Docs must legally prove competence

[Posted: Fri 30/04/2010 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

A total of 295 complaints were made against doctors to the Medical Council last year, according to the Council's latest statistics.

The statistics were released as new legislaiton was introduced making it compulsory for all doctors to update their skills and maintaing their competence levels.

The most common complaint related to professional standards, followed by treatment complaints and failure to communicate/rudeness.

The complaints were made in respect of 337 doctors.

The majority of doctors complained about (167) were GPs, followed by 147 consultants.

In 2008, a total of 318 complaints were made to the Council about doctors.

The Council says based on recent trends, doctors have a one-in-60 chance of having a complaint made against them.

It says of the complaints made last year, in only 13% of cases was it decided that an inquiry should be launched into the complaint.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Mary Harney yesterday brought into effect the necessary legislaiton to make it compulsory for doctrs to update their skills. Doctors who do not meet these requirements will face removal from the register.

According to the Medical Council, which will regulate the process, the new law means that all doctors will be legally obliged to demonstrate that they are maintaining their competence from May 1, 2011.

The Council said over the next 12 months, every doctor is required to register with a professional competence scheme and to begin the process of updating their skills, including taking part in clinical audit.

Medical Council President Prof Kieran Murphy said while the majority of doctors were already engaging in competence assurance on a voluntary basis, the process had now been formalised into a legal requirement.

CATHY  Posted: 01/05/2010 22:56

While competence is good -- let it be know that majority work under extreme conditions, many departments are understaff, under equipped under supervised -- we should not under estimate the staff working under these conditions.

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