Professional Practice
Overview
Healthcare practitioners have a responsibility to continually update their professional knowledge and skills for the end benefit of the patient or client. To this end the HPCSA has implemented a Continuing Professional Development programme. Every practitioner is required to accumulate 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per twelve-month period and five of the units must be on ethics, human rights and medical law. Each CEU will be valid for 24 months from the date on which the activity took place (or ended, in the event of post-graduate studies) after which it would lapse. This means that practitioners should aim to accumulate a balance of 60 CEUs by the end of their second year of practise, and thereafter top-up the balance through additional CPD as each 24 –month validity period expires.
Mandatory random audits are conducted to ensure compliancy. Once a practitioner’s name has been selected, they are required to submit a CPD portfolio to Council within 21 days. Non-compliant practitioners will be given six months in order to comply. After the period of 6 months a practitioner will again be audited and if there is still non-compliance, the Professional Board will consider appropriate action. Practitioners are only required to submit their CPD portfolios when their names are drawn from a random sample audit and when requested to submit their completed form CPD 1 IAR with accompanying proof of CPD activities undertaken.
Mandatory random audits are conducted to ensure compliancy. Once a practitioner’s name has been selected, they are required to submit a CPD portfolio to Council within 21 days. Non-compliant practitioners will be given six months in order to comply. After the period of 6 months a practitioner will again be audited and if there is still non-compliance, the Professional Board will consider appropriate action. Practitioners are only required to submit their CPD portfolios when their names are drawn from a random sample audit and when requested to submit their completed form CPD 1 IAR with accompanying proof of CPD activities undertaken.
Guidelines
| CPD Guidelines | View document |
Accreditors
| Application for recognition as an Accreditor - Form 4 | View document |
| Approved Accreditation Fees | View document |
| Criteria guidelines for accreditors | View document |
CPD FORMS
| For Practitioners | |
|---|---|
| Health Practitioner's Individual CPD Activity Record | Form CPD 1 |
| Feedback Form - Evaluation of HPCSA CPD Accredited Activity | Form CPD 7 |
| Application for Recognition as an Accreditor of CPD Activities | Form CPD 4 |
| For Accreditors/Accredited Service Providers | |
|---|---|
| Application for Approval of CPD Activities | Form CPD 2A |
| Application by Institutions or Associations for Accredited Service Provider Status | Form CPD 2 |
| Certificate of CPD Attendance | Form CPD 3 |
| Professional Boards | |
|---|---|
| Process Flow: New Application and Re-application for Accreditor Status | Form CPD 8 |
| Checklist for Accreditors & Accredited Service Providers | Form CPD 11 |
Service Providers
| Activity Programme and Presenter CV's - Form CPD 2-A | View document |
| Application as an accredited Service Provider - Form CPD 2 | View document |
| Attendance Certificate - Form CPD 3 | View document |
| Criteria and Guidelines for Service Providers | View document |
Ethical guidelines for good practice in the health care professions:
| Ethics Booklet | View document |
| Booklet 1: General ethical guidelines for health care professions | click here |
| Booklet 2: Ethical and professioal rules of the Health Professions of South Africa | click here |
| Booklet 3: National Patients' Rights Charter | click here |
| Booklet 4: Seeking patients'informed consent: The ethical considerations | click here |
| Booklet 5: Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information | click here |
| Booklet 6: Guidelines for the management of patients with HIV infenctions or AIDS | click here |
| Booklet 7: Guidelines withholding and withdrawing treatment | click here |
| Booklet 8: Guidelines on Reproductive Health management | click here |
| Booklet 9: Guidelines on Patient Records | click here |
| Booklet 10: Guidelines for the practice of Telemedicine | click here |
| Booklet 11: Guidelines on over servicing, perverse incentives and related matters | click here |
| Booklet 12: Guidelines for the management of health care waste | click here |
| Booklet 13: General ethical guidelines for health researchers | click here |
| Booklet 14: Ethical Guidelines for Biotechnolgy Research in South Africa | click here |
| Booklet 15: Research, development and the use of the chemical, biological and nuclear weapons | click here |
| Booklet 17: Ethical Guidelines on Palliative Care | click here |
The following includes unprofessional conduct against which we may take disciplinary steps:
- Unauthorised advertising
- Over-servicing of patients
- Criminal convictions
- Improper relationships with patients
- Improper conduct of practitioners
- Operational procedure without patient's permission or consent
- Disclosure of information in regard to patient without his / her permission
- Incompetence in regard to treatment of patients
- Excessive fees charged/overcharging
- Insufficient care towards patients
- Racial discrimination
- Rude behaviour towards patients
- Prescriptions to already addicted patients
- Perverse incentives and kickbacks
The list is not exhaustive, and such a practitioner may be charged in terms of the ethical rules and the act.
Overview
The Health Committee regulates/advices impaired practitioners who suffer from mental or physical condition or the abuse of or dependence on chemical substances, which affects the competence, attitude, judgment or performance of a student or a person registered in terms of the Health Professions Council Act, (Act 56 of 1974) section 51. The Health Committee is a non-punitive Committee which was established to manage the compliance of the practitioners while also protecting the public. The Committee also focuses on the refinement of the regulations and procedures affecting the day to day functions and operations of the Health Committee.
Functions
- Establish policies and procedures and to enlist cooperation and support for the prevention or alleviation of circumstances which may lead to impairment in students and practitioners.
- Establish mechanisms and procedures for the early identification of impairment in students and practitioners
- Implement procedures for handling crisis situations which may threaten patient safety and care.
- Undertake informal assessments of reports on alleged impaired students and practitioners, to make findings with regard to impairment and , if required, to impose conditions of registration or practice on such persons aimed at protection of patients and treatment of impaired persons.
- Appoint investigation committees on an Ad Hoc basis to undertake formal investigations into reports on alleged impairment in the absence of voluntary cooperation of students or practitioners, to make findings with regard to impairment and, if required, to impose conditions of registration or practice aimed at protection of patients and treatment of impaired students or practitioners
- Consider applications by students or practitioners who were found to be impaired to have their conditions of registration or practice amended or to have such conditions revoked.
- Oversee the implementation of treatment programmes of impaired students or practitioners and to review the position of each such student or practitioner at least every 3 years.