This is a quick update on the meeting that occurred on 21 May 2024. It was with HPCSA emergency care and education board members, members of the (non-QCTO) focus group that developed the QCTO curriculum, Ben van As the HWSETA curriculum developer, and the QCTO. The meeting is about the QCTO advanced first aid curriculum (SP230801). Note that HPCSA did NOT say training providers should stop training the course or applying for accreditation against it. They are aware it is live. *5 June Update: There is a follow up meeting set for 19th June 2024.
21ST MAY 2024 MEETING
This article follows this article regarding this letter from the HPCSA sent to Mr Lata at QCTO in early April 2024.
This meeting has taken place. It was attended by:
- From the curriculum development focus group: Myself (Reuben Jensen), Kathy Bodmer, Alistair Farish, Abram Lourens, Graham Pearson.
- From the HPCSA: Ben van Nugteren, Ahmed Bham, Daphne Qonde, Dr Lloyd Christopher, Rosina Mafetsa and others.
- From QCTO: Lufuno Thovhakale (Qualification maintenance). Thomas Lata logged but had to leave almost immediately.
- From HWSETA Ben van As, the curriculum developer appointed by HWSETA
The meeting is about the QCTO advanced first aid curriculum (SP230803).
The meeting took a little over an hour. There were some sound problems coming through from the location / venue some of the HPCSA members were at. They did improve this, but there were still some comments made by HPCSA that were completely lost to bad sound. I attended from my office in Cape Town, and I was not in the room to hear comments made during sounds problems (in the room in JHB).
NB: This is just a collection of statements that were made about the curriculum by HPCSA. They are somewhat paraphrased and jumbled without context and not in order because I am short on time today: HPCSA members said:
- There is not sufficient detail to define the person (the first aider) in the curriculum. Clarification is needed. We do not know who this person will be (meaning the first aider as described by the advanced curriculum SP230803).
- We are not saying the document is wrong, we need to set up a workshop. A meeting will be set for soon.
- We can see you did a lot of work on this.
- We are in support of this program, we just need to iron out a few things.
- We want this program (SP230803) to go forward.
- The HPCSA may issue a notice that ‘these things’ must be in and ‘these things’ must be out of the curriculum.
- There are some changes that need to be made. Maybe not to the core, but to the document.
- ….And that is “if” in fact there are changes.
- (In response to my question) We did not flag 376480 because of the way the role (of the first aider) was described.
- (In response to my question) Oxygen treatment was not flagged in 376480, but we flagged it in SP230803 because of the role the first aider is performing.
- How did we not know about this curriculum?
- First aid is about patient care until emergency services arrives (I must comment that my manual and the curriculum both repeat this, so we are in full agreement there, they might just have missed the many times the first aider it told to call for help / call emergency care services)
Very short summary by myself (entirely my opinion):
- HPCSA asked for the documents (I sent links) and although they made direct statements about it that pointed to specific sections or text, they did not seem to have read it and understood it in its entirety, in its role, and in its context.
- HPCSA did not seem fully aware of the fact that it is a skills program and not a qualification, they were regularly referring to it as a qualification. I must add though that often “qualification” is a term is used to describe achieving the outcome of a course regardless of its length; a more general term. An explanation of the shortness of the course was explained, and this did change their perceptions of it to some degree.
- HPCSA asked questions about why there is a workplace module in there. There is not, but the template holds that section which is unpopulated, so that again points to the first bullet in this list.
Note that HPCSA did NOT say training providers should stop training the course or applying for accreditation against it. They are aware it is live.
Overall the meeting was pleasant and I look forward to direct discussion about it between HPCSA, QCTO, and the focus group that developed the curriculum. A meeting is being set. It was suggested it could be joined with the 27th May meeting, but the HPCSA members wanted more time, but also said it will be soon since SDP’s are already training these courses. I did not get a chance to ask HPCSA what happened to their AEA and BAA courses. The meeting had already run over time.
*5 June Update: There is a follow up meeting set for 19th June 2024.
