Legal & policies
PAIA Manual & POPIA Rights
How to request access to records held by the practice under PAIA, and how to exercise your POPIA rights.
Last reviewed: February 2026
Purpose of this manual
This manual is published in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA), as amended by POPIA. It tells you what records the practice holds and how to request access to them.
Contact details
Requests must be sent to the Information Officer of the practice at the rooms address, or by email to the practice email address published on the contact page. The Information Officer's name is [CONFIRM].
Records held by the practice
- Patient health records, including notes, imaging reports and operation notes.
- Accounts, medical aid and financial records.
- Employment and staff records.
- Records held in terms of tax, company and health legislation.
How to request a record
- Complete the prescribed PAIA request form, available from the Information Regulator's website.
- Provide proof of identity, and proof of authority where you act for another person.
- Specify the record you want and the form of access you prefer.
- Pay the prescribed request and access fees where they apply.
The practice must respond within 30 days. That period may be extended once, in writing, where the request is complex.
When access may be refused
Access may be refused on the grounds set out in PAIA, including the unreasonable disclosure of another person's personal information, or where disclosure of health information may cause serious harm to the requester. In the latter case, access may be given through a nominated health practitioner.
Your POPIA rights
- To be told whether the practice holds your personal information, and to receive a copy.
- To ask for correction or deletion of information that is inaccurate or no longer needed.
- To object to processing on reasonable grounds.
- To withdraw consent for marketing at any time.
- To lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
Complaints to the Information Regulator
Information Regulator of South Africa, JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001. Email: complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za.