Health Professions Council of South Africa, also called HPCSA, is a statutory regulator of Health Care professions in South Africa.
It promotes Health Care, determines education standards, and sets and maintains standards of ethical and professional practice for professions.
The HPCSA operates under the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act 56 of 1974). It regulates the professions falling under its professional boards, including education, registration, professional conduct and discipline.
The Council and its professional boards regulate their respective professions by:
- Setting and maintaining standards of training and practice for healthcare professionals and, if need be, disciplining those who go against the standards.
- Setting and monitoring mandatory requirements for the continuous professional growth of all registered practitioners and ensuring that the training institute sticks to the council’s standards.
- Setting ethical and Professional Standards and Publishing guidelines for practitioners to follow.
How to register with HPCSA.
Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa is a condition for professional practice and legal regulation to update all personal details at all times.
Applicants must meet the relevant board’s qualification and registration requirements and pay the applicable registration and annual fees. Non-payment can lead to suspension. Restoration requires an application, fees and any additional requirements applicable to the profession and period off the register.
Registration categories differ by profession and stage of training. Confirm the applicable category with the relevant professional board.
These categories include internship, students, public or community service, Private Practice, student intern, supervised practice, specialized, independent practice, and sub-specialize practice.
Other classifications for temporary or restricted registration include education, volunteer, and postgraduate.
The registration process varies between the 12 professional boards.
Practitioners can do their registration online by following the steps outlined below.
- Visit the health profession council of South Africa website and click on the online registration tab.
- Create an HPCSA account by entering a 13 digit identification number or a passport number if he or she is a foreign practitioner.
- Use your identification number as username and your password to log in. When logged in, you can edit and renew your details.
- You can then make the annual fee payment through bank deposits, integrated EFT, debit cards, or credit cards.
- You can now access the Health Profession councils of South Africa (HPCSA) practising certificate. It can be accessed electronically, or you can print it out.
The following examples are not a universal checklist; use the current requirements for your profession and registration category:
- Use the form specified by the relevant board; Form 23 applies to community-service registration where required.
- Certified copy of identification documents or passport with a clear photograph.
- Pay the applicable registration fee and any pro-rata annual fee for the category.
Public-service and community-service registration are specific categories. Other categories and practice restrictions depend on the relevant board.
As earlier mentioned, registration requirements vary from One professional board to another.
For qualified candidates who obtained their qualifications abroad, registration as a health practitioner in any of the professions shall be done by acquiring a prescribed application form from the professional board in concern.
HPCSA Requirements
Foreign-qualified applicants may need the following documents, depending on their profession and application route:
- A certified copy of the candidate’s identification documents or passport.
- Supply the qualification documents and certification required by the board, with an authorised English translation where necessary.
- A certified copy of a detailed and official curriculum of the candidate’s courses of study, the contents of theory and practical education, the specific courses, and the mode and duration of examination and evaluation.
- In case the applicant is registering in a profession that requires internship training, he or she will present the certificate of training as an intern or a similar experience acquired elsewhere.
- For independent practice, meet the profession-specific training, service and legal requirements applicable to that category.
- An original certificate of good standing, issued by the foreign registration Authority where the candidate was registered and it should be six months old or less.
- An authorization letter issued by the national Department of Health for registration in terms of regulation, confirming the placement or employability of the candidate, or a confirmation of registration for postgraduate studies, issued by the educational institution in concern for registration terms of regulation or an endorsement letter for the registration in terms of regulation issued by the prospective employer.
- The prescribed and full registration fees.
A voluntary erasure is possible only if the practitioner has no intentions of practising his or her profession in South Africa for a certain period of time. In that case, a request should be submitted in writing before the end of March of the year it is requested.
What are the benefits of registration?
You must hold the appropriate active HPCSA registration to practise a profession regulated by the Council, subject to that registration’s category and conditions.
After registration, the practitioner can be rest assured that the profession is safeguarded.
Other benefits of registration include;
- Professional status is granted.
Registration confirms that you meet the requirements for the specified professional category. Practise only within its scope and conditions; student, supervised or community-service registration does not grant unrestricted independent practice.
You are also recognized as a skilled practitioner who deserves a reward for services rendered.
- The HPCSA sets professional behaviour standards.
Health Professions Council of South Africa guides you on the best practices in healthcare delivery. They also contribute to quality standards, promoting the health of all individuals in South Africa, and they act against unethical practitioners.
- The Health Professions Council of South Africa ensures your continuous professional growth by establishing and enabling principles of good practice to be followed throughout your career by ensuring you are up to date with trends in the healthcare sector. They also improve your customer care skills.
Practitioners who no longer practice their profession may request that they be removed from the HPCSA register on a voluntary basis. A request in writing should be submitted to the council before the end of March in the year they wish to be removed.
If relocating or stopping practice, update your contact details and ask the HPCSA about the appropriate registration or voluntary-erasure arrangements.
Practitioners are also requested to inform the Health Professions Council of South Africa at all times when they change addresses.
Read Also: How to Register With The Department Of Labour
How to get your HPCSA registration certificate.
A registration certificate records registration in a particular profession and category. Current active status and any restrictions must also be checked before practising.
Practitioners are allowed to use the registration certificate as proof of registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Outlined below are steps on how to download your registration certificate.
Before you start, ensure that you have an active HPCSA online account and that your yearly registration fees have been paid.
- Open the HPCSA website and click on the HPCSA login button.
- Click on “my registration”.
- Choose the registration status that is indicated as active and tap on the “click here” tab to continue.
- When you do that, the certificate will be displayed on the screen. To download the certificate, click on “print card” and choose the PDF option to save a copy.
