The HPCSA has sent out an SMS to practitioners not in compliance with CPD.

In June, the many practitioners received SMS notifications from the HPCSA, encouraging them to become CPD compliant or be prepared to face further actions.

Is the current lull in compliance sms’s from the HPCSA an indication that nothing further will be done? And was all your hard work in getting and staying compliant for nothing?

The answer to both is NO!

According to our information the HPCSA:

Is catching up with the backlog in capturing CEUs achieved by the thousands who were not compliant;
Plans to send out another, and much more “this is now it”, SMS as soon as the backlog has been worked away. We expect this to happen by the middle – to end of September 2023.
Will not allow the upload of points achieved outside scope of practice.

Refer to the summaries below to understand the expected CPD compliance status and to learn what steps you have to take, to become complaint or address any inaccuracies in your compliance status.

When am I compliant?

Dental assistants and BLS Emergency cares

As per the HPCSA’s requirements, you must complete 15 CEU’s per year, with a minimum of 2 CEU’s being in the category of Professional Ethics, Human Rights, and health law. The HPCSA also requires that registered practitioners always maintain a balance of 30 active CEU’s.

[Note: A CEU is valid / active for two years from date of accrual, after which it expires / lapses, and the HCP must then complete further accredited CPD activities to make up the expired CEUs]

All other professions

As per the HPCSA’s requirements, you must complete 30 CEU’s per year, with a minimum of 5 CEU’s being in the category of Professional Ethics, Human Rights and health law. The HPCSA also requires that registered practitioners always maintain a balance of 60 active CEU’s.

[Note: A CEU is valid / active for two years from date of accrual, after which it expires / lapses, and the HCP must then complete further accredited CPD activities to make up the expired CEUs]

Your CPD position as a member

A) Should reflect complaint if you have joined our programme;

Before or in 2021

In 2022

In 2023

You would have had access to activities to the value of at least 85 CEUs. Should you diligently have completed activities you should be compliant and no further action is required, because:

With the changeover in monitoring CPD compliance, in that providers had to upload points achieved, we uploaded all 2021 activities with a December 2023 expiry date, irrespective of when it was done;
Activities completed in 2022 were uploaded with the expiry date being two years from the date of completion;

Thus, completing 2023 activities, and these being uploaded with a completion date, will ensure that on 1 January 2024, when your 2021 activities expire, you are still compliant.

You would have had access to activities to the value of at least 85 CEUs. Should you diligently have completed activities in 2022 and 2023 you should be compliant and no further action is required, because points achieved were uploaded with the expiry date being two years from the date of completion.

Thus, as the activities from 2022 begin to expire in 2024, you will have access to new CPD activities to maintain your active balance of 60 CEUs.

You would have had access to all our available activities to the value of at least 85 CEUs.

Should you have requested activities for TWO years and diligently have completed the activities, you should be compliant, and no further action is required, because points achieved were uploaded with the expiry date being two years from the date of completion.

Thus, as these activities from 2023 begin to expire in 2025, you would have had access to new CPD activities during 2024 to maintain your active balance of 60 CEUs.

If you have requested activities for this year only you might not be compliant if you only complete our CPD activities. However you can request more CEU’s.

B) Will reflect not yet complaint if no CPD activities were returned

You can log-in and complete your available CPD activities NOW;

Navigation Link: https://online.foh-cpd.co.za/cpd-user/dashboard

Username: FOH Number

Password: ID Number

C) May be compliant, but the HPCSA reflects a non-compliant status

This can be due to the CPD submissions to HPCSA. Our CPD activity uploads are current, reflecting all completed activities. However, it’s important to acknowledge that occasional data loss can happen, and we are unable to identify which activities haven’t been uploaded..

If you happen to identify any missing activities on your HPCSA record, kindly inform us, and we will be more than happy to reupload them for you.

Going forward we will:

Continue managing an Individual CPD activity record which will contain your FoH as well as any other proof of activities completed you care to share with us.
Provide you with a FoH activity record at least every quarter;
Should you have provide with your HPCSA login information, we will even log in to your HPCSA profile to check your point status and pro-actively inform you of action steps you need to take.
Strive towards refreshing your activities by the latest end of March of each year.

Remember

We remain the only CPD provider that engages with the HPCSA on your behalf on issues even outside the CPD context. We are also the only provider with a client service function – albeit it is congested at some times.

Thank you for your understanding.
FOCUS ON HEALTH