Specialist Registration
Registration and Certification to Practice as a General Practitioner in Ireland
Structure of the new Register of Medical Practitioners
On 16th March 2009, the Register of Medical Practitioners was established under section 43 of the Act and replaced the General Register of Medical Practitioners and the Register of Medical Specialists, which were established under the Medical Practitioners Act 1978. The Register comprises four Divisions. A medical practitioner can only be registered in one Division at a time, except for a specialist training in another specialty.
Click here for more information from the Medical Council.
a) General Registration
In order to practice independently in any health care setting without supervision, a doctor must hold a certificate of full registration with the Irish Medical Council. The Medical Council provide an annual Certificate of Registration following the presentation of required documents and the payment of an annual registration fee.
b) Specialist Division of the Register - General Practice (SDR)
The Medical Practitioners Act 2007, passed by the Oireachtas in May 2007, forms the basis of all regulatory requirements governing the practice of medical practitioners including general practitioners. It will be implemented once the enactment date is set by the Minister for Health and Children. This is a voluntary register at present. Specialists appear within approved specialties, in this case, General Practice. Applications for entry to this register are processed by the Council's Registration Section.
A specialist is a doctor who has completed their training and requires no further training or supervision to practice independently in the discipline of their choice. Continuity in the Specialist Division of the Register is directly linked to competence assurance structures and regulations governed by the Medical Council.
c) Certificate of Specific Training/Acquired Rights (CSTAR) in General Medical Practice EU Directive 93/16/EEC)
This certificate is issued by the Medical Council. A general practitioner is required to hold this certificate in order to be deemed eligible to accept/hold a state scheme contract in Ireland e.g. GMS, mother and infant contract, childhood immunisation. This certificate also entitles the bearer to work within state schemes in other member states of the EU.
General practitioners are eligible for CSTAR certification if they hold a recognised qualification in general practice in Ireland i.e. the MICGP or a recognised qualification from an accredited training body in another EU country and/or have an acquired right to certification under the Directive.