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HPCSA
HPCSA
A bold and clear plan for the health regulatory body
Committed to promoting quality healthcare for all South Africans, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is mandated to protect the public and guide the professions. The HPCSA through its mandate, is also responsible for regulating the health professions in the country in aspects pertaining to education, training and registration, professional conduct and ethical behaviour. Over and above, the regulatory body must ensure that healthcare practitioners are fit to practise their profession free from any physical or mental impairment.
The HPCSA is established by Section 2 of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974) as a juristic person. This means that it is a creature of statute, and it can only exercise its powers and functions as contained in the Act and it articulates the Objects as well as the General Powers of Council. Council plays an oversight advisory as well as a coordinating role for the HPCSA whilst also mandated to be the central conduit for communication. Over and above the responsibility of overseeing the 12 professional boards in the health professions sector, Council also assumes an oversight role regarding the implementation of the strategic policy relating to the various professions falling within its domain.
Professor Simon Nemutandani, President of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) highlighted Council’s bold and clear plan which is intended to steer the organisation to be amongst one of the leading health regulatory bodies in the world. “As Council, our main responsibility is to ensure that the professional boards are fully equipped in terms of resources and can carry out their duties including the development of the five-year strategic plan and providing a framework for Council’s performance. “In addition, the HPCSA in conjunction with the secretariat and the professional boards advises the Minister of Health on pertinent issues in the health sector. “My aim as President is to position the HPCSA as a progressive regulator within the healthcare sector,” says Professor Nemutandani. To ensure that we are on track with our set objectives and continue to engage our various stakeholders for the benefit of the healthcare practitioners and the public at large in terms of addressing our immediate challenges.
“To facilitate the delivery of our strategic goals, we are committed to growing a deep service culture across the Health Professions Council of South Africa, to delivering excellence within an enabling environment, and providing quality service to our healthcare practitioners. Council has also moved to online services to ensure that HPCSA becomes an effective and efficient regulatory body,” further said Nemutandani. Some registered practitioners are already enjoying interaction with the online platform, for various services, such as renewal of annual registrations, submission of registration applications, making online payment transactions, and uploading of CPD certificates.
President Nemutandani is on a mission to improve the business model to enhance the functioning of HPCSA and improve its role as an advocate and advisor through enhanced engagement with all key stakeholders. He wants to make it a point that organisational effectiveness and efficiencies are provided to and by Council, Professional Boards and Secretariat, and that there is consistency and alignment applied across Council and its Professional Boards.
Through its Inspectorate Office, Council ensures that healthcare practitioners are aware that practising whilst not registered with Council is a criminal offence. Healthcare practitioners must be registered with Council and comply with the provisions of the Health Professions Act, 1974, as well as all rules and regulations governing their professions.
Council has a duty to ensure that the Inspectorate Office as a Law Enforcement and Compliance Unit enforces compliance through conducting inspections of registered practitioners and investigation of illegal practices by unregistered persons. The inspectors appointed in the Inspectorate Office conduct inspections at the practices of the registered practitioners, including those who are suspended or removed from the registers to ensure compliance with sanctions imposed by professional misconduct committees and that they do not practise while under suspension or erased.
The Inspectorate Office is operational at the Council's head office in Pretoria and also in three regional offices in Durban, East London and Cape Town. Members of the public will still be able reach the HPCSA through the Call Centre on 012 338 9300/1 and use the iRegister on the Council website www.hpcsa. co.za to search for practitioners to see if they are active and registered with the HPCSA.
ABOUT PROFESSOR MBULAHENI SIMON NEMUTANDANI
Professor Nemutandani is a renowned leader with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the healthcare profession. Over the years, Professor Nemutandani has shown commitment amongst the various medical regulatory authorities as a basis on which to benchmark good practice, and ensure patient safety. Professor Nemutandani qualified as a dentist from the University of Western Cape approximately 30 years ago. He holds three Master’s degrees in Public Health from the University of Venda, Master’s of Science in Medicine and Specialist in community dentistry from the University of Witwatersrand, and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Pretoria. His research interests are on health systems, policy and traditional medicine and HIV.
He explored a de-colonisation model for collaboration between indigenous and western trained health providers in post-colonial South Africa. In his role as a policy and public oral health specialist, he has been instrumental in developing the South African Oral Health Policy, providing advice on oral health matters to National and Provincial governments in South Africa.
HPCSA PROFILE
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is a statutory body established in terms of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974 (as amended).
The HPCSA is committed to protecting the public and guiding the professions. In order to safeguard the public and indirectly the professions, registration in terms of the Act is a prerequisite for practising any of the health professions registrable with Council.
VISION
A progressive regulator of health professions aspiring to quality, equitable and accessible healthcare.
MISSION
To regulate and guide registered healthcare professions and protect the public through:
• Setting contextually relevant standards for healthcare training and practice.
• Setting and maintaining standards for Ethical and Professional practice.
• Strengthening the maintenance of continuing competency programmes.
• Ensuring consistent compliance to all the set standards.
• Engaging the public and other stakeholders continually
MOTTO AND VALUES
Motto: “Protecting the Public and Guiding the Professions”
Values: In fulfilling its roles of regulator, guide and advocate as well as administrator, the HPCSA holds the following values central to its functioning.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Website www.hpcsa.co.zaCall Centre (+27) 12 338 9300
Physical Address 553 Madiba Street, Cnr Hamilton and Madiba Street, Arcadia, 0001
Postal Address PO Box 205, Pretoria, 0001
