A reactionary attitude and an undue focus on money and the right to private practice has damaged the reputation of Irish doctors, according to a leading member of the medical profession.
Dr John Hillery, chairman of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities, said last night doctors had been let down by their lobby groups.
"Unfortunately, the public perception of much that is said on behalf of the profession is of a defensive dismissive response to the demands of the modern world," Dr Hillery said.
"This is not representative of the generality of doctors in practice," he said, as he was delivering the Robert Mayne lecture at Tallaght hospital last night.
"Declarations and demonstrations against change and a primary focus on money and the right to private practice has furthered the perception of the Irish medical profession as a defensive reactionary body," he said.
Dr Hillery is a former president of the Medical Council, the regulatory body for the profession, and was a candidate in the recent Seanad elections.
He criticised the medical profession's standard of self-regulation and the commitment of doctors to the Medical Council.
Doctors argued about the membership of the council rather than focusing on effective self-regulation, Dr Hillery said. "A profession must self-regulate," he warned. "If we do not demonstrate the full range of regulation, the State will step in."
He added: "Another area where self-regulation is seen to be weak is in the lack of acceptance of the harm done to the reputation of the profession as a whole by the actions of a few high-profile cases where damage was done to patients.
"It is reasonable to say that the actions of a few do not represent the many . . . It is unfortunate when doctors speak in such a way that the victims of medical mishap feel that their hurt is being dismissed."
Dr Hillery said that a great deal of damage had been done to the profession by defensive, self-centred attitudes.
"I am afraid that we have ceded the initiative. The powers that be can portray us as resistant to accountability and focused on personal advancement to the detriment of the public interest.
"Despite the public's high opinion of individual doctors, the message about the profession as a body is a negative one," he said.