*

Centre de Reeducation et de Physiotherapie SA*

Centre de Physiotherapie du Sport S.à.r.l.*

CORTS AG, Maur*

29.9 

29.9 

348 

459 

34.0 

50.0 

24.0

25.0

20.0

23.0

30.0

– 

53.0

24.0

25.0

20.0

23.0

–

2 

2 

–

–

–

–

–

– 

2 

–

–

–

–

–

352 

461 

The nature of the activities of the associates is similar to the major activities of the Group.

*  Book value is less than £0.5m.

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247

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

TO THE MEMBERS OF MEDICLINIC INTERNATIONAL PLC

REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Opinion

In our opinion, Mediclinic International plc’s Company financial statements:

 • give  a  true  and  fair  view  of  the  state  of  the  Company’s  affairs  at  31  March  2018  and  of  its  cash  flows  for  the  year  

then ended;

 • have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union; and

 • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

We have audited the financial statements, included within the Annual Report, which comprise: the statement of financial 
position at 31 March 2018; the statement of cash flows; the statement of changes in equity for the year then ended; and the 
notes to the financial statements, which include a description of the significant accounting policies.

Our opinion is consistent with our reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee.

Basis for opinion

We  conducted  our  audit  in  accordance  with  International  Standards  on  Auditing  (UK)  (“ISAs  (UK)”)  and  applicable  law. 
Our  responsibilities  under  ISAs  (UK)  are  further  described  in  the  Auditors’  responsibilities  for  the  audit  of  the  financial 
statements  section  of  our  report.  We  believe  that  the  audit  evidence  we  have  obtained  is  sufficient  and  appropriate  to 
provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence
We remained independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the 
financial statements in the UK, which includes the FRC’s Ethical Standard, as applicable to listed public interest entities, and 
we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

To the best of our knowledge and belief, we declare that non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were 
not provided to the Company.

Other  than  those  disclosed  in  note  22  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  we  have  provided  no  non-audit  services  
to the Company in the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

Our audit approach

Overview

Materiality

 •

 Overall materiality: £13.4m (2017: £12m) based on 1% of total assets capped at 90% of overall 
materiality applied as part of our Group audit.

 • Our audit included substantive procedures of all material balances and transactions.

 •

Impairment assessment of the Company’s investments in subsidiaries.

Audit scope

Key audit
matters

The scope of our audit
As  part  of  designing  our  audit,  we  determined  materiality  and  assessed  the  risks  of  material  
misstatement in the financial statements. In particular, we looked at where the directors made 
subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates that involved 
making assumptions and considering future events that are inherently uncertain. 

We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the Company 
and the industry in which it operates and we considered the risk of acts by the Company which 
were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. We designed audit procedures 
to  respond  to  the  risk,  recognising  that  the  risk  of  not  detecting  a  material  misstatement  due  to  fraud  is  higher  than  the 
risk  of  not  detecting  one  resulting  from  error,  as  fraud  may  involve  deliberate  concealment  by,  for  example,  forgery 
or  intentional  misrepresentations,  or  through  collusion.  We  designed  audit  procedures  that  focused  on  the  risk  that 
non-compliance  related  to,  but  not  limited  to,  compliance  with  the  Companies  Act  2006,  the  UK  Listing  Rules  and  
UK taxation legislation gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements. In assessing compliance with laws  
and regulations, our tests included, but were not limited to, checking the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting 
documentation, enquiries of management and review of relevant internal audit reports. There are inherent limitations in the 
audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and 
transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it.

248 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

As in all of our audits, we also addressed the risk of management override of internal controls, including testing journals and 
evaluating whether there was evidence of bias by the directors that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud. 

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in the auditors’ professional judgement, were of most significance in the audit of the 
financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether 
or not due to fraud) identified by the auditors, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; 
the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters, and any comments 
we make on the results of our procedures thereon, were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a 
whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. This is not a complete 
list of all risks identified by our audit. 

KEY AUDIT MATTER

Impairment assessment of the Company’s 
investments in subsidiaries 
(refer to note 3 in the Company financial statements)

The Company holds investments in subsidiaries with a 
historical cost of £5 916m. 

Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for at cost  
less impairment in the Company balance sheet at  
31 March 2018. Investments are tested for impairment if 
impairment indicators exist. If such indicators exist, the 
recoverable amounts of the investments in subsidiaries 
are estimated in order to determine the extent of the 
impairment loss, if any. Any such impairment loss is 
recognised in the income statement.

Impairment triggers were identified in connection with the 
Company’s investments in Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands 
B.V. and CHF Finco Limited (Jersey) due to a decline in 
the expected recoverable value of the underlying Swiss 
operations and following a reduction in the listed market 
price of the underlying investment in Spire respectively. As 
a result, an impairment loss of £1 169m was recognised in 
the current year, reflecting a write-down of the investment 
in Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands B.V. to its recoverable 
value at 31 March 2018.

The impairment assessment performed by management 
was considered a key audit matter given the size of the 
underlying investment carrying values and recognising 
the significance of the impairment charge that has been 
recorded. The assessment requires the application of 
management judgement, particularly in determining 
whether any impairment indicators have arisen that trigger 
the need for an impairment review and assessing whether 
the carrying value of an asset can be supported by its 
recoverable amount, which is determined by reference  
to the key valuation assumptions for each investment. 

How we tailored the audit scope 

HOW OUR AUDIT ADDRESSED THE KEY 
AUDIT MATTER

We evaluated management’s assumption whether any 
indicators of impairment existed by comparing the 
Company’s carrying value of investments in subsidiaries 
to the Group’s market capitalisation at 31 March 2018 
and to the valuations implied by other models, including 
valuation models prepared for goodwill impairment 
review purposes and for the Group’s associate 
investment in Spire, which were subject to audit 
procedures as part of our Group audit. 

Deploying our valuation experts, we tested the 
reasonableness of key assumptions underpinning 
management’s value-in-use valuation of the Company’s 
investments, focusing in particular on the Swiss 
operations and the investment in Spire, including 
cash flow forecasts and the selection of growth rates 
and discount rates. We challenged management to 
substantiate its assumptions, including comparing 
relevant assumptions to third party data and  
economic forecasts.

We evaluated management’s sensitivity analyses to 
ascertain the impact of reasonably possible changes  
to key assumptions on the level of impairment required. 

Based on our work performed, we concurred with 
management that an impairment is required in the 
current year. We have found the judgements and 
estimates made by management in determining the 
impairment charge to be materially reasonable in  
the context of the Company financial statements taken 
as a whole and the related disclosures to be appropriate. 

We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give an opinion on the financial 
statements as a whole, taking into account the structure of the Company, its accounting processes and controls and the 

industry in which it operates. Our audit included substantive procedures on all material balances and transactions recorded 

in the Company’s financial statements. 

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

249

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

Materiality

The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds for materiality. 

These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and 

extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement line items and disclosures and in evaluating the effect 

of misstatements, both individually and in aggregate, on the financial statements as a whole. 

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Overall materiality

£13.4m (2017: £12m).

How we determined it

Based on 1% of total assets capped at 90% of overall materiality applied as 
part of our Group audit.

Rationale for benchmark applied

Mediclinic International plc is the ultimate parent company which holds the 
Group’s investments. Therefore, the entity is not in itself profit-oriented. The 
strength of the balance sheet is the key measure of financial health that is 
important to shareholders, since the primary concern for the parent company 
is the payment of dividends. Using a benchmark of total assets is therefore 
most appropriate. However, materiality levels have been capped at 90%  
of overall materiality applied as part of our Group audit. 

We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit above 

£0.75m (2017: £0.74m) as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, warranted reporting for qualitative 

reasons.

Going concern

In accordance with ISAs (UK) we report as follows:

REPORTING OBLIGATION

OUTCOME

We are required to report if we have anything material to add or draw attention 
to in respect of the directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether 
the directors considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting in preparing the financial statements and the directors’ identification 
of any material uncertainties to the Company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern over a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the 
financial statements.

We have nothing material to add 
or to draw attention to. However, 
because not all future events or 
conditions can be predicted, this 
statement is not a guarantee 
as to the Company’s ability to 
continue as a going concern.

We are required to report if the directors’ statement relating to going concern 
in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our 
knowledge obtained in the audit.

We have nothing to report.

Reporting on other information 

The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our 

auditors’ report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements 

does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or, except to the extent otherwise 

explicitly stated in this report, any form of assurance thereon. 

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, 

consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained 

in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency or material 

misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement of the financial 

statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that 

there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report 

based on these responsibilities.

250 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

With respect to the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report, we also considered whether the disclosures required by the  

UK Companies Act 2006 have been included. 

Based on the responsibilities described above and our work undertaken in the course of the audit, the Companies Act 2006 

(CA06), ISAs (UK) and the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) require us also to report certain opinions 

and matters as described below (required by ISAs (UK) unless otherwise stated).

STRATEGIC REPORT AND DIRECTORS’ REPORT

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit, the information given in the Strategic Report 
and Directors’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2018 is consistent with the financial statements and has been 
prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. (CA06)

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, 
we did not identify any material misstatements in the Strategic Report and Directors’ Report. (CA06)

THE DIRECTORS’ ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS OF THE COMPANY AND OF THE 
PRINCIPAL RISKS THAT WOULD THREATEN THE SOLVENCY OR LIQUIDITY OF THE 
COMPANY

We have nothing material to add or draw attention to regarding:

 • The directors’ confirmation on page 99 of the Annual Report that they have carried out a robust assessment of the 
principal risks facing the Company, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, 
solvency or liquidity;

 • The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those risks and explain how they are being managed or 

mitigated; and

 • The directors’ explanation on page 50 of the Annual Report as to how they have assessed the prospects of the 
Company, over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate and their 
statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the Company will be able to continue in operation 
and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing 
attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We have nothing to report having performed a review of the directors’ statement that they have carried out a 
robust assessment of the principal risks facing the Company and statement in relation to the longer-term viability 
of the company. Our review was substantially less in scope than an audit and only consisted of making inquiries and 
considering the directors’ process supporting their statements; checking that the statements are in alignment with the 
relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”); and considering whether the statements are 
consistent with the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the 
audit. (Listing Rules)

OTHER CODE PROVISIONS

We have nothing to report in respect of our responsibility to report when: 
 • The statement given by the directors, on page 160, that they consider the Annual Report taken as a whole to be fair, 
balanced and understandable, and provides the information necessary for the members to assess the company’s 
position and performance, business model and strategy is materially inconsistent with our knowledge of the 
Company obtained in the course of performing our audit;

 • The section of the Annual Report on page 120 describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee does not 

appropriately address matters communicated by us to the Audit and Risk Committee; and

 • The directors’ statement relating to the Company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose a 

departure from a relevant provision of the Code specified, under the Listing Rules, for review by the auditors.

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION

In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance 
with the Companies Act 2006. (CA06)

AR

AR

AR

AR

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit

Responsibilities of the directors for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement set out on page 160, the directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give 
a true and fair view. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the 
preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the Company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless 
the directors either intend to liquidate the Company or to cease operations or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance 
is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect  
a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually 
or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of 
these financial statements. 

A  further  description  of  our  responsibilities  for  the  audit  of  the  financial  statements  is  located  on  the  FRC’s  website  at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

Use of this report
This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the Company’s members as a body in accordance 
with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept 
or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands  
it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

OTHER REQUIRED REPORTING

Companies Act 2006 exception reporting

Under the Companies Act 2006, we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

 • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
 • adequate  accounting  records  have  not  been  kept  by  the  Company  or  returns  adequate  for  our  audit  have  not  been 

received from branches not visited by us; or

 • certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

 •

the financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are not in agreement with the 
accounting records and returns. 

We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility. 

Appointment

Following the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, we were appointed by the members on 18 March 2016 
to audit the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2016 and subsequent financial periods. The period of total 
uninterrupted engagement is three years, covering the years ended 31 March 2016 to 31 March 2018.

OTHER MATTER

We  have  reported  separately  on  the  consolidated  financial  statements  of  Mediclinic  International  plc  for  the  year  ended  
31 March 2018.

Giles Hannam (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
London
23 May 2018

252 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

COMPANY STATEMENT OF  
FINANCIAL POSITION 

AS AT 31 MARCH 2018

Non-current assets
Investment in subsidiaries

Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Equity
Share capital

Capital redemption reserve

Share premium

Retained earnings

Opening balance

(Loss)/profit for the year

Dividends paid

Share-based payment reserve

Treasury shares

Total equity

Current liabilities
Other payables

Amount due to related parties

Total liabilities

Notes

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

3

5

5

5

5

5

4

4 747

5 916

26

4 773

74

6

690

3 976

5 154

(1 120)

(58)

1

(1)

4 746

1

26

27

34 

5 950

74

6

690

5 154

4 899

317

(62)

1

(2)

5 923

1

26

27

4 773

5 950

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These financial statements as set out on pages 253 to 260 were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors 

and signed on their behalf by:

DP Meintjes 
Chief Executive Officer  

23 May 2018 

PJ Myburgh
Chief Financial Officer

23 May 2018

Mediclinic International plc (Company no 08338604)

The notes on pages 256 to 260 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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253

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COMPANY STATEMENT OF  
CHANGES IN EQUITY 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

Share
capital
£’m

Capital
redemption
reserve
£’m

74

 – 

 – 

74

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

74

6 

 – 

 – 

6

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

6

Share
premium
£’m

Retained
earnings
£’m

690

4 899

 – 

 – 

690

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

317

(62)

5 154

(1 120)

(58)

 – 

 – 

690

3 976

Share-
based
payment
reserve
£’m

Treasury
shares
£’m

1

 – 

 – 

1

 – 

 – 

1

(1)

1

(2) 

 – 

 – 

(2)

 – 

 – 

 – 

1

(1)

Total
£’m

5 668

317

(62) 

5 923

(1 120)

(58)

1

 – 

4 746

At 1 April 2016
Profit for the year

Dividends paid in the year

At 31 March 2017
Loss for the year

Dividends paid in the year 

Addition to share-based 
payment reserve

Settlement of share-based 
payment reserve

At 31 March 2018

The notes on pages 256 to 260 form an integral part of these financial statements.

254 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

COMPANY STATEMENT  
OF CASH FLOWS 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

Operating activities
(Loss)/profit before tax

Adjustments for:

Finance costs

Other income

Impairment of investments

Settlement of share-based payments

Dividend income

Net cash used in operating activities before movements  
in working capital
Change in balances with related parties

Change in other payables

Change in derivatives

Net cash (used in)/generated from operating activities

Investing activities
Dividend received

Net cash generated from investing activities

Financing activities
Repayment of bank loan

Interest paid

Dividend paid

Net cash used in financing activities

Net movement in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

Notes

6

3

4

6

2018
£’m

(1 120)

 – 

(33)

1 169 

1

(24)

(7)

 – 

 – 

 – 

(7)

24

24

 – 

 – 

(25)

(25)

(8)

34 

26

2017
£’m

317

6

(27) 

 – 

 – 

(303)

(7)

47

(2)

(1) 

37

303

303

(265)

(6)

(35)

(306)

34

 – 

34 

The notes on pages 256 to 260 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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255

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE COMPANY  
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

1.

STATUS AND ACTIVITY

Mediclinic  International  plc  (the  “Company”  or  “Parent’’)  is  a  Company  which  was  incorporated  in  England  and 
Wales on 20 December 2012. The address of the registered office of the Company is C/O Link Company Matters 

Limited, 6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ. The registration number of the Company is 08338604. 

There is no ultimate controlling party. The domicile of the Company is the United Kingdom. The Company is a public 

liability company with three operating divisions in Switzerland, Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) and the 

United Arab Emirates.

The activities of the subsidiaries are the operation of medical hospitals and clinics and the sale of pharmaceuticals, 

medical supplies and related equipment.

These  financial  statements  are  the  separate  financial  statements  of  the  Parent  Company  only  and  the  financial 

statements  of  the  Group  are  prepared  and  presented  separately.  The  financial  statements  are  available  at  the 

registered office of the Company.

2.

BASIS OF PREPARATION
The Company’s principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are the same 

as  those  set  out  in  note  2  of  the  Group’s  financial  statements,  except  as  noted  below.  These  policies  have  been 

consistently applied to all the years presented.

Investments in subsidiaries are carried at cost less any accumulated impairment.

Dividend income is recognised when the right to receive payment is established.

The  Company  is  taking  advantage  of  the  exemption  in  section  408  of  the  UK  Companies  Act  not  to  present  its 

individual income statement as part of these financial statements.

a) Basis of measurement
The financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards 
(“IFRS”),  as  adopted  by  the  European  Union,  including  IFRS  Interpretations  Committee  (“IFRS  IC”)  applicable 
to  companies  reporting  under  IFRS.  The  financial  statements  are  prepared  on  the  historical  cost  convention,  

as modified by the revaluation of certain financial instruments to fair value.

b) Functional and presentation currency
The financial statements and financial information are presented in pounds sterling, rounded to the nearest million.

c) Going concern
The Company’s financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors believe that the Company 

will continue to be in operation in the foreseeable future.

3.

INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES
This investment is stated at cost less impairment.

Shares at cost

Less: impairment charge

Closing balance

2018
£’m

5 916

(1 169)

4 747 

2017
£’m

5 916

 – 

5 916

256 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

3.

INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES (continued)
The  investments  held  by  the  Company  are  Al  Noor  Holdings  Cayman  Limited,  ANMC  Management  Limited,  Mediclinic 

CHF  Finco  Limited,  Mediclinic  Holdings  Netherlands  B.V.,  Mediclinic  Middle  East  Holdings  Limited  and  

Mediclinic International (RF) (Pty) Ltd, each being wholly-owned subsidiaries.

The activities of the subsidiaries are the operation of medical hospitals and clinics and the sale of pharmaceuticals, 

medical supplies and related equipment.

At the financial year end, the investment in Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands B.V. was impaired due to the impairment 

of  the  carrying  values  of  properties  and  intangible  assets  of  its  underlying  investment,  Hirslanden  AG.  An  

impairment charge of £1 169m was recorded in the Company’s records. Refer to notes 6 and 7 of the consolidated 

financial statements for more detail relating to the impairment calculation.

Refer to the Annexure to the notes to the consolidated financial statements on page 243 for a complete listing of 

investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures of the Group and details of the country of incorporation, 

place of business, principal activities and interest in capital.

4.

RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Related-parties  comprise  the  subsidiaries,  the  shareholders,  key  management  personnel  and  those  entities  over 

which the parent, the directors or the Company can exercise significant influence or which can significantly influence 

the Company.

2018
£’m

2017
£’m

a) Transactions with key management personnel
Key  management  includes  the  directors  (executive  and  non-executive)  
and members of the executive committee

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Salaries and other short-term benefits

b) Amount due to a related party:
Mediclinic Hospitals LLC

This  amount  included  the  transaction  and  operational  expenses  paid  
by  Mediclinic  Hospitals  LLC  on  behalf  of  the  Company.  This  amount  is 
payable on demand.

Information regarding the Group’s subsidiaries and associates can be found  
in  the  Annexure  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  on  pages  243  
to 247.

c) Dividends received from related parties:
Mediclinic CHF Finco Limited

Mediclinic Holdings Netherlands B.V.

Mediclinic International (RF) (Pty) Ltd

Mediclinic Middle East Holdings Limited

1

26

4

8

 – 

12

24

1

26

49

7

78

169

303

 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

257

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NOTES TO THE COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

5.

SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES

Issued and fully paid 737 243 810 (2017: 737 243 810) shares of 
10 pence each

OTHER RESERVES

2018
£’m

74

As at 1 April 2016
Addition of share-based payment reserve

As at 31 March 2017
Addition to share-based payment reserve

Settlement of share-based payment reserve

As at 31 March 2018

Share-based
payment
reserve
£’m

Treasury
shares
£’m 

1

 – 

1

1

(1)

1

(2) 

 – 

(2)

 – 

1

(1)

2017
£’m

74

Total
£’m

(1)

 – 

(1)

 – 

 – 

 – 

6.

DIVIDENDS
The Company declared interim dividends for the 2017/18 period and final dividends for the 2016/17 period amounting 

to £58m. The Company paid £25m (2017: £35m) of these dividends, the remainder of £33m (2017: £27m) was paid 

by the Dividend Access Trust.

A  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  the  Company,  Mediclinic  International  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd,  formed  a  Dividend  Access 

Trust to comply with a South African Reserve Bank requirement that dividends from a South African source due to 

South African shareholders on the South African share register must be paid locally to avoid an outflow of funds 

from South Africa.

The beneficiaries of the trust are the South African shareholders of the Company who hold their shares via the South 

African share register on the relevant record date in respect of each distribution paid through the Dividend Access 

Scheme. The Dividend Access Trust does not participate in any profits.

When a dividend is declared by the Company, the Dividend Access Trust would receive a dividend from Mediclinic 

International (RF) (Pty) Ltd which in turn is paid over to the Company’s transfer secretaries in South Africa, who 

arrange for the payment of the relevant amount to the South African shareholders (the beneficiaries of the trust) 

through the usual dividend payment procedures, as if they were dividends received from Mediclinic International 

plc. To the extent that the dividends due to South African shareholders are not ultimately funded from Mediclinic 

International  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd,  they  receive  those  dividends  as  normal  dividends  from  Mediclinic  International  plc.  

The South African shareholders’ entitlement to receive dividends declared by Mediclinic International plc is reduced 

by any amounts they receive via the trust.

Details on the final proposed dividend has been disclosed in note 28.6 to the consolidated financial statements.

258 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

7.

AUDITOR’S REMUNERATION
The  Company  incurred  an  amount  of  £448  758  (2017:  £337  900)  to  its  auditor  in  respect  of  the  audit  of  the 

Company and Group’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2018. The fee includes an amount of £42 959  

(2017: £nil) in respect of prior years.

Fees payable to the Company’s auditors for other services:

Tax advisory services

Audit-related and other services

Relates to services rendered across the Group.

2018
£’m

–

0.12

0.12

2017
£’m

0.25

0.10

0.35

8.

SHARE-BASED PAYMENT RESERVE
Forfeitable Share Plan
The  Mediclinic  International  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd  Forfeitable  Share  Plan  (“FSP”)  was  approved  by  the  Company’s 
shareholders  in  July  2014  as  a  long-term  incentive  scheme  for  selected  senior  management  (executive  directors 

and prescribed officers). This share-based payment arrangement is accounted for as an equity-settled share-based 

payment transaction. The FSP shares will vest after the vesting period has lapsed.

Under  the  FSP,  conditional  share  awards  are  granted  to  selected  employees  of  the  Group.  The  vesting  of  these 

shares is subject to continued employment and measured over a three-year period.

As at 1 April 2017 (2017: 1 April 2016)

Vested during the year

As at 31 March

2018
Number of 
shares

239 290

(137 948)

101 342

2017
Number of
shares

239 290

 – 

239 290

A valuation has been determined and an expense recognised over a three-year period. The fair value of the total 
shareholder return (“TSR”) performance condition has been determined by using the Monte Carlo simulation model 
and the fair value of the headline earnings per share performance condition, consensus forecasts have been used. 

The following assumptions were used with the valuation of the scheme: risk-free rate of 7.49%, dividend yield of 1.0% 

and volatility of 20%.

Apart from the FSP, there are no other share option schemes in place. Therefore, no Director exercised any rights  

in relation to share option schemes during the reporting period. 

9.

TAXATION
At  31  March  2018,  the  Company  had  unutilised  tax  losses  of  approximately  £40m  (2017:  £33m).  No  deferred  tax 

asset has been recognised in respect of these losses.

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259

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

10.

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
a) Capital risk management
The Company manages its capital to ensure it is able to continue as a going concern while maximising the return 

on equity. The Company does not have a formalised optimal target capital structure or target ratios in connection 

with its capital risk management objective. The Company’s overall strategy remains unchanged from the prior year.  

The Company is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements.

b) Financial risk management objectives
The Company is exposed to the following risks related to financial instruments: credit risk, liquidity risk and foreign 

currency risk. The Company does not enter into or trade in financial instruments, investments in securities, including 

derivative financial instruments, for speculative purposes.

c) Credit risk
The carrying amount of financial assets represents the maximum credit exposure. There is no material credit risk 

involved on the Company’s financial statements. The Company's cash equivalents are placed with quality financial 

institutions with a high credit rating.

d) Liquidity risk
Ultimate  responsibility  for  liquidity  risk  management  rests  with  the  directors  of  the  Company,  who  have  built  an 

appropriate  liquidity  risk  management  framework  for  managing  the  Company’s  short,  medium  and  long-term 

funding  and  liquidity  management  requirements.  The  Company  manages  liquidity  risk  by  maintaining  adequate 

reserves by continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows and matching the maturity profiles of financial 

assets and liabilities.

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will be unable to meet its funding requirements. The table below summarises 

the maturity profile of the Company’s financial liabilities. The contractual maturities of the financial liabilities have 

been determined on the basis of the remaining period at the end of reporting period to the contractual repayment 

date. The maturity profile is monitored by management to ensure adequate liquidity is maintained.

The  maturity  profile  of  the  liabilities  at  the  end  of  reporting  period  based  on  existing  contractual  repayment 

arrangements was as follows:

31 March 2018
Other payables

Related-party payables

31 March 2017
Other payables

Related-party payables

Carrying
amount
£’m

Contractual
cash flows
£’m 

1 year
or less
£’m

1

26

27

1

26

27

1

26

27

1

26

27

1

26

27

1

26

27

e)  Foreign currency risk
The Company has an insignificant exposure regarding foreign currency, but a prudent approach towards foreign 

cover is followed if applicable. 

260 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION

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 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

261
261

 
 
 
 
 
SHAREHOLDER
INFORMATION

SHARE CAPITAL AND SHAREHOLDERS 

Structure

The Company’s ordinary issued share capital as at 31 March 2018 was 737 243 810 ordinary shares of £0.10 each which have  

a primary listing on the LSE and secondary listings on the JSE in South Africa and the NSX in Namibia. The ordinary share 

class  represents  100%  of  the  Company’s  total  issued  share  capital.  Further  information  on  the  Company’s  issued  share 
capital can be found in note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements on pages 207 and 208. 

There are no known arrangements under which financial rights are held by a person other than the holder of the shares. 

Shares  acquired  through  the  Company’s  share  schemes  and  plans  rank  equally  with  the  other  shares  in  issue  and  have 
no special rights. Further details on the Company’s employee share scheme are included in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report from page 130.

AR

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Distribution of ordinary shareholders as at 31 March 2018

LSE register (registered)

JSE register (beneficial) comprising:

certificated

dematerialised

Total 

Acquisition of own shares 

Number of
share-
holders

Number
of shares

649

220 885 142

 29 273

516 358 668

1 072

28 201

29 922

398 368

515 960 300

737 243 810

% of
issued
share
capital

29.96%

70.04%

0.05%

69.99%

100.00%

At the Company’s annual general meeting on 20 July 2016, it was resolved that the Company was authorised to purchase the 

10 subscriber shares of 10 pence per share in the capital of the Company from Astro II SPV at a price of 10 pence per share, 

which repurchase was concluded in April 2017.

The Company has no intention to complete a market purchase of its ordinary shares and will not seek this authority at the 

Company’s annual general meeting on 25 July 2018.

Restrictions on the transfer of Company shares 

The South African Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 53 of 2003, as amended, (the “B-BEE Act”) was enacted 
to establish a legislative framework for the promotion of broad-based black economic empowerment in South Africa and 

is intended to encourage transformation by including black people in the economy. It covers aspects such as ownership, 

management control, skills development, enterprise and supplier development and social-economic development. In 2005, 
Mediclinic International (RF) (Pty) Ltd (previously Mediclinic International Limited) (“Mediclinic SA”) implemented a black 
ownership  initiative  with  MP1  Investment  Holdings  (Pty)  Ltd  (previously  Circle  Capital  Ventures  (Pty)  Ltd)  (“MP1”)  and 
Phodiso Holdings Limited (“Phodiso”) (collectively, the “Strategic Black Partners”).

Following the combination of Mediclinic SA with Al Noor Hospitals Group plc in February 2016, the Company entered into 

arrangements with the Strategic Black Partners to formalise the basis on which the Strategic Black Partners hold their shares 

in the Company, which are materially the same as the arrangements in existence prior to the combination. The arrangements 

that  originally  applied  to  the  holdings  of  the  Strategic  Black  Partners  in  relation  to  their  shares  in  Mediclinic  SA  before 

completion of the combination continue to apply to their holdings of shares in the Company. The restrictions are:

 •

in  the  case  of  the  24  582  960  shares  held  by  Phodiso  through  its  subsidiary,  Mpilo  Investment  Holdings  2  (RF)  (Pty) 
Ltd (“Mpilo 2”), representing approximately 3.33% of the Company’s issued share capital, disposals of such shares are 
restricted until 31 December 2018; and

262 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

 •

in  the  case  of  the  10  958  206  shares  held  by  MP1  through  its  subsidiary,  Mpilo  1  Newco  (RF)  (Pty)  Ltd  (“Mpilo  1”), 
representing  approximately  1.49%  of  the  Company’s  issued  share  capital,  disposals  of  such  shares  are  restricted  until  

31 December 2019.

The arrangements also contain pre-emptive rights in favour of the Company which provide that, if any of the shares in the 

Company held by Mpilo 1 or Mpilo 2 are to be offered for sale, the Company will be offered the opportunity to purchase 

such shares or to nominate another person to purchase such shares, in each case, at a discounted price of, in relation to the  

Mpilo  1  shares,  approximately  5%  to  the  then  market  value  and,  in  relation  to  the  Mpilo  2  shares,  approximately  10%.  

Any exercise of a right to purchase such shares by the Company itself would require the approval of its shareholders.

Restrictions on voting rights 

The Company’s Articles of Association provide that, unless the directors determine otherwise, a shareholder shall not be 

entitled  to  vote,  either  personally  or  by  proxy,  at  any  general  meeting  of  the  Company,  or  to  exercise  any  other  right 

conferred by membership if:

 • any call or other sum payable to the Company in respect of that share remains unpaid; or

 •

such shareholder, having been duly served with a notice to provide the Company with information under section 793  

of the UK Companies Act 2006, has failed to do so within 14 days of such notice, for so long as the default continues.

Substantial shareholders

As at year end, and if subsequently changed also as at 23 May 2018, being the last practicable date, the following shareholders 

notified the Company, in accordance with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, of their interest of 3% or more in the 

Company’s issued share capital:

Remgro Limited (through wholly-owned subsidiaries)

328 497 888

44.56%

17/02/2016

Ordinary
shares

% voting
rights

Date 
notified

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Public Investment Corporation SOC Limited:

as at year end

as at 23 May 2018

Genesis Asset Managers LLP

Coronation Asset Management (Pty) Ltd:

as at year end

as at 23 May 2018

Mpilo Investment Holdings 2 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

2018 annual general meeting 

59 447 726

58 894 769

37 989 258

36 951 344

36 248 868

24 582 960

8.06%

7.99%

5.15%

5.01%

4.92%

3.33%

12/05/2017

06/04/2018

28/11/2017

26/10/2017

07/05/2018

13/05/2016

The  Company’s  annual  general  meeting  (“AGM”)  will  take  place  at  15:00  (British  Summer  Time)  on  Wednesday,  
25 July 2018 at The Lincoln Centre, 18 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3ED, United Kingdom. All ordinary shareholders 

have the opportunity to attend and vote, in person or by proxy. The Notice of Annual General Meeting can be found on the 
Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com, and is being posted in a separate booklet at 
the same time as this Annual Report. The notice sets out the business of the meeting and provides explanatory notes on 

all resolutions. Separate resolutions are proposed in respect of each substantive issue. The AGM is the Company’s principal 

forum for communication with private shareholders. The Chairman of the Board and the chairmen of the Board committees, 

together  with  senior  management,  will  be  available  to  answer  shareholders’  questions  at  the  meeting  and  the  directors 

encourage shareholders to participate at the event.

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (CONTINUED)

DIVIDENDS

The Board proposes a final dividend of 4,70 pence per ordinary share for the year ended 31 March 2018 for approval by the 

Company’s shareholders at the AGM to be held on Wednesday, 25 July 2018. The salient dates for the dividend are as follows:

Last date to trade cum dividend (SA register) 

First date of trading ex-dividend (SA register) 

First date of trading ex-dividend (UK register) 

Record date for final dividend 

Shareholder approval at annual general meeting (London) 

Final dividend payment date 

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

Thursday, 14 June 2018

Friday, 15 June 2018

Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Monday, 30 July 2018

AR

AR

The Company’s dividend policy is dealt with in the Financial Review on page 32. 

The tax treatment of the dividend for shareholders on the South African register are available on the Company’s website. 

Details  of  the  dividend  access  trust  established  for  South  African  resident  shareholders  are  provided  in  note  13  of  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements on page 208. 

The dividends declared by the Company to its ordinary shareholders during the reporting period are summarised below:

Interim dividend

Final dividend

Total dividend

SHARE PRICE 

2018

3.20

4.70

7.90

2017

3.20

4.70

7.90

The latest share price information can be found on the Company’s website at www.mediclinic.com or through your broker. 

264 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AND CONTACTS

Shareholder enquiries

Enquiries  relating  to  shareholdings,  including  notification  of  change  of  address,  queries  regarding  the  loss  of  a  share 

certificate and dividend payments should be made to the Company’s registrars:

Shareholders on the Southern African register

South African transfer secretary 

Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Ltd 

Namibian transfer secretary

Transfer Secretaries (Pty) Ltd

Rosebank Towers, 15 Biermann Avenue,  

4 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek, Namibia

Rosebank, 2196, South Africa 

Postal address: PO Box 61051,  

Marshalltown, 2107, South Africa 

Tel: +27 11 370 5000 

Fax: +27 11 688 7716 

Shareholders on the UK register 

Computershare Investor Services plc

Postal address: PO Box 2401, Windhoek, Namibia

Tel: +264 61 227 647

Fax: +264 61 248 531

The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 370 703 6022
E-mail: WebCorres@computershare.co.uk

Lines  are  open  during  normal  business  hours  from  08:30  to  17:30  GMT  Monday  to  Friday  and  charged  at  the  standard 

rate.  Shareholders  can  use  Computershare’s  website  to  check  and  maintain  their  records.  Details  can  be  found  at  
www.investorcentre.co.uk/contactus.

Share Dealing Service

Computershare offers a share dealing service which allows UK resident shareholders to buy and sell the Company’s shares. 

Shareholders  can  deal  in  their  shares  on  the  internet  or  by  telephone.  Please  contact  Computershare  for  more  details  

on this service.

ShareGift

If a few shares are held, which low value makes them difficult to sell, you may make a donation to charity through ShareGift, 

an  independent  charity  share  donation  scheme.  For  further  details  please  contact  the  Computershare  or  ShareGift  at 
telephone number +44 20 7930 3737 or visit their website at www.sharegift.org.

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COMPANY 
INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME AND NUMBER

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT

Mediclinic International plc  

Mr James Arnold

(incorporated and registered in England and Wales)

Head of Investor Relations

Company number: 08338604

14 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HN, United Kingdom

REGISTERED OFFICE

Mediclinic International plc 

6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street 

London, EC2V 7NQ, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 20 7954 9600 Fax: +44 20 7954 9886

Ethics Line: +27 12 543 5332/Toll-free 0800 005 316  
(South Africa only)/ethics@mediclinic.com
E-mail: info@mediclinic.com 
Website: www.mediclinic.com 

LISTING

FTSE sector: Health Care Equipment & Services

ISIN code: GB00B8HX8Z88

SEDOL number: B8HX8Z8

EPIC number: MDC

LEI: 2138002S5BSBIZTD5I60

Primary listing: London Stock Exchange (share code: MDC)

Secondary listing: JSE Limited (share code: MEI)

Secondary listing: Namibian Stock Exchange  

(share code: MEP)

DIRECTORS

Tel: +44 20 3786 8180/1
E-mail: ir@mediclinic.com

REGISTRAR/TRANSFER SECRETARIES

United Kingdom
Computershare Investor Services plc

The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ 

Tel: +44 370 703 6022
E-mail: WebCorres@computershare.co.uk

South Africa 
Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Ltd 

Rosebank Towers, 15 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, 2196  

PO Box 61051, Marshalltown, 2107

Tel: +27 11 370 5000 

Namibia
Transfer Secretaries (Pty) Ltd 

4 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek 

PO Box 2401, Windhoek 

Tel: +264 61 227 647 

CORPORATE ADVISORS

Auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, London

Dr Edwin Hertzog (ne) (Chairman) (South African),  

Danie Meintjes (Chief Executive Officer) (South African), 

Jurgens Myburgh (Chief Financial Officer) (South African), 

Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi (ind ne) (Emirati),  

Jannie Durand (ne) (South African), Alan Grieve (ind ne) 

(British), Dr Felicity Harvey (ind ne) (British), Seamus 

Keating (ind ne) (Irish), Prof Dr Robert Leu (ind ne) (Swiss), 

Nandi Mandela (ind ne) (South African), Trevor Petersen  

(ind ne) (South African), Desmond Smith (Senior 

Independent Director) (South African), Pieter Uys  

(alternate to Jannie Durand) (South African) 

COMPANY SECRETARY

Corporate Broker and Sponsors
Joint corporate brokers (United Kingdom):  

Morgan Stanley & Co International plc  

and UBS Investment Bank

JSE sponsor (South Africa):

Rand Merchant Bank  

(a division of FirstRand Bank Limited)

NSX sponsor (Namibia):  

Simonis Storm Securities (Pty) Ltd

Legal Advisors
UK legal advisors: Slaughter and May

SA legal advisors: Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc.

Link Company Matters Limited (previously named  

Capita Company Secretarial Services Limited) 

Remuneration Consultant
New Bridge Street

Jayne Meacham/Caroline Emmet

Deloitte LLP has been appointed from the  

6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ 

2018/19 financial year

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 20 7954 9600
E-mail: MediclinicInternational@linkgroup.co.uk

Communication Agency
FTI Consulting 

Tel: +44 20 3727 1000
E-mail: businessinquiries@fticonsulting.com

266 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

GLOSSARY

TERM

MEANING

annual general meeting or AGM

Annual Report

Al Noor

Articles

the annual general meeting of the Company to be held on Wednesday, 25 
July 2018, the notice of which have been distributed to shareholders by 
Friday, 22 June 2018 and a copy of which is available on the Company’s 
website

this annual report and financial statements for the reporting period ended  
31 March 2018

the Al Noor Hospitals Group with operations mainly in Abu Dhabi,  
which forms part of the Group’s operations in the United Arab Emirates

the Company’s Articles of Association as adopted in General Meeting on  
20 July 2016

Board or Board of Directors

the board of directors of Mediclinic International plc 

Brexit

CAGR (%)

the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, which is 
planned from the end of March 2019

compounded annual growth rate

cash conversion (%)

cash generated from operations divided by adjusted EBITDA 

CCU

CDLI

CEO

CFO

Company 

DRG

EBITDA

EU

external auditor

FY18/period under review/reporting 
period

critical care unit

Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Mediclinic International plc 

diagnosis-related group

operating profit before depreciation and amortisation, excluding other  
gains and losses

European Union

when referring to the Company’s external auditor, means 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

the financial year ended on 31 March 2018

FY19/next financial year

the financial year ending on 31 March 2019

FCA

GDP

GRI Standards

Group 

group

HAI

Hirslanden

IFRS

the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority

gross domestic product

the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards issued in 2016 by the Global 
Sustainability Standards Board, which standards represent global best 
practice for reporting publicly on a range of economic, environmental and 
social impacts

Mediclinic International and its three operating divisions in Switzerland, 
Southern Africa and the United Arab Emirates (“group” refers to one of the 
Group’s operating divisions, as the context may indicate, as defined below)

one of the operating divisions of the Group, as the context may indicate 
(please note that “group” is as defined in this definition and “Group” refers  
to the entire Mediclinic Group as defined above)

healthcare-associated infection

the Group’s operations in Switzerland, trading under the Hirslanden brand, 
with Hirslanden AG as the intermediary holding company of the Group’s 
operations in Switzerland

International Financial Reporting Standards, as adopted by the  
European Union

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GLOSSARY (CONTINUED)

TERM

JCI

JSE

Last Practicable Date

Listing Rules

MEANING

Joint Commission International, an international quality measurement 
accreditation organisation, aimed at improving quality of care

JSE Limited, the stock exchange of South Africa based in Johannesburg

the date of approval of the Annual Report by the Board, being 23 May 2018

the listing rules of the FCA applicable to companies listed on the LSE, 
subject to the oversight of the United Kingdom Listing Authority

LSE

the stock exchange operated by London Stock Exchange plc

Mediclinic or Mediclinic International

Mediclinic International plc 

Mediclinic Middle East

Mediclinic Southern Africa 

NSX

operating division/s

the Group’s operations in the UAE, trading under the Mediclinic brand, with 
(a) Emirates Healthcare Holdings Limited BVI as the intermediary holding 
company of the Group’s operations in the UAE, mainly in Dubai; and  
(b) Al Noor Golden Commercial LLC as the intermediary holding company  
of the Group’s operations in the UAE, mainly in Abu Dhabi

the Group’s operations in South Africa and Namibia, trading under 
the Mediclinic brand, with Mediclinic Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd as the 
intermediary holding company of the Group’s operations in South Africa  
and Namibia

the Namibian Stock Exchange based in Windhoek, Namibia

Hirslanden (Switzerland), Mediclinic Southern Africa and Mediclinic Middle 
East and their subsidiaries and associated entities, or any one of them as the 
context may indicate

SA

the Republic of South Africa

SA Companies Act

the South African Companies Act, 71 of 2008, as amended

UAE

UK

United Arab Emirates

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

UK Companies Act

the United Kingdom Companies Act of 2006, as amended

268 MEDICLINIC  |  ANNUAL REPORT 2018

FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS

This Annual Report contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the financial condition, regulatory environment 

in which the Group operates, results of operations and businesses of Mediclinic and the Group, including certain plans and 

objectives of the Group. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-

looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s 

current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual 

results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking 

statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Mediclinic to market risks and 

statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions, including 

as  to  future  potential  cost  savings,  synergies,  earnings,  cash  flow,  production  and  prospects.  These  forward-looking 

statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, 

“goals”, “intend”, “may”, “objectives”, “outlook”, “plan”, “probably”, “project”, “risks”, “seek”, “should”, “target”, “will” and 

similar terms and phrases.

GREYMATTER & FINCH # 11834

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