ABSTRACT
During the period 1994 to 2013, South Africa experienced dramatic changes within its health services. Having inherited a fragmented and highly inequitable health system, an early aim of the African National Congress (ANC) Government was to establish a national health system that incorporated both the public and private sectors and offered universal coverage. There have been many barriers to achieving this aim, including insufficient professional staff, inadequate leadership, management, and governance of the health service, and a high burden of disease. Government has responded to these challenges at many levels, with a particular focus on improving the quality of healthcare services. The National Health Amendment Act was passed by Parliament in 2013, resulting in the establishment of the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC). The Office will regulate the quality of health services using a set of National Core Standards (NCS).
