The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is a statutory health regulatory body mandated to protect the public and guide the professions by ensuring that healthcare practitioners are fit to practise their profession
Established by Section 2 of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974, the HPCSA operates as a juristic person empowered to perform only those functions defined by legislation. Through this mandate, the Council regulates the scope of practice of health professions, ensures compliance with professional and ethical standards, and provides structured processes for oversight, accountability and disciplinary measures.
Together with the12 Professional Boards under its ambit, the HPCSA is tasked with overseeing the education, training, and registration of health professionals. To protect the public and safeguard the integrity of the professions, Council ensures that practitioners maintain ethical conduct, that complaints are investigated thoroughly, and that disciplinary action is taken when necessary. In fulfilling this broad regulatory responsibility, the Council executes its work through several key divisions, each with a defined role in supporting the overall mandate.
The Work of the Inspectorate Office
The Inspectorate Office is central to ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Act, its rules and regulations. It conducts proactive and risk-based inspections, assists the Professional Boards with clinical and professional compliance matters, and monitors adherence to penalties imposed by the Professional Conduct Committee.
A significant focus of this office is the identification and prosecution of unregistered persons masquerading as healthcare professionals. In collaboration with law enforcement agencies, regulatory partners and the public, the Inspectorate exposes and acts against bogus practitioners who pose risks to public health. Strategies employed include proactive inspections, reactive investigations, and the preparation of court dockets for prosecution.
While progress has been made, challenges remain. The widespread presence of unregistered individuals makes detection and tracing difficult, and in some instances registered practitioners have unlawfully engaged unregistered persons as locums.
To address this, the Inspectorate continues to emphasise awareness and education campaigns for both practitioners and the public, supported by strengthened collaboration with stakeholders. Members of the public are also encouraged to use the Council’s iRegister platform or contact the Call Centre to verify practitioner status.
Investigating Complaints and Maintaining Ethical Standards
A critical part of the HPCSA’s regulatory function is handling complaints against practitioners and ensuring adherence to professional and ethical standards. The Complaints Handling and Investigation Division is responsible for receiving, assessing, and investigating allegations of unprofessional conduct.
Complaints undergo a structured process, beginning with verification of practitioner registration and the categorisation of allegations. Where appropriate, matters are resolved through mediation, provided both parties agree to the outcome. Where mediation is unsuccessful, cases proceed to preliminary investigation, during which practitioners are required to respond to allegations within prescribed timeframes.
Matters are then considered by the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry, which determines whether there is evidence of unprofessional conduct. Depending on severity, the Committee may impose a minor penalty or refer the case to a formal inquiry. Where no evidence is found, the matter is closed. This process ensures accountability, protects the public, and preserves trust in the professions.
Ensuring Effective Practitioner Registration
Registration with the HPCSA is both a professional prerequisite and a legal requirement, forming the cornerstone of professional regulation.
Practitioners are required to keep their details updated and to maintain good standing through the payment of annual fees. Provisions exist for voluntary erasure from the register and restoration where lapses occur.
The Council manages multiple categories of registration, including student, intern, community service, independent practice, and specialised or temporary categories such as postgraduate, volunteer, and education-related registration. To improve efficiency, the HPCSA has implemented a hybrid registration system through the Enterprise Business System and Oracle Service Cloud.
These improvements have reduced turnaround times significantly, with graduate registrations decreasing from three months to 3.5 days, and individual practitioner registrations reduced to an average of 3.5 working days.
Since March 2017, annual registration renewals have been conducted online, further streamlining the process. Future enhancements aim to integrate all applications into the Oracle Service Cloud, which will also enable the collection of employment data to strengthen workforce planning.
Professional Practice and Ethical Guidance
The Professional Practice Division plays an important role in guiding practitioners on ethical and professional standards. It develops policies, issues directives, and provides advisory support to practitioners and Professional Boards. Its work covers areas such as scope of practice, continuing professional development (CPD), and the curation and review of ethical guidelines.
Recent achievements include attaining a 70% compliance rate in CPD across the professions, reviewing sixteen ethical guidelines, and introducing three new ones. The division has also engaged practitioners through workshops across the country, ensuring that professional and ethical issues remain a shared priority across the sector.
Education and Training Oversight
The Education and Training Division ensures that the education of healthcare professionals meets the highest standards by accrediting training programmes, conducting site visits, and evaluating clinical training facilities. The division also oversees the registration process for foreign-qualified practitioners, ensuring that only suitably trained professionals enter the system.
Working closely with the Professional Boards and the ETQA Committee of Council, the division supports the facilitation of Board examinations. During the reporting period, 183 Board examinations were conducted, with 1 806 candidates participating. Of these, 1 316 passed and 490 did not meet the required standard. While notable progress has been achieved, challenges remain, including delays in curriculum reviews and complexities in the administration of Board examinations.
Conclusion
Through its regulatory mandate, the HPCSA continues to play a critical role in safeguarding the public and guiding the health professions in South Africa. Each division, from inspections and registrations to complaints handling, professional practice, and education oversight, contributes to ensuring that practitioners meet the highest professional and ethical standards. While challenges persist, the Council remains committed to strengthening its systems, enhancing stakeholder collaboration, and continuously improving regulatory processes in pursuit of a safer and more accountable health system.
