Interim CEO appointed to Medical Council

The Medical Council has appointed Mr Philip Brady as Interim CEO to replace CEO Mr Bill Prasifka whose term of office comes to an end in late May.

Mr Brady, who has been appointed to the role following a competitive internal interview process, will be in the position of Interim CEO until the end of the year. A recruitment process for a permanent CEO will take place later in the year.

Dr Rita Doyle, President of the Medical Council, welcomed the announcement saying: “I am delighted that Philip Brady is taking on the role of Interim CEO to continue the good work of Bill Prasifka. Philip has been with the Council for 12 years and will help guide the organisation during these challenging times to ensure that our remit of protecting patients and supporting doctors continues.”

Speaking after the announcement, Mr Brady said: “Like many organisations across the country the Medical Council faces many changes to the way we operate and conduct our work in these difficult circumstances. We have responded extremely well to the change and challenges brought about by COVID-19. I look forward to continue working with the staff and members of the Medical Council to fulfil our dual remit of protecting patients and supporting doctors”.

Outgoing CEO, Mr Bill Prasifka said: “I wish to congratulate Philip and wish him every success in his new role. The Medical Council plays a key part in the Irish healthcare system and with the experience and dedication of the team and Council members this role will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years to come.”

Mr Brady will take over the role on the 31May.

He is currently the Director of Registration and Business Process Improvement for the Medical Council, having joined the Medical Council in February 2008. In his tenure as Director of Registration, Mr Brady has overseen the implementation of significant legislative change, introduction of the Supervised Division and implementation of reporting of professional indemnity status. Mr Brady also led a comprehensive review of the business processes relating to granting and retaining of registration, delivering significant efficiencies, especially with the greater use of technology which has made annual retention of registration much easier for both the doctors and the Medical Council.

More recently Mr Brady took a leading role in developing the Council’s response to Covid-19 working closely with the President, the CEO, other Directors and colleagues across the organisation. He also worked in close partnership with the Department of Health and other key stakeholders to provide a rapid solution for doctors to return onto the Register as part of the national Covid-19 response.

Mr Brady was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia. Before coming to Ireland Mr Brady worked with the Australian Tax Office for 28 years across a wide range of posts, including operational, project management, policy development and managerial roles.