VisionCare Specialist Eye Hospital — Operations Plan
The operating model, capacity and utilisation, technology and equipment, supply chain and procurement, information systems and data protection, the operational KPIs and the Year 1 quarterly phasing.
Section 7 · Business Plan
Operations Plan
The operating model, capacity and utilisation, technology and equipment, supply chain and procurement, information systems and data protection, the operational KPIs and the Year 1 quarterly phasing.
7.1 Operating Model
VisionCare operates a high-throughput ambulatory surgical model. The
patient journey is engineered for efficiency and safety: referral and
booking, pre-operative work-up and biometry, day-of-surgery admission,
standardised surgical lists, structured recovery and discharge, and
protocol-driven follow-up. Standardisation of consumables, surgical
steps and pathways is the principal lever for both clinical quality and
cost control.
The hospital runs structured theatre lists by sub-specialty, with
dedicated cataract lists achieving the volume and rhythm that drive the
model’s economics. A central sterile services department, just-in-time
consumable management and an integrated electronic medical record (EMR)
with PACS imaging underpin throughput, traceability and outcomes
measurement.
7.2 Capacity & Utilisation
The facility is sized for approximately 36,000 annual patient
encounters and 5,000+ surgical procedures at full capacity. The model
assumes a deliberately conservative utilisation ramp —
42% of capacity in Year 1, rising through 58%, 70% and
80% to 86% by Year 5 — reflecting the time required to
build referral relationships, secure scheme contracts and establish
brand trust.
| Capacity Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity utilisation | 42% | 58% | 70% | 80% | 86% |
| Cataract procedures | 1,260 | 1,740 | 2,100 | 2,400 | 2,580 |
| Intravitreal injections | 1,764 | 2,436 | 2,940 | 3,360 | 3,612 |
| Comprehensive consults | 7,560 | 10,440 | 12,600 | 14,400 | 15,480 |
| Refractive procedures | 378 | 522 | 630 | 720 | 774 |
Table 7.1 — Capacity utilisation and key procedure
volumes
7.3 Technology & Equipment
The clinical platform combines phacoemulsification and vitrectomy
systems, femtosecond and excimer laser platforms, surgical microscopes,
and a comprehensive diagnostic suite (optical coherence tomography,
optical biometry, automated perimetry and fundus imaging). A
multi-vendor procurement strategy, supported by service-level
maintenance agreements, manages both capital cost and operational
uptime. Energy resilience — generators and UPS — is built in from day
one to mitigate load-shedding risk to surgical lists and cold-chain
pharmaceuticals.
7.4 Supply Chain & Procurement
Intraocular lenses, viscoelastics, anti-VEGF agents and surgical
consumables are procured through framework agreements with established
distributors. Inventory is managed on a just-in-time basis with safety
stock for critical items, and the model provisions for inventory equal
to roughly 5% of direct costs. The Company will leverage procurement
volume to negotiate favourable pricing as throughput scales.
7.5 Information Systems & Data Protection
An integrated EMR/PACS, practice-management and billing system
supports the full revenue cycle — from referral and authorisation
through coding, claim submission and reconciliation. All systems are
designed for compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act
(POPIA). Data analytics will support clinical-outcomes reporting, scheme
negotiations and operational dashboards covering theatre utilisation,
throughput and debtor days.
7.6 Operational Key Performance Indicators
Management will steer the business against a defined set of
operational KPIs, reported monthly to the board. These targets align
operational delivery with the financial model and provide early-warning
indicators during the ramp.
| Operational KPI | Year 1 Target | Steady-State Target |
|---|---|---|
| Theatre utilisation (of available sessions) | 55% | 85% |
| Cataract cases per theatre session | 6 – 7 | 8 – 10 |
| Day-case rate (no overnight stay) | >90% | >95% |
| Surgical complication rate | <2% | <1% |
| Patient net promoter score (NPS) | >50 | >70 |
| Debtor days (scheme reimbursement) | <55 days | <45 days |
| Referral conversion rate | >35% | >50% |
| Staff turnover (clinical) | <15% | <10% |
Table 7.2 — Operational key performance indicators and
targets
7.7 Year 1 Quarterly Phasing
Year 1 performance is phased to reflect the progressive activation of
service lines and the build of referral volume. The first quarter is
dominated by diagnostics and consultations following soft launch;
surgical volumes build through the second and third quarters as scheme
contracting and referral relationships mature; and the fourth quarter
approaches the planned run-rate. This phasing informs the
working-capital draw and the cash-flow profile in the first year.
| Year 1 Phasing | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of annual revenue | 15% | 22% | 29% | 34% |
| Surgical lists per week | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 |
| Active referring practices | 25 | 45 | 70 | 90 |
| Capacity utilisation | 28% | 38% | 48% | 54% |
Table 7.3 — Indicative Year 1 quarterly phasing
Confidential — this business plan is provided to prospective investors and lenders for evaluation purposes only and may not be reproduced or distributed without the written consent of VisionCare Specialist Eye Hospital (Pty) Ltd.