HPCSA revises fee increase after complaints from doctors 

The Health Professions Council of South African (HPCSA) has revised its fee increase following complaints raised by doctors. 

In a statement on Tuesday, HPCSA president Simon Nemutandani said the council held its extra-ordinary meeting last Saturday and decided on a maximum increase of 5.7% for affected professional boards which fee increases were above Consumer Price Index (CPIX) of 5.7%.

Affected practitioners will receive a credit on their practitioner account in due course to implement the above reduction in annual fee increases, while those who had already paid the previous amount will have a credit on their account which will be allocated against future annual fees or any other open outstanding invoices, said Nemutandani.  

Payment of the revised 2022/23 annual fee increase will be extended until 30 April 2022. 

“The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) will soon gazette the newly revised 2022/23 fee increase in line with the resolution of the extra-ordinary Council meeting held on Saturday, 19 March 2022,” he said. 

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‘Unfair’ and ‘Not justifiable’ 

Earlier in the month, the South African Medical Association (Sama) criticised the initial increases as “unfair” and “not justifiable”, and said it would engage with the HPCSA on the matter. 

It sent request for information in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain budgets, minutes of meetings, and other relevant communication and data relating to council’s ‘justification’ for increasing the fees. 

“Given the lack of promised engagement on the matter, we also decided to explore our legal options,” said the Sama at the time. 

In response, Nemutandani said the council had approved the budget for the 2022/2023 financial year at its meeting held on 10 December 2021 and by so doing, also approved the 13% fee increase for the practitioners under the Medical and Dental Professions Board. 

“The approval was preceded by extensive consultation with the Medical and Dental Professions Board and in consideration of their activities for the financial year in question and it is Council budgeting approach to move from a premise of zero cost base and activities of the particular board,” said the HPCSA at the time.