Majority of doctors sought on Medical Council

The Medical Council is to seek amendments to legislation that would allow doctors to retain a majority of its membership.

Under the new medical practitioners Bill, the Medical Council would have a majority of lay members for the first time.

Minister for Health Mary Harney has proposed that there should be 12 doctors and 13 lay people on the council in future.

She has suggested that in addition to doctors that the council should also have representatives of the nursing profession, the Health Service Executive, the Health Information and Quality Authority, the Independent Hospitals Association of Ireland and the Health and Social Care Professionals' Council.

There would also be an individual nominated by the Minister for Education as well as five lay people put forward by the Minister for Health.

However, in a statement last night the Medical Council said it has always held that a continued medical majority was vital.

It has proposed amendments which would increase the number of doctors to 15 although it said that some representatives of the medical schools on the council may not be medical practitioners.

"The council believes that this number will give a critical mass of medical expertise to ensure the functioning of the regulator established under this bill.

"The council believes that the final balance of medical members (appointed and elected) should leave a medical majority as this will ensure the ownership by the profession of the issues, the commitment of the profession to the voluntary aspects of the regulatory process and the historic commitment of the profession to ongoing investment in the development of the profession."

The Medical Council said that without these the regulator would be unable to function in the public interest.

President of the council Dr John Hillery said that to fulfil its mission it must have the trust of the public and of the medical profession.

"This requires that there is a critical mass of medical expertise on the council and that members of the profession have the right to have a democratic input to the selection of some of those members.

"The Bill does not provide for these requirements at present."

Dr Hillery said that the membership of the council, as proposed by the Minister, provided for insufficient expertise on the council to deal with the requirements of the Bill as regards the promotion of standards in modern medical education and practice.

The council has also proposed a number of technical amendments to the legislation in relation to areas such as competence, assurance, education and training.