In response to the work that healthcare workers are undertaking during the COVID-19 crisis, all retired or deferred members of Medical Protection will have their indemnity membership with us automatically reinstated completely free of charge. This is for state-indemnified work only.

This means that whilst the state will indemnify your for any claims that could arise as a result of you undertaking this work, Medical Protection can offer assistance with other matters such as medicolegal advice and regulatory representation, support with complaints, disciplinary proceedings, inquests and criminal investigations arising from clinical practice.

It is important to clarify with the Hospital the capacity in which you will be volunteering and if they are providing indemnity. If you are providing medical services as a General Practitioner but you have not worked in an Accident and Emergency setting previously, it is advisable to contact our membership department to make them aware.

Before starting it is vital you seek written confirmation from the Province/Hospital as to your duties and to confirm that the Hospital will provide you with an indemnity in the event of a claim in negligence. MPS would expect you to remain within the limits of your competence.

No, please leave the direct debit instruction in place, we will not collect payments on this during the period of deferred membership.

It is understandable that doctors on the frontline during the pandemic will have concerns regarding their own health and the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection. It also essential that patients can access the health care they require and it is important to take all available steps to minimise the risk before providing treatment or make other suitable alternative arrangements for the patient.

If you have pre-existing health conditions that increase your risk of infection, you should discuss this with colleagues and if you are employed with your employer and in those circumstances it may be appropriate to ask another suitably qualified clinician to take over the care of patients who are suspected to have, or have been diagnosed as having, COVID-19.

In a primary care setting it is advisable to consider all possible means of delivering care taking in to account the guidance from the government and the HPCSA.

A problem faced by many is being asked to see patients, either thought to have COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, where there is either an absence of, or obvious shortfalls, in personal protective equipment (PPE).  The problem is exacerbated by the fact that it may be unlikely that the situation will change in the short or medium term.

While the HPCSA expects health care professionals to put the best interests of patients first there is a strong argument that health care workers are a finite resource and the resource needs to be protected for future patients.  It is the South African Medical Association’s opinion, and we have independent legal advice, that one is not obliged to see or treat a patient in the absence of adequate PPE.

Any decision not to treat a patient based on inadequate PPE may require subsequent justification and it is important to document and retain the relevant facts.