New rules allowing for the temporary registration of non-EU doctors have been adopted by the Medical Council.
The new “supervised division” of the medical register permits non-EU doctors to practise in hospital settings in supervised posts for a maximum of two years, subject to a clinical examination.
The rules, provided for under the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Act 2011, aim to address the acute shortage of staff in hospital emergency wards up and down the country. The council formally adopted the rules following a week-long public consultation process.
Of 4,660 junior doctor posts in the Irish hospital system, recent figures showed there were 150 outstanding vacancies.
President of the Medical Council Prof Kieran Murphy said it was necessary that “robust registration systems” were in place to protect the public by ensuring doctors had the necessary education, training and competence to work safely.
The council’s annual report for 2010 showed it received 361 complaints last year, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
Council chief executive Caroline Spillane said the council expected the number of complaints to increase in the coming years as the council "undertakes extensive communications activities” and the public become more aware of the council's role and processes".
The highest number of complaints, 160, related to doctors’ professional standards, while 86 related to treatment. The report showed 30 complaints related to a failure to communicate or rudeness by doctors.
Prof Murphy said 54 of the 361 complaints were referred to fitness to practise tribunals, an increase of 23 on 2009.
Some 19 doctors were found guilty of professional misconduct and two had their names taken off the medical register last year. Other sanctions included: suspension; placing conditions on a doctor’s ability to practise and advising, admonishing or censuring a doctor.
