Professional Competence Schemes

Professional Competence at a glance

A quick overview of Professional Competence and what it means for doctors

• All registered medical practitioners are legally required to maintain professional competence.
  
  • For doctors practising medicine in the State and registered in the supervised, general and specialist divisions of the register, this means being  enrolled in a professional competence scheme and engaging in professional competence activities.
  • For doctors practising medicine in the State and registered in the trainee specialist division of the register, this means pursuing training in a recognised trainee post. There is no need to complete any additional activities.
  • There are a number of different options for doctors practising medicine outside the State.
• The Medical Council has developed a number of professional competence schemes under arrangement with recognised postgraduate training bodies (PGTB) which doctors can participate in.
• Maintenance of professional competence should be planned on assessed needs. It should involve engagement in diverse and relevant practise-based activities which enable doctors to reflect and take action to maintain and enhance the quality of practice. It is important that doctors retain evidence as to their maintenance of professional competence as they may be requested to provide such evidence to the Medical Council and/or their Training Body..
• It is expected that, on average, each doctor will complete a minimum of 50 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity per year. This figure of 50 hours includes an annual Practice Review activity – a clinical audit, quality improvement of practice evaluation project to review and enhance practice.
• The Maintenance of Professional Competence (MPC) Framework divides CPD activity across four categories (Planning, Practice Review, Work-based Learning and Accredited CPD Activity). See the Medical Council’s Information Booklet on the MPC Framework for more information.
• At the end of each twelve-month period of professional competence maintenance, your professional competence scheme will issue a Statement of Participation. This statement confirms your enrolment and outlines the activities you have completed and recorded with the scheme during that year and the previous four years, covering a five-year period in total. The Statement of Participation should be available to you from May each year. It is a crucial document that provides evidence of your ongoing professional competence, and you may be required to present it to the Medical Council.
• Each year, when you apply to renew your registration with the Medical Council you will be required to declare that you have maintained your professional competence.
• Each year, a selection of doctors will be requested by the Medical Council to validate their declaration of maintaining professional competence. The Statement of Participation is a key document that serves as evidence of professional competence compliance.
• Doctors who cannot provide satisfactory supporting evidence will have the opportunity to explain the situation and will receive guidance on how to address the issue. Further follow-up may occur to ensure that any problems are resolved.
• A doctor who is considered by the Medical Council to have failed, ceased, or refused to cooperate with the legal requirement to maintain professional competence will face disciplinary action by the Medical Council.
• Information regarding your maintenance of professional competence is confidential and the Freedom of Information Act does not apply.