Practitioners who have not yet paid their annual fees are urged to so by 30 November 2021 or face suspension from the register. The announcement follows an eight-month grace period granted by Council due to the impact of COVID-19. Practitioners can check their payment status online and, if required, make their payments through the HPCSA portal.
Section 19 (1) (d) of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974 allows the Registrar to suspend a practitioner for non-payment of annual fees.
Practitioners who have not yet paid their annual fees by 30 November 2021 which is eight (8) months after due date, will be suspended and erased from the register and will only be reinstated upon paying the outstanding annual fee amount together with a penalty as outlined in the regulations. Due to COVID-19, Council extended this suspension date to give practitioners sufficient time to pay.
For the HPCSA to execute its mandate of protecting the public, only registered healthcare practitioners may treat the public. It is a criminal offence to treat the public whilst not registered with the HPCSA and Council would take disciplinary action against those found to be defying the Act. Once, a practitioner is deregistered the certificate issued to his/her in terms of the Act, is deemed cancelled with effect from the date of the suspension.
Suspended practitioners can have their names restored to the register after they make an application and pay a restoration fee, which increases up to five times the applicable amount, depending on when the application was made after the erasure date.
To ensure that the fees were paid on time HPCSA carried out the following processes:
- Fees were published on the website and practitioners notified via the e-Bulletin newsletter
- Annual fees reminders were sent to the practitioners through emails and SMSs
- Practitioners were contacted by the HPCSA Call Centre reminding them to make payments
For further enquiries on the above or any issue regarding renewals and annual fee payments, please contact the HPCSA Call Centre on 012 338 9300 or email info@hpcsa.co.za
Last Updated on 26 November 2021 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs