Administration
On 15 June 2009, the Medical Council took up residence in a new premises in Kingram House, Kingram Place, Dublin 2. Kingram House, located just off the prestigious Fitzwilliam Square, is a singularly distinctive building characterised by its interesting blend of Georgian and contemporary architecture. Front-of-house, a charming two story listed building, was once home to an infant school and links directly on to a state of the art modern office suite.
The Medical Council has a staff of over 50 who work in three directorates (Professional Development and Practice, Regulation and Finance and Administration) reporting to the Chief Executive Officer. The Council’s communications function sits within the CEO’s office.The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 sets out the functions of the CEO and Committees of the Council. It also specifies functions reserved for the Minister for Health and Children, such as agreement to the creation of new specialties. The Act gives the CEO an independent responsibility to present disciplinary inquiries to the Fitness to Practise Committee, once a decision has been made that a prima facie case exists for an enquiry. In order to carry out this function, the CEO is empowered to collect evidence and employ legal representatives to present the case.
The council is funded exclusively by the annual payments of registered medical practitioners; no funds are received from the government exchequer or other external sources. The annual retention fee for a fully registered medical practitioner was set at €490 in 2012. According to the Medical Council’s 2011 Annual Report, there were 18,812 medical practitioners, including various registration categories, registered with the Medical Council.
There were 380 new complaints against doctors received in 2011, a five percent increase. Of these new complaints, 15 doctors received sanctions and six doctors had conditions imposed on them. Eight doctors were struck off the register.
In 2011, the Medical Council inspected 6 medical schools and 38 clinical sites. The Medical Council is responsible for setting and monitoring standards for undergraduate education and training in Ireland. This is done by establishing standards and producing guidelines on medical curriculum, content, student conduct and behaviour. The Council may fully approve, conditionally approve or refuse to approve medical schools or programmes.
“The key role of the medical council is protection of the public but We also have a role in further enhancing the relationship of trust that exists between a doctor and a patient. And one of the key ways that we do this is by setting and monitoring standards for a doctor’s conduct, for their education, for their training and their ongoing professional competence so that we ensure a high standard of doctor operates within the Irish health service”. – CEO of the Medical Council – Ms Caroline Spillane on the CEO’s Review
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