COMPLIANCE

Compliance checks of individual practitioners take place at least twice a year on a randomly selected sample of practitioners from every register. The CPD Department of Council conducts the checks. Practitioners submit the information requested by that Department within 21 days of receipt of notification of the compliance draw.

Attendance register is the record of attendees at any form of learning activity in levels 1 and 3 (where relevant), reflecting the names and HPCSA registration number of those present and their signatures on completion of the activity (once off, at the end of the activity; regularly recurring, on completion of the series). This register must be held by the presenting organization or institution for 3 years following the activity; the original register may be called in for validation of a compliance check.

NON-COMPLIANCE

Is the failure of an individual to obtain 30 CEUs and maintain a balance of 60 CEUs in a 24-month period. Various penalties are applied by the individual Professional Boards in collaboration with the HPCSA CPD Committee.

• The following actions are taken:
  
• A letter is sent to the non-compliant practitioner requesting a reason for non-compliance.
  
• The practitioner is required to send a letter of explanation within two weeks of receipt back to the CPD department.
  
• Should the explanation be acceptable the practitioner is given 6 months to comply with the CPD requirements.
  
• Should the practitioner not comply with the requirements his/her name will be forwarded without delay to the Committee of preliminary Enquiry. The Committee of Preliminary Enquiry may decide on the basis of evidence, to grant a final additional 6-month period to comply with the CPD requirements.

Should the practitioner still not comply with the CPD requirements within the second six months period, one of the following actions will be taken:

• Registration in a category that will provide for supervision as considered appropriate by the relevant Professional Board, or
  
• A remedial program of continuing education and training as specified by the Professional Board, or
  
• An examination as determined by the Professional Board, or
  
• Suspension from practice for a period of time as determined by the Professional Board; or
  
• Any other action as recommended by the Professional Board.

PRACTITIONERS ABROAD

• They should comply with the requirements in that country.
  
• Should they return to South Africa, they are required to provide documentary proof of CPD activities attended.
  
• Documentary proof is required for re-registration

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Practitioners in internship or community service do not need to comply with CPD, during the internship or community service.

AUDIT & AUDIT REQUIREMENTS

HPCSA Individual CPD Activity Record is the document held by individual health practitioners as a record of every learning activity attended or completed. It should be accompanied by the Attendance Certificates for each event or series of events. For level 3 qualifications, a certified copy of the qualification is required. The record must be regularly updated and current. In the event that a practitioner’s name is drawn in the compliance check the original Individual CPD Activity Record for the previous 3 years, together with the original attendance certificates and certified copies of qualifications that may have been obtained during this period, must be sent to the CPD Department of Council within 21 days of receipt of notification of the draw.

When an individual is drawn in the audit, that professional may submit the data in one of the following three ways:

1. A paper copy of the Excel spreadsheet that records his/her Individual CPD Activity Record (submitted by post to the CPD Division at HPCSA at PO Box 205, PRETORIA); or
   
2. Electronic copy of the Excel spreadsheet that records his/her Individual CPD Activity Record (submitted electronically to the CPD Division at HPCSA at helenad@hpcsa.co.za); or
   
3. An Electronic copy of the Excel spreadsheet that has been captured and held by arrangement between the professional and a relevant individual or business (submitted electronically to the CPD Division at HPCSA at cpd@hpcsa.co.za

Health professionals who are non-compliant will automatically be included in the following audit call.

Click here to download CPD Guidelines 2011