National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003)RegulationsEmergency Medical Services Regulations, 2017Part 1 : Regulatory Framework1. Definitions |
In these Regulations, a word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act, bears the meaning so assigned and, unless the context otherwise indicates—
"Advanced Life Support (ALS)"
means a level of care provided within the Paramedic, Emergency Care Technician or Emergency Care Practitioner scope of practice, as determined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"adverse patient incident"
means an event or circumstance that leads to unintended harm, injury, suffering or illness of a patient;
"air ambulance"
means an airborne vehicle—
| (a) | appropriately equipped, designed or adapted solely for the purpose of providing emergency care and conveyance of patients; |
| (b) | which is licensed to an Emergency Medical Service; |
| (c) | registered as an air ambulance in terms of the Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act No. 13 of 2009); and |
| (d) | staffed and equipped as per "Annexures A and B; |
"ambulance"
means a motor vehicle—
| (a) | appropriately equipped, designed or adapted solely for the purpose of providing emergency care and conveyance of patients; |
| (b) | owned by an Emergency Medical Service; |
| (c) | registered as an ambulance in terms of the National Road Traffic Act; and |
| (d) | staffed and equipped as per "Annexures A and B; |
"Ambulance Emergency Assistant"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Basic Ambulance Assistant"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Basic Life Support (BLS)"
means a level of emergency care provided primarily by emergency care providers that practise within the Basic Ambulance Assistant scope of practice as determined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Committee"
means the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee appointed in terms of regulation 3;
"dirty utility facility"
means a facility that is dedicated to the laundering of dirty linen, cleaning of soiled equipment and sluice requirements;
"Education Institution Emergency Medical Service"
means an organisation or body that is dedicated, staffed and equipped to operate as an ambulance or medical response vehicle in order to offer emergency care for the purpose of educating and training emergency care students who are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"emergency care"
means the evaluation, treatment and care of an ill or injured person in a situation in which such emergency evaluation, treatment and care is required, and the continuation of treatment and care during the transportation of such person to or between health establishments;
"Emergency Care Assistant"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"emergency care personnel"
means personnel who are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa under the auspices of the Professional Board for Emergency Care;
"Emergency Care Practitioner"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Emergency Care Technician"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Emergency Medical Service"
means an organisation or body that is dedicated, staffed and equipped to operate an ambulance, medical rescue vehicle or medical response vehicle in order to offer emergency care;
"Event Medical Service"
means an organisation or body that is dedicated, equipped and staffed by persons registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act to operate an ambulance or medical response vehicle in order to offer emergency care at mass gatherings or high risk events;
"Emergency Medical Service Manager"
means a person who is duly appointed as the responsible manager for the Emergency Medical Service and who is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"Head of Department"
means the accounting officer for a provincial health department;
"Health Professions Act"
means the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974);
"Health Professions Council of South Africa"
means the body established in terms of section 2 of the Health Professions Act;
"inspecting officer"
means a person employed or appointed by the Provincial Health Licensing and Inspectorate Authority;
"Intermediate Life Support (ILS)"
means a level of emergency care provided within the Ambulance Emergency Assistant and Emergency Care Assistant scope of practice as determined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"licence"
means a licence issued in terms of these Regulations, which authorises the provision of an emergency medical service;
"Licensing and Inspectorate Authority"
means the provincial health component appointed by the Head of Department for the licensing and inspection of Emergency Medical Services;
"MEG"
means the Member of the Executive Council responsible for Health;
"Medical Practitioner"
means a person registered as such in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"medical rescue"
means practices involving the location, access, extrication and emergency care of a person.
"medical rescue vehicle"
means a vehicle—
| (a) | appropriately equipped designed or adapted solely for the purpose of providing medical rescue; |
| (b) | owned by an Emergency Medical Service; |
| (c) | registered as a medical rescue vehicle in terms of the National Road Traffic Act; and |
| (d) | staffed and equipped as per "Annexures A and B; |
"medical response vehicle"
means a vehicle—
| (a) | appropriately equipped designed or adapted solely for the purpose of providing medical response; |
| (b) | owned by an Emergency Medical Service; |
| (c) | registered as a medical response vehicle in terms of the National Road Traffic Act; and |
| (d) | staffed and equipped as per "Annexures A and B; |
"member"
means a person appointed in terms of regulation 3 to serve on the Committee;
"National Road Traffic Act"
means the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996);
"Paramedic"
means a person registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act;
"response time"
means the time measured from when an Emergency Medical Service receives an emergency call to the time the first emergency care personnel or medical practitioner arrives at the scene;
"responsible person"
means a person, a nominee, in the case of a company or an association of persons (whether corporate or not) or an organ of state, registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, who establishes, extends, conducts, maintains or renders an emergency medical service;
"Register of Emergency Medical Services"
means the register referred to in regulation 9(15);
"station"
means a dedicated self-contained facility for the housing of emergency vehicles, personnel and associated emergency equipment;
"temporary licence"
means a valid licence issued in terms of these Regulations which authorises the temporary provision of an emergency medical service; and
"Volunteer Emergency Medical Service"
means an organisation or body—
| (a) | licensed to provide such volunteer emergency medical services as formally approved by the relevant Provincial Department of Health; |
| (b) | registered in accordance with the National Road Traffic Act; and |
| (c) | registered as a Non-Profit Organisation, as well as a Public Benefit Organisation as provided for in the Non-Profit Organisation Act, 1997 (Act No. 71 of 1997) and the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act No. 58 of 1962), respectively; |
"Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel"
means personnel who—
| (a) | are registered practitioners with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in terms of the Health Professions Act; |
| (b) | are members of a licensed Volunteer Emergency Medical Service; and |
| (c) | do not receive any remuneration for the provision of emergency medical services, but may receive reasonable reimbursement for expenses incurred. |