Medical Council’s 2023 Annual Report highlights progress in medical regulation to support doctors and patients

Tuesday 12 November 2024: The Medical Council has today published its Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2023, which presents data on the highlights and achievements of the Medical Council, both externally as part of its regulatory processes, and internally for the organisation.

The report captures data and trends on items including the number of doctors registered in Ireland, complaints received, and investigations made by the Medical Council, professional development, and the research, guidance and reports the organisation produces.

Key statistics from the 2023 Annual Report include:

• At annual retention in 2023, 22,840 doctors reported being clinically active and 19,328 (84.6%) of these doctors reported working in Ireland all or some of the time.
• The gender breakdown of clinically active doctors in Ireland consisted of 10,251 (53.0%) males and 9,077 (47.0%) females. There were more females among younger doctors and 52.9% of clinically active doctors aged 35 or younger were female.
• 50.2% of clinically active doctors in Ireland were on the Specialist Division, 33.0% were on the General Division and 16.1% were on the Trainee Specialist Division.
• In June 2023, 25,474 doctors on the Medical Council Register were invited to renew their registration, of which 24,794 (97.3%) doctors chose to retain their registration.
• There were 29,488 doctors (including interns) on the Medical Council Register* at Year End 2023 – up from 27,520 in 2022.
  • *This number is not reflective of the number of doctors clinically active in Ireland. It includes 2,049 interns, not all of whom are practicing medicine.
• Thirty-two Section 105 investigations took place, and the Medical Council assisted An Garda Síochána with six separate criminal investigations.
  • Under s105 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, the Council has the power to investigate the case of any individual, who is not a registered medical practitioner and who is practising or has practised medicine in contravention of the Act.
• In 2023, a newly elected Council came into effect. Three newly appointed Council members were Ministerial nominations or appointments, six were nominated by relevant bodies and appointed by the Minister for Health, and six were elected members of Council.
• In 2023, the 9th Edition of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics Guide for Registered Medical Practitioners was published, the result of two years’ work, incorporating public and targeted consultation processes and many hours of drafting. Its new structure will pave the way forward for the publication of high-level statements and supplementary guidance to support doctors in their practice.
• Of the 353 complaints received in 2023, 61 of these were referred to the Medical Council’s Fitness to Practise Committee.
• 273 of these complaints came from members of the public, 32 originated from the Medical Council, and 29 complaints came from healthcare professionals.

Commenting on the 2023 Annual Report, Dr Suzanne Crowe, President of the Medical Council said, “We’re pleased to publish our 2023 report, which shows that in the majority of consultations and treatments, the patient is satisfied with their care. In a small number of cases, there is a need for a complaint to be raised, which can be made by contacting the doctor or hospital involved in your care to discuss your concerns directly. Most complaints can be dealt with swiftly and satisfactorily in the first instance when the complaint is made locally to a hospital, practise manager or to the doctor directly.

“A new Liaison Service and a Medical Council Contact Centre was established in 2023 to create consistent, dedicated points of contact, expertise and support for doctors, patients and members of the public, which will significantly enhance their experience when engaging with the Medical Council and in navigating the complexities of the regulatory landscape. This continues our work as a proportionate, compassionate regulator, implements the principles of right tough regulation, and allows for a more responsive and dynamic approach to medical regulation.

“Legislative provisions and regulations are constantly implemented in the background to assist the patient if the patient needs them, and to support the health system to learn and improve. The Medical Council is here to investigate complaints of a serious nature about a doctor’s professional performance and conduct. We can take action where complaints are of a serious nature and raise concerns over a doctor's fitness to practise, to determine if public safety is at risk.

“In 2023, the Medical Council received the highest number of complaints in five years, as well as experiencing increased complexity in the concerns or complaints we receive. Supporting forthcoming changes in legislation (including the Regulated Professions [Health and Social Care] Amendment Act 2020), dedicated teams within the Medical Council to deal with certain issues, and a triage framework to process complaints; were among the Medical Council’s initiatives during 2023 to support implementation of this legislation. These will improve the process for all involved.

“While there has been an increase in the number of complaints made in 2023, we must continue to bear in mind that this still relates to a very small percentage of all doctors and is not reflective of the vast majority of the profession.

“The medical profession is a highly mobile, global workforce. Ireland continued to rely heavily on international medical graduates in 2023. It’s important that Ireland remains an attractive place for doctors and their families to stay and work here long-term.

“We must stand united as a profession and support each other in bringing meaningful help and hope to doctors, particularly as we unfortunately see colleagues in an ever-increasing number of war zones and natural disasters around the world,” Dr Crowe concluded.