a. No member of IPAHK should by any act or omission do anything or cause anything to be done which he or she has reasonable grounds for believing is likely either to endanger or affect adversely in a substantial way the health or safety of a patient or patients.

b. Scope of Practice: Podiatry comprises the maintenance of the feet in healthy condition, and the treatment of their disabilities by recognised podiatric methods in which the practitioner has been trained. Podiatrists should confine themselves to this field of work.

c. Advertising by podiatrists in respect of podiatric professional activities shall be accurate and restrained. Advertisements, whether written or audiovisual, should not be false, fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, self- laudatory, unfair or sensational. Explicit claims should not be made in respect of superiority of personal skills, equipment or facilities. All such advertisements must be headed ‘Member of the International Podiatry Association of Hong Kong’, no other material in the announcement may be larger in size or more prominently displayed than the heading. Professional signs should be dignified and professionally restrained.

d. Podiatrists should not either personally, or as agents, or employees of any person, firm or corporate body, sell or accept commission on the sale of goods to the public in connection with their occupation as podiatrists; nor should they in any way, directly or indirectly, be associated with the sales of such goods. This would not preclude them from supplying dressings and appliances in connection with the podiatric treatment of a particular condition of the feet for which they have been consulted.

e. Members of the International Podiatrists Association of Hong Kong (IPAHK) should not teach or take part in the conduct of examinations in podiatric subjects, or be in any way associated with any school, course or institution which has not been approved by the board. It is not intended that those who take part in the training of the students of other registered health-care professions or those who take part in the post-registration training of podiatrists and other registered health professionals should be guilty of infamous conduct.

f. A member of IPAHK who improperly delegates to a person who is not an IPAHK podiatrist, duties or functions requiring the knowledge and skill of such a podiatrist is liable to disciplinary proceedings. This statement is not intended to restrict the proper training of podiatry and other health students or the use of other registered health staff who have been trained to perform specialized functions or to carry out treatment of procedures falling within the proper scope of other registered professions.

Members of the public consulting a member of IPAHK are entitled to assume that their treatment will be carried out by persons who in the opinion of IPAHK Executive Board have a sufficiency of knowledge and skill for the practice of the profession of podiatry. Where tasks are delegated to persons other than a statutorily registered professional, such tasks should not require special expertise and skill. Members of IPAHK should continue to give close, continuing and immediate supervision to the performance of the tasks delegated and remain responsible for the outcome. Tasks requiring such professional expertise and skill cannot be delegated under this Statement of Conduct to persons other than statutorily registered health-care professionals.

Members of IPAHK who delegate treatment of patients to another person should normally ensure that they only delegate where appropriate, and then only to another registered healthcare professional. Where they do delegate tasks to a person who is not statutorily registered, they should only delegate tasks of a nature that a patient would be expected to undertake for him/herself.

g. A podiatrist should in the course of professional work seek, keep or store and disclose health information about a patient solely for the purpose of that patient’s continuing care.