Members of the public or healthcare practitioners can lodge a complaint against a registered practitioner with the HPCSA, but only for unprofessional conduct by a person registered under the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974 (The Act).
Complaints outside the HPCSA scope
The Act limits the HPCSA to scope to healthcare practitioners under their ambit and excludes the following types of complaints:
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Hospitals or Clinics: Contact the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC).OHSC Call Centre: 080 911 6472Email: complaints@ohsc.org.za
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Nurses: Contact South African Nursing Council (SANC).SANC Telephone: 012 420-1000Email: professionalconduct@sanc.co.za
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Pharmacists: Contact the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC)Tel: 012 321 1479/92
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Medical Schemes: Contact the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS).
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Social workers: Contact the South African Council for Social Services Profession (SACSSP)Tel: 012 356 8300/8315Email:profcond2@sacssp.co.za
How to lodge a complaint
You can submit your complaint through one of the following ways:
Online:
- Click here to access the HPCSA portal.
- Register an account. This will allow you to continue to communicate with the HPCSA even after the complaint has been lodged and further be able to trace the progress of your complaint.
Off-line:
- Download a complaint form by clicking here.
- Send the completed form to: Email: legalmed@hpcsa.co.za OR Courier/hand deliver to: 553 Madiba Street, Arcadia, PRETORIA, 0001 OR Post to: P O Box 205, Pretoria, 001
Tips for completing the complaint form
- Specify the name and surname of the registered practitioner you wish to lodge a complaint against – not the practice name.
- Provide a comprehensive detail of the complaint, including all relevant dates and facts as well as any supporting documents
- Attach a copy of your ID.
- If the complainant is not the patient, the ID copy of birth certificate of the patient will be required.
- The person complaining on behalf of the patient is requested to provide power of attorney/affidavit document signed by the patient, authorizing the complainant to lodge a complaint on behalf of another person/patient.
- To help HPCSA respond effectively to the complaint, please provide as much information as possible about the issues or incidents that you have witnessed or become aware of.
- Specify any additional documents or any other sources of evidence which could help support the complaint.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
The HPCSA acknowledge that some individuals may prefer to lodge a complaint anonymously. Anonymous complaint is when the recipient of the complaint does not know the identity of the person who made it. It can be more difficult for the HPCSA to accurately assess the information or to act on the complaint without knowing the full facts. Should your complaint be a matter for consideration by a professional conduct inquiry, the burden of proof is already compromised when the complainant is anonymous. It is recommended that you make your report on a confidential basis. The recipient of the report and any person dealing with the report will be aware of your identity but will not disclose it to anyone unless required to do so by law.
Kindly note that not all complaints can be investigated as anonymous depending on the nature of complaints. Anonymous complaints should be complaints that can be investigated without the details of the complainant made known to the practitioner.
More information
Click here for more information on the complaints process.
Last Updated on 8 November 2023 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs