The establishment of a “recency of practice policy” will be considered in line with the “commencement of new legislation and 2025 business plan prioritisation”, according to the Medical Council.
Currently, applicants for registration who state they have been absent from practice for over three years are asked about efforts to remain up-to-date and their proposed plan for reintroduction to medicine.
If serious concerns arise because of a doctor’s absence from medicine, the application could be brought before the relevant committee of Council for consideration, stated a spokesperson.
At a meeting of the HSE medical intern unit management committee in February 2024, members agreed that ‘leave principles’ required updating. The meeting minutes noted there were instances of individuals “out of training for several years and wishing to return to service and there are no mechanisms to assess their skills to facilitate a return to medicine”.
The minutes added: “Regarding the two-year rule, members were advised that under current protocol, candidates must apply for internship within two years from the date they graduated.” The rationale related to patient safety and deskilling. Members also noted that those candidates whose circumstances fell outside of the two-year rule “should also be taken into consideration”.
The meeting heard that the Medical Council had completed a recency of practice policy for all medical grades, but a consultation process had not commenced.
The Council confirmed to the Medical Independent that the two-year window for internship applicants is HSE policy rather than a requirement that it has imposed.
A HSE spokesperson said doctors who commence their internship and have periods of certified leave are all facilitated to return and complete their programme.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.