Become A Member

About the APCC

The Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC), formerly the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) of South Africa, is an Association of palliative care service providers across South Africa. Its vision is “quality palliative care for all” persons living with a life-threatening illness. Its mission is “to promote quality in life, dignity in death, and support in bereavement to all living with a life-threatening illness, by supporting APCC member and partner organisations to provide quality palliative care.

REASONS TO CONSIDER APCC MEMBERSHIP

The APCC currently has 88 members providing palliative care services in all 9 provinces and all 52 Health Districts in South Africa. Collectively, APCC members provide palliative care services for approximately 60,000 persons living with a life-threatening illness annually.

The Primary Objectives of the APCC

To promote and advocate for palliative care

The APCC and its members are the custodians of palliative care in South Africa. The release of the National Policy Framework and Strategy on Palliative Care (2017), coupled with Medical Scheme payments for palliative care services, generated significant interest in palliative care resulting in a proliferation of palliative care services in the country. APCC remains the foremost advocate for palliative care in South Africa and, by doing so, expands palliative care service delivery opportunities for APCC members.

To represent the interests of APCC members

With the National and Provincial Departments of Health (DoH) and National Department of Social Development (NDoSD); the Board of Health Funders (BHF); the Council for Medical Schemes; individual Medical Schemes; the Office of Health Standards Compliance; appropriate professional and statutory bodies; and other national and international organisations that could service the interests of APCC members.

To promote the palliative care services of APCC members

To the above organisations and directly to healthcare professionals throughout South Africa through appropriate advocacy and media programmes.

To provide Quality Assurance for the palliative care services of APCC members

The palliative care services of all APCC members are strengthened through participation in the following APCC Service Provider Quality Assurance Programmes:

  • Mentorship of APCC members against APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services;
  • Education and training in palliative care;
  • Accreditation of APCC members against APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services
  • Monitoring, evaluation & reporting on palliative care services provided by APCC members.

The benefits of APPC Membership

Access to the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services

The APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services are the only accredited Standards for Palliative Care in South Africa. The Standards are accredited by the Council for Health Services Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA) and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).

Online surveys of compliance with the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services

APCC members get access to and the use of the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services online Self-Assessment Tool (SAT). The SAT allows APCC members to assess themselves against the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services.

Onsite surveys of compliance with the APCC Standards of Palliative Healthcare Services

APCC members may request onsite in-person surveys to verify the level of their compliance with the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services. Verification is required for awarding APCC members Star ratings.

All APCC members are awarded an APCC Star Rating

Subject to the level of compliance with the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services, each APCC member is awarded an APCC Star Rating Certificate indicating their level of compliance with the Standards. The Star rating may be displayed on an APCC Members Star Rating Plaque at the member’s premises. The certificate and the plaque will provide evidence of the member’s APCC Star Rating which may be important for patients, funders and other stakeholders. The member’s APCC Star Rating may also be displayed on a APCC member’s letterheads, email signatures and other branding materials.

Mentorship to comply with the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services

APCC has a comprehensive Mentorship Programme whereby the knowledge and skills of 4 and 5-star APCC members are used to mentor other members to comply with the APCC Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services.

Training in palliative care

APCC has developed numerous palliative care training courses which APCC staff members can attend at reduced rates. Suitably trained and qualified APCC members may also offer these courses to health and welfare personnel within their region and generate additional income by doing so.

Receive monthly, quarterly and annual reports on patient care services

APCC members have access to the APCC Patient Care Data Management System (PCDMS) (formerly called the HDMS), which is a highly sophisticated online cloud-based patient care data management system to which APCC members can capture their monthly patient care data and receive monthly, quarterly and annual reports on their patient care services. The PCDMS measures and reports on both the quantity and the quality of patient care services provided by APCC members. Tailor-made patient care reports can be generated on request.

Access to funding for Quality Improvement

From time to time, APCC secures funding for strengthening the palliative care services of APCC members. APCC members are able to access this funding for Quality Improvement through the APCC Quality Improvement Fund (APCC-QIF).

Access to grants for professional development

From time to time, APCC generates funding for grants for the professional development of the staff of APCC members to receive training in palliative care. APCC members may apply for access to these grants for the professional development of their staff.

Access to Medical Scheme funding

Accredited APCC members get access to the Board of Health Funders (BHF) 79 practice number. This practice number, which is reserved for APCC members only, allows APCC members to claim from Medical Schemes for the patient care services provided to Medical Scheme members.

Access to policymakers and decision-makers

As an APCC member, your organisation will be part of a national voice championing Palliative Care Centres and palliative care to key policymakers and decision-makers.

Be part of a well-respected and credible brand

With APCC membership comes credibility. APCC members are the only palliative care service providers that have access to well tried and tested Quality Assurance Programmes including, Mentorship, Accreditation, Training and Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting. Access to these programmes sets APCC member apart from other service providers.

Access to the APCC brand

Accredited APCC members may use the APCC brand to promote their services and organisation to patients, funders and other stakeholder. The APCC Branding Guidelines must be used should a member want to use the APCC brand.

Download the PDF with the information above HERE

How to become a member of the APCC

The Association of Palliative Care Centres was established to promote and provide for its members’ best interests and needs. This is given expression through the following activities:

  • Promote quality palliative care for all persons living in South Africa.
  • Represent the interests of member organisations.
  • Support members and partner organisations to deliver quality palliative care.
  • Be the custodian of the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Standards and Ethical Principles.

The above activities imply establishing a structured process that screens, assesses and welcomes new members. This process must enhance and support the interests of current members and ensure that new members can deliver quality palliative care within the framework envisaged by the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services.

APCC membership is conditional on the following:

  • The member or applicant has the provision of palliative care as one of its objectives.
  • Organisations applying for membership must comply with the APCC criteria for membership as set out in the Governance Operating Manual or otherwise determined by the Board from time to time.
  • Organisations applying for membership must be able to be compliant with the expectations of the MOU between the APCC and APCC members (a draft copy of which will be emailed to applicants on request).
  • The applicant must be of a charitable nature (registered as an NPO/NPC or charitable trust).
  • Membership of the APCC requires membership of a provincial/regional structure and the process outlined below is cognisant of this requirement.

 Summary of the application process:

  • Contact your local provincial association chairperson or the national accreditation manager (warren@apcc.org.za).
  • A detailed letter explaining the application process and related costs will be sent to you along with a link to the application form.
  • Complete and submit the application form along with the requested attachments.
  • A provincial eligibility screening will take place, directed by the provincial chairperson (or someone delegated by them).
  • Further progress in the application process is dependent on the successful completion of this eligibility screening.
  • The national accreditation manager will then send you a copy of the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services along with access to a Self-Assessment Tool which you will need to complete and submit within a negotiated time frame.
  • Once completed the self-assement will be surveyed by a team of APCC surveyors.
  • All new applicants are required to undergo an on-site verification survey, which will be arranged depending on the outcome of the self-assessment survey.
  • The outcome of the self-assessment and the verification surveys will be communicated to the provincial chairperson who will recommend membership of the provincial association at their next meeting (this may be done via email to speed up the process).
  • Once provincial/regional membership is approved, the provincial chairperson will recommend membership at the next meeting of the APCC Board.
  • The outcome of this meeting will be communicated to the applicant and where successful a welcome pack and related material will be made available.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the National Accreditation Manager (Warren Oxford-Huggett) on warren@apcc.org.za. The provincial/regional association is intimately involved in this application process.

Provincial Chair contact details: