The HPCSA regards the ability to perform basic life support as a common competency across all 12 Professional Boards. All professions registered under the ambit of the HPCSA are required to maintain their individual competency by attending a Basic Life Support (BLS) course on a two-yearly basis. Council is not prescriptive about where the training should take place as long as the course is appropriately accredited.
Post COVID, there has been a rise in the availability of online CPD training courses, this has also been seen in the provision of BLS courses abroad. The nature of the online courses has meant that South African medical professionals have far easier access to the international courses than previously. However, these online courses are de facto unable to deliver the practical/face-to-face component of the BLS courses that were previously considered to be vital.
A notice of motion was brought to the Professional Board for Physiotherapy, Podiatry, and Biokinetics (PPB) requesting clarity on the acceptability of such online, non-practical courses for maintenance of registration in South Africa. The Board approached the Medical and Dental Professions Board (MDB) for assistance as MDB is best placed to deliberate on the appropriateness of the online training.
MDB deliberated on the matter and on 08 July pronounced the following :
- The training in BLS must consist of both theory and practical experience
- MD Board members had concerns regarding an appropriate way in which the practical component of resuscitation will be implemented in an online environment.
- The Board supported that the training could be hybrid, however, there needs to be clear evidence of competence in the conduct related to resuscitation.
- The Board needs more information regarding the practical component both on how the practical elements will be conducted, and – after completion of the training- whether, candidates will have the necessary skills to perform resuscitation in a practical environment.
MDB is not in support of a full hybrid online training; but the Board is in support of a hybrid model BLS training provided that provision is made for physical exercises such as resuscitation.
The practical implications of the MDB deliberation is that professionals registered with the HPCSA must be aware of the requirements for practical and theoretical components in their MLS training, and must ensure that the BLS course they attend makes adequate provision for practical training. Purely theoretical online BLS training was not acceptable. The Practice Committees of each of the 12 Boards should evaluate BLS certification against this determination when evaluating BLS certification.
Last Updated on 17 September 2025 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs