FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT OF SASS

CIRCULAR TO MEMBERS OF THE SPINE SOCIETY - 18 February 2010

1. LETTER TO MOMENTUM HEALTH re SPECIALIST ARRANGEMENT

The Manager, Momentum Health

Dear Sir

RE: SPECIALIST ARRANGEMENT

The Executive Committee of our Society discussed your proposals at a meeting in Cape Town on 7 February 2010.
Many aspects of your proposal did not meet with our approval.
We have therefore recommended that our members do not sign your agreement.

Yours sincerely

Dr DJJ de Klerk
President: SASS

2. EXPERIMENTAL SPINAL IMPLANTS

We have received queries from medical aids in connection with payments for the costs involved in the insertion of experimental spinal implants.

We indicated to them that it is not within the mandate of the SASS to make recommendations in this regard. This is a matter that should be resolved between the patient, the surgeon and the medical aid.

According to enquiries we have made, it seems that if you do such surgical procedures, the following is most probably necessary:

1. Clearance with the Medicine Board
2. Clearance with the Ethics Committee of the HPCSA
3. Negotiate with your negligence insurer
4. The patient should sign a document of informed consent and indemnity
5. If you publish or lecture about your research, you should make a full disclosure of your involvement with the company that supply the implants as well as the financial benefits you receive

DAAN DE KLERK
PRESIDENT: SASS