The Health Professions Council of South Africa has, under section 26 of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 0f 1974), made the rules in the schedule.
SCHEDULE
Definitions
- In these rules “the Rules” means the Rules relating to Continuing Education and Training for registered health practitioners, published under Board Notice 29 in Government Gazette No. 29716 of 23 March 2007 and as amended by the Board Notice No. 93 in Government Gazette No. 30253 of 07 September 2007, and any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the rules shall have that meaning, unless the context otherwise indicates; and
“Board” means the relevant professional board established in terms of section 15 of the Act.
Amendment of Rule 1 of the rules
- Rule 1 of the rules is hereby amended by the substitution, for the “continuing professional development committee”, of the following committee:
““committee” means a committee established by council in terms of section 10(1) of the Act to, inter alia, develop policy proposals for continuing professional development, and to monitor the implementation and compliance with the continuing professional development policy and these Rules;”
Substitution of Rule 3 of the rules
- The following rule is hereby substituted for rule 3 of the rules –
“3. A person who, after 1 January 2007, registers for the first time in terms of the Act as a practitioner in any category of independent practice, or public service, and supervised practice shall be required to comply with the conditions of continuing professional development laid down in these Rules, which shall be a prerequisite for such practitioner to retain his or her registration in terms of the Act: Provided that a person who is registered for the first time after 1 January of any year, shall be required to comply with these requirements during the first year of his or her registration.”
Substitution of Rule 4 of the rules
- The following rule is hereby substituted for rule 4 of the rules –
“4. For the purpose of complying with the requirements of continuing professional development –
- a practitioner must accumulate continuing education units referred to in the Table below, and over a period of twelve months.
- continuing education units accumulated shall be valid for a period of twelve months from the date of accumulation; and
Insertion of the Table
- The rules are hereby amended by the insertion, after rule 10, of the following Table:
TABLE
The number of continuing education units to be accumulated over a period of twelve months and in terms of rule 4(1) of the rules are stipulated per profession below:
|
Abbreviation |
Register |
Minimum number of Clinical CEUs | Minimum CEUs for Ethics, Human Rights or Health Law | Total number of CEUs per year |
| DENTAL THERAPY AND ORAL HYGIENE | ||||
| DA | Dental Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| TT | Dental Therapist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| OH | Oral Hygienist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| DIETETICS AND NUTRITION | ||||
| DT | Dietitian | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SDT | Supplementary Dietitian | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| NT | Nutritionist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SNT | Supplementary Nutritionist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| EMERGENCY CARE PRACTITIONERS | ||||
| ANA | Ambulance Emergency Assistant | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| ANT | Paramedic | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| BAA | Basic Ambulance Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| ECA | Emergency Care Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| ECT | Emergency Care Technician | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| ECP | Emergency Care Practitioner | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| OECO | Operational Emergency Care Orderly | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||||
| HI | Environmental Health Practitioner | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| HIA | Environmental Health Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| FI | Food Inspector | 13 | 2 | 15 |
|
Abbreviation |
Register |
Minimum number of Clinical CEUs | Minimum CEUs for Ethics, Human Rights or Health Law | Total number of CEUs per year |
| MEDICAL, DENTISTRY AND MEDICAL SCIENCE | ||||
| AN | Anaesthetist Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| BE | Biomedical Engineer | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| CA | Clinical Associate | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| DP | Dentist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| GC/GR | Genetic Counsellor | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| HA | Health Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| KB | Clinical Biochemist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MP | Medical Practitioner | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MS | Medical Scientist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MW | Medical Biological Scientist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SMW | Supplementary Medical Scientist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| PH | Medical Physicist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY | ||||
| MLS | Medical Laboratory Scientist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MT | Medical Technologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| GT | Medical Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SGT | Supplementary Medical Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| LA | Laboratory Assistant | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| SLA | Supplementary Laboratory Assistant | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, MEDICAL ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS AND ARTS THERAPY | ||||
| AT | Arts Therapist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| AOS | Assistant Medical Orthotist, Prosthetist & Leatherworker | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OSA | Orthopaedic Technical Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
|
Abbreviation |
Register |
Minimum number of Clinical CEUs | Minimum CEUs for Ethics, Human Rights or Health Law | Total number of CEUs per year |
| OTB | Occupational Therapy Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OTT | Occupational Therapy Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OB | Orthopaedic Footwear Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OS | Medical Orthotist and Prosthetist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SOS | Supplementary Medical Orthotist Prosthetist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OT | Occupational Therapist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SOT | Supplementary Occupational Therapist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OPTOMETRY AND DISPENSING OPTICIANS | ||||
| OD | Dispensing Optician | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SOD | Supplementary Dispensing Optician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OP | Optometrist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SOP | Supplementary Optometrist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| OR | Orthoptist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| PHYSIOTHERAPY, PODIATRY AND BIOKINETICS | ||||
| BK | Biokineticist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| CH | Podiatrist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| MA | Masseurs | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| PT | Physiotherapist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| PTA | Physiotherapy Assistants | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| PTT | Physiotherapy Technicians | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| RM | Remedial Gymnast | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SCH | Supplementary Podiatrist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SPT | Supplementary Physiotherapist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| PSYCHOLOGY: | ||||
| PM | Psychotechnician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| PMT | Psychometrist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
|
Abbreviation |
Register |
Minimum number of Clinical CEUs | Minimum CEUs for Ethics, Human Rights or Health Law | Total number of CEUs per year |
| PRC | Registered Counsellor | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| PS | Psychologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| RADIOGRAPHY AND CLINICAL TECHNOLOGY | ||||
| DR | Radiographer | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| EE | Electro-Encephalographic Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| KT | Clinical Technologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| KTA | Assistant Clinical Technologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| KTG | Graduate Clinical Technologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| RLT | Radiation Laboratory Technologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| RSDR | Restricted Supplementary Diagnostic Radiographer | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SEE | Supplementary Electro- Encephalographic Technician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SDR | Supplementary Diagnostic Radiographer | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SKT | Supplementary Clinical Technologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SRLT | Supplementary Radiation Laboratory Technologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING PROFESSIONS | ||||
| AM | Audiometrician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| AU | Audiologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| GAK | Hearing Aid Acoustician | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SAU | Supplementary Audiologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SGAK | Supplementary Hearing Aid Acoustician | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| SGG | Community Speech and Hearing Worker | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SGK | Speech and Hearing Correctionist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SHA | Speech and Hearing Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
|
Abbreviation |
Register |
Minimum number of Clinical CEUs | Minimum CEUs for Ethics, Human Rights or Health Law | Total number of CEUs per year |
| ST | Speech Therapist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| SSTA | Supplementary Speech Therapist and Audiologist | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| STA | Speech Therapist and Audiologist | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| STB | Speech Therapy Assistant | 13 | 2 | 15 |
The prescribed CEUs must be accumulated by way of different educational, training or developmental activities accredited by the council in any of the following levels of activities:
- level one activities with non-measurable outcomes;
- level two activities with measurable outcomes; and
- level three activities with assessment of formally structured learning
- Practitioners may obtain their CEUs within their own discipline, speciality or subspeciality or within another relevant discipline, speciality or subspeciality.
- Deferment of compliance with the requirements of continuing professional development for any specific period may be granted to individual practitioners by the Board on application and submission of adequate reasons for such request and subject to such conditions as the committee may determine.
- A practitioner registered to perform community service in terms of the provisions of section 24A of the Act, registered as a registrar or performing internship training is not required to comply with the requirements relating to continuing professional development whilst being so registered.
Last Updated on 27 March 2025 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs