DOCTORS IN future will have to be able to demonstrate they are continuing to maintain their professional competence if they wish to remain on the medical register, it was announced yesterday.
Under one of the final sections of the 2007 Medical Practitioners Act to be commenced, doctors have until May 1st next year to enrol in a professional competence scheme and will be required to spend 50 hours a year on continuous professional development by attending scientific meetings, conferences and workshops.
They will also have to spend one hour a month on clinical audit.
Prof Kieran Murphy, president of the Medical Council, said random spot checks would be conducted each year to ensure that doctors were attending the conferences they claimed they were attending.
He said assistance would be provided to those having difficulty meeting their obligations under the Act, but if a doctor refused to co-operate the matter could end up before the Medical Council’s fitness to practise committee.
The new statutory requirement on doctors should help ensure cases like that of former Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary do not recur.
An investigation into his practice at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital, where he carried out a large number of unnecessary Caesarean hysterectomies, found he had worked in a unit which lacked peer review or audit.
It also described Dr Neary as a doctor with a “deep fault line” which was recognised early but never corrected. He was struck off in 2003.
Prof Murphy said the change in the law was an important milestone for the medical profession, and an important milestone for enhancing patient safety.
“It will ensure that all doctors are helped to maintain and develop their knowledge and skills during the course of their professional lives, and will help ensure that patients are getting the highest possible standards and quality of care.
“Of course, it has to be acknowledged that the majority of doctors have maintained their professional competence on a voluntary basis for many years,” he added.
Even if doctors only work part time, or are retired and have their names on the register, they will have to show they are maintaining their competence if they are to remain on the register.
While some concerns have been expressed by doctors about getting time to do audit and maintain competence, the Act states that their employers will have to facilitate them in doing so.
Minister for Health Mary Harney said everyone now recognised that a doctor on graduation was not fit for the whole of their medical career, and that they had to keep abreast of developments.
“The commencement of these provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 will introduce, for the first time, a statutory requirement for doctors to maintain their professional competence.
“This is a significant step in implementing a modern, reformed system of regulation for the medical profession which will satisfy the public and the profession that medical practitioners are appropriately qualified and competent to practise in a safe manner on a continuing basis,” she said.