Psychologists on war path

Thousands of people who suffer from depression face unpaid medical-aid claims as a showdown looms between psychologists and the Health Professions Council of SA.

Up to two-thirds of the almost 7000 practising psychologists could have empty consulting rooms after being told by the council that they may no longer treat patients with severe stress disorders.

A number of medical aid companies have already refused to meet some members' claims.

The dispute started in April last year when the council's professional board for psychology changed the scope of practice for the various disciplines of psychology.

In a letter to the Board of Healthcare Funders, which represents most of the medical aid schemes, the council's Emmanuel Chanza, who manages the psychology section, said patients "whose low mood or anxiety is causing severe stress ." should consult either a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Chanza said that counselling psychologists may not treat such patients.

There are concerns that the country's approximately 2000 clinical psychologists will not be able to cope with the expected deluge of patients once counselling and other psychologists are forced to stop treating them.

A clinical psychologist in East London said: "There is no way we can take over patients [from other psychologists]. Patients are going to end up queueing to get help."

This problem will be worst in country towns where there are few or no clinical psychologists.

Chanza's remarks were included in a letter from the Board of Healthcare Funders to its members on January 20. It said the Health Professions Council had introduced a new coding system for the disciplines of psychology.

The new coding system for the first time differentiates between clinical, counselling, educational, industrial and neuro psychologists.

Chanza's letter caused an uproar and on April 11 Henriette van den Berg, a Bloemfontein counselling psychologist who heads the Concerned Psychologists' Action Group, wrote to Tholene Sodi, chairman of the Professional Board for Psychology, expressing her concerns and those of other counselling and educational psychologists about the new scope of practice, as published in the Government Gazette of April 6 2010.

Van den Berg said the funder's implementation of the new coding system had already resulted in medical aid schemes rejecting claims from patients being treated for mood and anxiety disorders.

On May 20, Sodi repudiated Chanza's statement. The letter from Chanza to the funders "has been withdrawn", he said and referred questions to Board of Healthcare Funders spokesman Bertha Scheepers.

She distributed a copy of the council's stance on the disciplines of psychology.

The document confirms Chanza's views.

It says educational psychologists should refer patients to the appropriate professional for further assessment or intervention, and that industrial psychologists "do not work in hospitals and may not prescribe medications".