The Medical Council has erased the names of six doctors from the medical register and attached conditions of practice to two more following the latest inquiries by its Fitness to Practise committee.
Of the six doctors whose licences to practise medicine have been withdrawn, one was found guilty of professional misconduct, five were found unfit to practise for health reasons, but four of those five were also found guilty of professional misconduct.
A total of 223 new complaints were made about doctors to the council last year by members of the public or colleagues. Each complaint is assessed by means of written statements from both the complainant and the defending doctor.
Where there is a prima facie case to answer, a formal fitness-to-practise inquiry follows. The decision of this inquiry is communicated to the High Court for ratification. Censure can involve a number of sanctions, from a warning as to future professional conduct to complete removal from the medical register.
A finding of unfitness for health reasons can include drug and alcohol abuse as well as other psychological and physical illness. The Medical Council has set up a health committee to deal with complaints which have a health component and where no allegation of patient harm is being made.
Issues of professional misconduct include inadequate treatment, unacceptable professional standards and failure to communicate.
More than 12,500 doctors practise in the State. Of the six removed from the register by the Medical Council, four were working in primary care.
The council's decision to set up a health committee reflects the increasing number of complaints it receives in which the health of a doctor is a key element. While its primary duty is to protect the patient, it has been seeking to address the issue of fit doctors in a more direct way.
In particular, it has been looking at ways in which it can formally monitor compliance with any restrictions it may place on a doctor's practice. These restrictions can include attending a substance-abuse rehabilitation programme or undergoing other specific medical treatment.
The council met the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, last week to discuss revisions to the 1978 Medical Practitioners Act. The president of the council has referred to concerns about doctors who are unwell being treated as if they had committed a crime. One of the key demands being put to the Minister is the separation of the health and disciplinary function of the council under a new act.