Healthforce sick notes comply with Section 23 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Rule 16 of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) Ethical and Professional Rules, and the HPCSA General Ethical Guidelines for Good Practice in Telemedicine.
Healthforce enables nurses and patients to connect to doctors through a video connection. That means the nurse might be in Durban, physically with the patient, while the doctor is in Polokwane, giving advice over video.
A nurse is with the patient
A nurse physically examines the patient - for example, checking vital signs like blood pressure and pulse, or doing further investigations like HIV or urine tests. The nurse communicates all this information to the doctor via the video link.
The nurse can:
- Call a GP
- Send photographs to the doctor
- Capture and send vital information like blood pressure and temperature
- Capture the patient's medical history
Doctors consult remotely
All Healthforce doctors are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and are therefore authorised to issue sick notes. The doctor's name and registration number are at the bottom of the sick note. More information about all Healthforce doctors is available on our website.
Healthforce doctors practice in accordance with the HPCSA ethical guidelines for good practice in telemedicine.
The doctor can:
- See all the notes the nurse has made, including notes from previous consultations
- See and hear the nurse and patient over the video connection
- Provide a clinical diagnosis
- Write a prescription
- Write sick notes and referral letters
- Give medical advice
- Treat anyone over the age of two years
