Professional Competence

Professional Competence Update

The Minister for Health and Children has commenced Part 11 of the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007 with effect from May 1st 2010. This means that all doctors on the Specialist and General Divisions of the register must be enrolled and participating in a Professional Competence Scheme by May 1st 2011. The components of the scheme will be Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Clinical Audit (CA).

If you are unsure of which Training Body Professional Competence Scheme you should align with please check the following websites for further information, The Forum of Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and the Medical Council.

ICGP Professional Competence Committee

The ICGP has recently established a Professional Competence Committee to deal with all aspects of the Professional Competence Scheme. This group is working on the Professional Competence Scheme for GPs and the application process for registering for this scheme. Registering for the scheme will be relatively simple for those who are already on the Specialist Division of the Medical Register or who hold the MICGP or equivalent qualification. A summary of the current situation was presented by Dr Ailís ní Riain, Director of Professional Competence, at the ICGP AGM. Click here to view this presentation. The advice to GPs at present is:

• Continue your usual CPD activity.
• Record and keep evidence of attendance.
• Complete the Medical Council survey on www.medicalcouncil.ie.

Regular updates will be provided through Forum and the ICGP website. The Medical Council will also be providing information directly to doctors.

Feedback and Survey

If you have any suggestions for activities that should be included in the CPD or CA components of the ICGP Scheme please let us know, or click here to take a short survey.

If you have questions about your own individual situation please send that query, along with your contact details and your Medical Council registration number to professionalcompetence@icgp.ie. We will contact you once the details of the scheme have been finalised.

ICGP Policy

The Council of the ICGP has adopted as long standing policy that the role of the College is to facilitate and assist members to meet the requirements, as set by the Medical Council, to remain in the Specialist Division of the Register for GP. The College recognises that there are still many outstanding issues to be addressed relating to the introduction of compulsory Professional Competence. We have had extensive feedback from members on a range of issues and complexities which we have raised with the Medical Council and await clarification.

Professional Competence is an important quality initiative by the medical profession. It represents an opportunity to document and to demonstrate that the public faith in GP to provide not just competent, but also high quality medical care, is well founded. The recognition of GP as a 'Specialty' by the Medical Council was an important landmark in the development and recognition of GP in Ireland. We must ensure that we continue to demonstrate an ongoing quality and high standard commensurate with our status as a specialty, by our participation in this process.

Current Voluntary Structure and Participation from 2009

Those who are currently participating in the current voluntary scheme are encouraged to continue to do so until the ICGP Professional Competence Scheme becomes live in MAY 2011.

In relation to the current voluntary structure, information and summary (or recording) sheets are available for download at www.icgp.ie/CAS (->Folder & Summary Sheets for Participants commencing in 2009). The summary sheets will assist you to document your educational activity during the coming year and the information provided should guide you in this regard. If for any reason you are unable to download these forms please advise Maureen Dempsey (ICGP) maureen.dempsey@icgp.ie.

The College will keep you informed regarding any further developments, and continue to assist you in maintaining your Specialist Registration.

 Framework for Professional Competence Schemes (PC_Framework_Final_201109.doc | 71 KB)

Document from the Forum of Postgraduate Training Bodies

 

 Press Release from the Medical Council in Relation to Professional Competence (Press_Statement_from_Medical_Council_010510.doc | 24 KB)

 

 Annual Report of the Professional Competence Committee 2010 (Report_of_the_Professional_Competence_Committee_2010.pdf | 94 KB)

 

 AGM Workshop: Professional Competence for GPs (Professional_Competence_for_GPs_-_AGM_Workshop.pdf | 122 KB)