S.I. No. 588/2012 - Medical Council Rules in Respect of the Duties of Council in Relation to Medical Education and Training (Section 88 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007).

1. Medical Councils Rules in respect of the duties of Council in relation to Medical Education and Training (

Section 88

of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

) commenced on 21st July 2010 (S.I. No. 528/2010).

THESE RULES WILL COMMENCE ON THE 12th DAY OF DECEMBER 2012.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Council,

12 December 2012.

PROFESSOR KIERAN MURPHY,

President.

MS CAROLINE SPILLANE,

Chief Executive Officer.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

Any reference to the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

includes the amendment of that Act by the

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2007

, the

Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Act 2011

and any subsequent amendments.

The Definition of EU Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council which is provided for in

Section 2

of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

includes the Amendment of that Directive by Council Directive 2006/100/EC and any subsequent amendments.

These Rules were made by the Medical Council on 12th December 2012, pursuant to the provisions of

section 88

of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

, in respect of the duties of the Council in relation to Medical Education and Training.

Appendix 1

Eight Domains of Good Professional Practice

Eight Domains of Good Professional Practice

Patient Safety and Quality of Patient Care

Patient safety and quality of patient care should be at the core of the health service delivery that a doctor provides. A doctor needs to be accountable to their professional body, to the organisation in which they work, to the Medical Council and to their patients thereby ensuring the patients whom they serve receive the best possible care.

Relating to Patients

Good medical practice is based on a relationship of trust between doctors and society and involves a partnership between patient and doctor that is based on mutual respect, confidentiality, honesty, responsibility and accountability.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Medical practitioners must demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills. This enables the exchange of information, and allows for effective collaboration with patients, their families and also with clinical and non-clinical colleagues and the broader public.

Collaboration and Teamwork

Medical practitioners must co-operate with colleagues and work effectively with healthcare professionals from other disciplines and teams. He/she should ensure that there are clear lines of communication and systems of accountability in place among team members to protect patients.

Management (including Self Management)

A medical practitioner must understand how working in the health care system, delivering patient care and how other professional and personal activities affect other healthcare professionals, the healthcare system and wider society as a whole.

Scholarship

Medical practitioners must systematically acquire, understand and demonstrate the substantial body of knowledge that is at the forefront of the field of learning in their specialty, as part of a continuum of lifelong learning. They must also search for the best information and evidence to guide their professional practice.

Professionalism

Medical practitioners must demonstrate a commitment to fulfilling professional responsibilities by adhering to the standards specified in the Medical Council’s “Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners”.

Clinical Skills

The maintenance of Professional Competence in the clinical skills domain is clearly specialty-specific and standards should be set by the relevant Post-Graduate Training Body according to international benchmarks.

2. An intern training post

(a) Must comprise a minimum aggregate period of twelve months (comprising a minimum aggregate period of 1,500 hours of basic medical training leading to a certificate of experience) of which at least three months must be spent in Medicine in general and three months in Surgery in general

(b) May include a rotation or rotations of not more than four months in one or more of the following specialties and not include rotations at all outside of these specialties

• Emergency Medicine

• General Practice

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology

• Paediatrics

• Psychiatry

• Anaesthesia (to include perioperative medicine)

• Radiology

(c) Must not include any one rotation of less than two months

Rule 4

3. Approval of a body will be for no longer than five years. Any significant alterations to the status and/or structure of the body, as approved, will require the prior approval of the Medical Council.

4. Failure to comply with any of the above may result in the withdrawal of approval.

Rule 3

The relevant criteria to be applied in respect of Section 88(3)(a) of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

(“the Act”) are as follows

5. Approval of a programme will be for no longer than five years. Any significant alterations to the design and delivery of the programme, as approved, will require the prior approval of the Medical Council.

6. Approved bodies will be required to submit annual declarations in respect of approved programmes.

7. Failure to comply with any of the above may result in the withdrawal of approval.

Rule 2

The relevant criteria to be applied in respect of Sections 88(2)(

a

)(i)(II) and 88(2)(

a

)(ii) of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

(“the Act”) are as follows.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

15

th February

, 2013.

Rule 1

The relevant criteria to be applied in respect of

Section 88

(2)(

a

)(i)(I) of the

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

(“the Act”) are as follows