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Healthcare is built on trust, not belief. The HPCSA’s ethical guidelines make it clear: personal convictions must never compromise patient care. Practitioners have a duty to act in their patients’ best interest, apply their minds openly, and protect them (patients) from harm. Respect, honesty, and accountability aren’t optional - they are the foundations of ethical practice in South Africa. Ethics. Equality. Evidence.

Booklet 1 outlines the ethical duties that guide clinical practice in South Africa. Acting in the best interests of patients, honouring trust, using clinical judgment responsibly, and avoiding prejudice are essential to maintaining ethical and professional integrity.

Booklet 1  reminds us that ethical care is not only about procedures or treatment - it’s about how  we relate to those we care for. These values shape the everyday culture of healthcare: how we listen, how we respect, how we show up for each person in front of us. Ethical practice is lived in small moments - not just policies. Ethics. Equality. Evidence.

Ethical care is about more than procedures and treatment plans. It begins with how we see one another. When care is grounded in respect, empathy, fairness, and honesty, it protects dignity and strengthens trust. Ethics reminds us that every interaction is an opportunity to honour our shared humanity — whether at the bedside, in conversation, or in decision-making. Ethics. Equality. Evidence.

HPCSA Booklet 1 sets out the core principles that guide ethical healthcare in South Africa. It reminds practitioners that care is not only clinical - it is also relational, grounded in dignity, respect, accountability, and compassion. These values align with our Constitution and the spirit of Ubuntu: a person is a person through other people. Booklet 1 is the foundation of professional conduct - ensuring that every patient is treated with humanity and integrity, regardless of

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) was established in 1974 to regulate health professions, set ethical standards, and protect the public. Every registered practitioner in South Africa is guided by the HPCSA’s ethical rules - ensuring that care is safe, competent, and grounded in dignity and integrity. Ethics. Equality. Evidence.

South Africa’s Constitution  is the supreme law of the land — and it protects the values that guide ethical healthcare. Section 9  — Equality before the law. Section 10  — The right to dignity. Section 16  — Freedom of expression and belief. Section 27  — The right to access healthcare services. Together, these rights form the legal and moral foundation of medical ethics in South Africa. Upholding them means practising care rooted in respect, evidence, and shared humanity. Et

In South Africa, Ubuntu  and the Constitution  share a common foundation - both recognise that dignity, equality, and justice belong to everyone. Ubuntu reminds us that ethical care begins with empathy and shared humanity. The Constitution makes that responsibility a legal duty. Together, they shape the heart of South African medicine: care that respects every person’s dignity. Ethics. Equality. Evidence.

Gender-affirming healthcare (GAHC)  is evidence-based medical care that supports a person’s wellbeing by aligning their body and identity. It includes a range of services — from respectful communication and counselling to hormone therapy and surgical care — all grounded in established clinical standards. In South Africa, access to GAHC is protected under the Constitution’s rights to equality, dignity, and healthcare (Sections 9, 10 & 27) . Providing this care is not activism;

In South Africa, ethics and care are not only guided by law — they are shaped by Ubuntu . Ubuntu reminds us that a person is a person through other people. It teaches that healthcare is not just a service, but a relationship built on respect, empathy, and shared humanity. When practitioners honour dignity and equality, they uphold Ubuntu — and the ethical duty to do no harm. Ethics. Equality. Evidence. Ubuntu. #Ubuntu #EthicsEqualityEvidence #MedicalEthics #HumanRightsZA

SATR is an educational initiative focused on professional ethics in South African healthcare. We encourage reflection on the shared principles that guide both patients and practitioners: respect, honesty, compassion, and non-discrimination. Our work draws directly from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, International Guidelines and Standards of Care, as well as regulatory authorities the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). These frameworks affir