June-26-2013 in Healthcare Law
The Medical Council’s Annual Report published at the end of May 2013 showed complaints against doctors in 2012 were up 12% to a record 423 complaints.
The main areas of complaint included communication, diagnosis, clinical investigations, follow up care and surgical procedures.
There were approximately 35 new complaints made each month. Decisions were made in 396 complaints and 56 referred to the Fitness to Practice Committee.
There were 41 enquires held in 2012 resulting in:
- 2 doctors being struck off
- 4 doctors being suspended
- 11 doctors being censured, admonished or given advice
- 14 required to provide undertakings to the committee.
With regard to the Fitness to Practice Inquiries, 12 doctors were found guilty of professional misconduct and 10 were found guilty of poor professional performance.
With 18,184 doctors registered with the Medical Council, one quarter of these are from outside the EU. In 2000, this figure was 7% and Chairman Professor Kieran Murphy has stated that priority may be given to the retention of Irish trained doctors who are currently leaving the country for work and experience abroad.
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