Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability in Ramsay Health Care

This project highlights the governance issues and lack of ethical standards in Ramsay Health Care. It discusses discrimination, exploitation, corruption, dishonesty, and the importance of whistle-blower protections. The project emphasizes the need for a strong code of ethics and enforcement of laws to ensure sustainable growth and development.

GOVERNANCE, ETHICS AND
SUSTAINABILITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CODE OF ETHICS..........................................................................................................................1
A. Discrimination.........................................................................................................................1
B. Exploitation.............................................................................................................................2
C. Corruption...............................................................................................................................2
D. Dishonest and Fraudulent behaviour.......................................................................................3
E. Whistle-blower protections.....................................................................................................4
F. Enforcement.............................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The project shall be highlighting the governance issues and lack of ethical standards in the
Ramsay Health Care. Corporate governance must be followed by the management of the
company in the operations as well as the decision making process of the company. It shall be
reflecting the inefficiencies related to discrimination, exploitation, fraudulent behaviour,
corruption etc. with reference to the internal management of the Ramsay Health Care. Lastly it
shall be identifying the ethical code of conduct that the healthcare company needs to abide by to
ensure the sustainable growth and development of the company.
MAIN BODY
Ramsay Health Care is a healthcare organization which is headquartered in London, UK. It was
founded in the year 2007 by Paul Ramsay and the parent organization was established in Sydney.
It strives to make the patient's health their priority by providing the customized approach of
treatment which is safe, comfortable and technologically advanced. They are the leading
healthcare service providers spread over vast network in UK having the best range of clinical
specialities in the world.
Ramsay Health Care company specializes in the departments of surgeries, rehabilitation and
psychiatric care. The major competitors of the Ramsay healthcare is Sonic healthcare, St. John of
God and Health scope. It provides services in the 3 major continents Australia, Europe and Asia.
CODE OF ETHICS
A. Discrimination
The discrimination policy in regards to the health care industry shall include various aspects like
equal employment opportunity avoiding harassment on the basis of age, gender, colour, sex,
marital status and disability. Apart from this it also includes fair and equal treatment of all the
patients of Ramsay Health Care. Ramsay has also enlisted labour and human rights policy
wherein it maintains strict enforcement of all the universally accepted and key labour and human
rights (Laur, 2018).
Example- A case is filed against Ramsay that a deaf husband was refused to provide an
interpreter while his wife was giving birth to their first child. It is discrimination with the
disabled man wherein he has the right to talk to his wife and encourage her at the time of giving
birth to her child.
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Nowadays there are lot of discriminatory activities taking place in the organizations be it related
to the employees or the customers. To avoid such acts in Ramsay Health Care strict ethical code
of conduct is defined in the form of discriminatory policy which is to be adhered by the
management of the company. It aims to build a workplace which is free of discrimination,
harassment and bullying acts. It includes anti-discrimination laws which specifies that all
employees get equal opportunities, free work environment, dignity, respect, encourage better
relationships and equality in the human resource management policies. Such codes are developed
in the work culture and actions are taken against any failures regrading the same.
This shall help building satisfaction among the employees generating operational efficiency and
sustainable growth prospects for Ramsay Health Care.
B. Exploitation
Exploitation is perceived majorly in the healthcare industry and can be stated as the failure of
corporate governance in the company. Due to lack of accountability and responsibilities and
proper rules and regulations there are inefficiencies in the system which lead to exploitation of
the human resource in Ramsay Health Care (Ekardt, 2019). Some of the major exploitations can
be related to forced labour, human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation etc.
In order to abandon the acts of exploitation there has to be strict policies and protocols which are
defined to be complied by the management and the staff. There should be a governing body in
Ramsay Health Care who can enforce the exploitation policy, remedies for the complaints,
actions against those who fail to follow. One of the major concerns is to root out the
contemporary slavery in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act (UK) 2015. The practices
should be such that involves the engagement of all the employees to ensure that they are working
above the legal age prescribed and are working with free consent and will of their own in the
company. Awareness practices and consultations with the employees should be facilitated to
keep a check on exploitation practices. The management of Ramsay Health Care should ensure
that any person in the workforce is not facing coercion, sexual exploitation and that the human
rights are protected. The patients who are minor have lack of understanding of the trafficking and
exploitation, various stereotypes etc., so proper regulations must be ensured in respect of that as
well. Certain committees like the child advocacy centres, sexual assault response teams,
awareness programmes etc. to build stronger governance.
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C. Corruption
The corruption levels in any company are ever increasing due to the lack of proper governance
by the authority of the company. The constant levels of corruption in the medical facilities trap
the poor in the vicious cycle thereby increasing the costs of patients care, purposeful
deterioration of the health of the vulnerable people, inequalities which are undermining the
people's access to the available resources in terms of the medical facilities etc. Unnecessarily
using the power and position against the impoverished populations by the higher authorities of
Ramsay Health Care can be categorized as corruption. Such actions do not just violate the rights
of the individual but also affects the overall economy of the country.
Example- ACCC's alleged against Ramsay that they rule by having substantial degree of the
market power. In the Coff's Harbour since they enjoy the monopoly of private day surgery
facilities so they don't permit any other competitor to enter the market. Later this case was
dismissed because of lack of proper evidences with the court.
The code of conduct must involve all the policies that cater to the governance issue of corruption
with any of the external parties like the manufacturer, suppliers and the agents. It involves
maintaining cordial relations with them while maintaining confidentiality of the information
under concern (Bosselmann, 2016). Such relations should not include illicit payments, bribery,
extortion and fraudulent practices by the officials of Ramsay Health Care. Anti-corruption and
bribery laws that are formed should be complied with and for that the system must be governed
properly. The tight control by the top management shall reduce the unfair trade practices and
promote clear and transparent system in the organization.
D. Dishonest and Fraudulent behaviour
The proper fulfilment of the corporate governance by the company shall sustain it from doing
any of the fraudulent and dishonest practices. These practices are mostly carried out by the
Medicare industries where they do not warn the patients regarding the consequences of the
treatment, charge higher prices, showing them the wrong disease, unnecessary distortion of the
patient's health for the purpose of treatment and providing false information (Roos, 2017). All
these behaviour shall be categorized unethical for which proper code of conduct has to be
designed.
Example- A case was filed by Wallace as against Dr. Kam of Ramsay Healthcare regarding the
dishonesty in issuing warnings related to the surgery which caused the patient the temporary
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paralysis. The court also alleged the doctor in not being honest while issuing the warnings about
the impact of surgery on the obese patient. Such acts which may or may not be intentional can be
avoided by proper guidance and awareness programmes conducted by the management of
Ramsay Health Care (Mahmood and et.al., 2018).
The dishonest and fraudulent practices can cause major threats to the governance of Ramsay and
needs to be controlled by ensuring accountability. Proper maintenance of records, statements,
minutes of the meetings, complying with all the statutory requirements regarding the records of
the company. All these can be undertaken by employing supervisors at each and every level by
Ramsay so that frauds and dishonesty can be removed and encourage truth and fairness among
the workforce of the company.
E. Whistle-blower protections
A whistle blower in an organization can be referred to a person who exposes or reports about any
of the unethical practices that are carried out in an company. The reporting can be against the
frauds, illegalities, corruption, exploitation or any other unfair trade practices of Ramsay
Healthcare company (Husted and de Sousa-Filho, 2017).
The protection of such whistle-blowers of the company shall also form an important part of the
corporate governance issue and a formal code of conduct shall also be determined in respect of
such people. The whistle-blowing itself is to fulfil the corporate governance and their protection
also forms the part of the same. It is useful as some acts which stay hidden from the top
management can be detected by the personnels who are at the same level but providing those
whistle-blowers a safe and efficient working environment is also a challenge for Ramsay.
The reporting shall be against any of the improper conduct like the ill treatment with the patient,
breaching the law, victimization and harassment etc. The code of ethics shall be stating that the
whistle-blowers are to be protected against the detrimental action or threatening by the
colleagues (Formentini and Taticchi, 2016). This can be done effectively by either reallocation of
the duties and responsibilities, shifting the alleged employees to other departments, arrangement
of the flexible working while the investigations are made regarding the matter and for that
provide leaves to the alleged.
F. Enforcement
The enforcement includes complying by all the legal requirements that are prescribed by the
government of the country. All the laws that are framed in order to conduct smooth operations in
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the health care industry must be fulfilled otherwise the penalties and charges are associated with
any of the failures (Singh and Gaur, 2020). The laws related to the health and safety of the
patients, related to the insurance, medicines, high tech medical equipments etc. all are are to be
abided. The non compliance of these laws not only implements the fines but also negatively
publicize the company. This shall ultimately lead to less profitability and growth prospects of the
company.
Example- Ramsay healthcare centre that is based in the Bedford was pleaded guilty of breaching
the Health and Safety Act (Salvioni and Gennari, 2016). For the following act the complaint was
filed by the nurse of the same hospital which is a case of enforcement and whistle-blowing as the
issue of corporate governance.
Proper regulatory framework has to be designed that shall ensure proper enforcement of all the
laws, rules and regulations. Such authority shall be accounting in front of the governing bodies
regarding legislative compliances, best practices used, constant value additions to the systems of
the Ramsay etc. This can take place by defining the proper guidelines for the conduct, defining
the roles and responsibilities, awareness programmes, strict internal actions by the management.
Ramsay has been charged by allegations certain times and faced the reputation loss. This can be
regained by it putting much efforts in forming and complying with the standards as prescribed by
the statement of corporate governance as formed by the top management.
CONCLUSION
It can be summarized from the above project that a strong foundation of the corporate
governance and proper code of conduct is very essential to be determined by the company. To
enforce such rules and regulations and authorize someone to stay accountable for the deeds as
performed by the staff of the company. Corporate governance plays crucial role in the
organization as it ensures fairness, transparency, builds positive brand image, operational
efficiency, reduced costs, less wastages, minimal amount of risks, ensure integrity and
confidentiality and value creation for the customers. Ensuring to reduce the frauds, dishonesty,
levels of corruption, protection of the whistle-blowers, exploitation and re-enforcement of the
various laws. In order to ensure sustainable growth and development and better positioning of
the company it is essential to appropriate governance framework.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Laur, A., 2018. Healthcare access for deaf patients–The legal and ethical perspectives. Medico-
Legal Journal. 86(1). pp.36-41.
Ekardt, F., 2019. Sustainability: Transformation, Governance, Ethics, Law. Springer.
Bosselmann, K., 2016. The principle of sustainability: transforming law and governance. Taylor
& Francis.
Roos, J., 2017. Practical wisdom: making and teaching the governance case for
sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production. 140. pp.117-124.
Mahmood, Z. and et.al., 2018. Does corporate governance affect sustainability disclosure? A
mixed methods study. Sustainability. 10(1). p.207.
Husted, B. W. and de Sousa-Filho, J. M., 2017. The impact of sustainability governance, country
stakeholder orientation, and country risk on environmental, social, and governance
performance. Journal of Cleaner Production. 155. pp.93-102.
Formentini, M. and Taticchi, P., 2016. Corporate sustainability approaches and governance
mechanisms in sustainable supply chain management. Journal of cleaner production. 112.
pp.1920-1933.
Singh, S. K. and Gaur, S. S., 2020. Corporate growth, sustainability and business ethics in
twenty-first century. Journal of Management and Governance. 24(2). pp.303-305.
Salvioni, D. M. and Gennari, F., 2016. Corporate governance, ownership and
sustainability. Corporate Ownership and Control. 13(2). pp.606-614.
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