Medical Council launches Annual Report for 2018
Once Again Nearly 1 in 5 Complaints about Doctors relate to Communication Issues
Wednesday 28th August 2019: The Medical Council, the regulatory body for doctors in Ireland, has today launched its Annual Report for 2018.
Annual Report Highlights
- 22,996 doctors on the Medical Register – up from 22,649 in 2017
- 35% of registered doctors are aged 35 or under
- 396 complaints received
- The breakdown in the workforce is 58% male and 42% female
- 58% of registered doctors received their primary medical qualification in Ireland; 14% from another EU member state or a nation in the European Economic Area; and 28% from another country
Standards in ethical and professional practice for registered medical practitioners is a central remit of the Medical Council under legislation. In 2018 the number of complaints received against doctors was 396. In keeping with the pattern of recent years, the largest category of complaints received was in relation to, or had elements of, communication issues, totalling 19% of complaints.
Medical Council CEO, Mr Bill Prasifka said “Once again in 2018 the number of complaints which related to communications issues has remained high. In response to this the Medical Council are taking a number of actions to address the situation, such as ensuring communication becomes mandatory as part of continuous professional development."
“We also launched the Safe Start campaign, designed for doctors new to practicing medicine in Ireland. As noted from the complaints received, communications continues to be an area of concern, and the Safe Start initiative addresses communications as a key area for doctors to develop.”
“The Safe Start programme, aimed at making the transition to working life easier for new doctors, or those new or returning to practice in Ireland, also has resources outlining a range of continuing professional development options to ease into the Irish medical workforce, including lessons on prescribing, consent, and professional conduct and ethics.”
“2018 marked a year of further positive progress for the Medical Council and we believe that the profession in Ireland has been well-served in the considerable work undertaken in the year. The highlight of the year was the appointment of a new Council which assumed responsibility in June 2018, including the election of the Council’s first woman President, Dr Rita Doyle. The early focus of the new Council was to draft a five year Statement of Strategy 2019 to 2023, which is being launched next week.”
“From an operational perspective there were a number of key activities in 2018 including a number of appearances before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health, as well as before the Public Accounts Committee; the publication of reports into Medical Council inspections of Saolta Hospital Group and South/South West Hospital Group; and a range of stakeholder engagement across various aspects of the profession,” concluded Mr Prasifka.
“I would like to acknowledge the former Council and its President, Professor Freddie Wood, for the considerable work undertaken in the five years up to June 2018 and for laying solid foundations for further progress in the coming years,” said Dr Rita Doyle, Medical Council President.
“I am pleased to say that the new Council has got off to a busy and productive start with a range of significant issues being addressed as the result of the hard work of the members. A key priority for me as President is the well-being of practising Doctors who need to ensure that they look after their own physical and mental wellbeing, especially when doctors are working in a health service under significant strain. The work of the Council’s Health Committee is of significant importance to every registered doctor in Ireland, and we look forward to developing this facility in the coming year,” concluded Dr Doyle.
ENDS
A copy of the full report can be found here
A copy of the Irish language version of the report can be found here