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How do Ireland's doctor competence checks fare against Britain's strict new rules?

New UK rules mean doctors are assessed every five years and have their licences renewed. So how does it work in Ireland?

NEW DOCTOR ASSESSMENT procedures  in the UK mean doctors will have to go through an annual appraisal and a more comprehensive meeting every five years when their licence is renewed.

The new ‘revalidation’ system was introduced in December and the General Medical Council (GMC) is in charge of its implementation. All 230,000 licensed doctors will be expected to demonstrate they are keeping up to date and fit to practise, and have their licences reviewed every five years.

UK doctors will be required to keep a portfolio of evidence on professional development, feedback from colleagues and patients and reviews of complaints to show they meet the necessary standards. They will then go through a revalidation process every five years whereby this portfolio is assessed and the responsible officer will recommend to the GMC that their licence be renewed.

When it was launched, the British Department of Health said the plan meant doctors in the UK were to become “the  first in the world” to have regular assessments but Ireland’s system, while less strict, has many similarities.

Professional competence in Ireland

Since May 2011, all doctors in Ireland have been required to fulfill professional competence activities on an annual basis, not unlike the new procedures in the UK.

Doctors must enroll in a professional competence scheme with a postgraduate training body and engage in 50 hours of “continuing professional development” with one clinical audit per year.

They will then be required to make a statutory declaration to the Medical Council that they are maintaining professional competence each year in order to retain registration.

However, unlike the new system in the UK, only a sample of the doctors are audited and have evidence of their professional development assessed.

Doctors may also face a system of “performance procedures” if concerns are raised with the council about a doctor’s performance. A concern which triggers an assessment of performance is more often based on a number of problems which point to a pattern about the doctor’s general overall practice.

For example, a local healthcare manager could highlight concerns about particular patterns in a doctor’s performance over a period of time. This could arise from a portfolio of information including complaints from patients, concerns from colleagues, reviews of clinical incidents and the outcome of clinical audit.

In the Dáil last year James Reilly said the requirements for doctors introduced in 2011 are a “significant step” and a “concrete assurance that medical practitioners are appropriately qualified and competent to practise safely”.

Column: Working conditions in hospitals are so bad that sometimes I get no sleep at all>

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17 Comments
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    Mute Cathal Murphy
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:34 PM

    At least someone has a bit of foresight

    195
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    Mute John S
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:40 PM

    What is foresight about it, they are charging through the nose for it? Supply, demand, return on investment, this is business not foresight.

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    Mute Paul
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:01 PM

    John

    They charge slightly higher than private rent however many in private rent must also pay for the 3 summer months and it more lees balances out.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:32 PM

    That’s wrong, though. UCD can lease them out to non-students and still make money. Why charge more than the going rate? That would just eat up what students save on commuting.

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    Mute John S
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    Aug 24th 2016, 8:49 PM

    6000 for a college year, 650 quid a month for a single room? Going rate? Me asre. It depends on your definition of ‘slightly’…. I’d call that significantly…..

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Aug 24th 2016, 10:11 PM

    If they charge more than the going rate, nobody will stay there, so they’ll have to lower their charges until they reach the going rate.

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    Mute Packie O'Sullivan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 10:34 PM

    Not s bit if foresight here!! Galway and limerick have no shortage of accommodation! Never an issue!
    Most of UCDs new student accommodation will be used by non EU students paying tens of thousands in fees!

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    Mute o4kxpGx9
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    Aug 24th 2016, 11:10 PM

    So colleges are now into real estate?

    3
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    Mute DesertDookie
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:35 PM

    Ye might look like they’re doing the right thing but charging extortionate rates that students can’t really afford is no solution to the problem.

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    Mute Fred Johnson
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:13 PM

    The students are free to look for accommodation in the private rental market, if that is cheaper. Someone i doubt it will be cheaper.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:56 PM

    UCD well known for extortionate fines for minor infactions and have gotten in bother over surveillance camera placement. If I was a student there college accommodation would be an absolute last resort

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    Mute Carl Nolan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 5:20 PM

    Some will be able to afford it which will make other properties vacant. They won’t sit there empty.

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    Mute Aoife
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:20 PM

    Fred. It’s great to see you sticking up for investors using the housing crisis to line their pockets. Following in the tradition of William Martin Murphy.

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    Mute Phillip Roche
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:12 PM

    I’ve got some great memories from living in the shitty digs in Belgrove! Don’t need ‘world-class’ apartments, just something affordable, safe and warm!

    84
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    Mute Carl Nolan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 5:19 PM

    You’re aware we’re in the middle of a housing crisis right?

    Talk about finding the negative in everything…

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    Mute Aoife
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:17 PM

    Carl. and people will always find a way to take advantage of others misery, these places will be just a cash cow for investors. That’s the way it is here. Nothing to do with helping irish people but everything to do with fleecing them. Remember we don’t live in the rep of Ireland we live in Ireland Inc a great little place to do business in if your a vulture capitalist.

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    Mute Carl Nolan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:47 PM

    If it weren’t for the investors “taking advantage” they wouldn’t be getting built in the first place, leaving strain on the current rental market.

    Making it profitable for people to build housing is exactly what will get us out of the housing crisis, not expecting people to just shell out their money to “help Irish people”. That’s not going to happen.

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Aug 24th 2016, 7:19 PM

    Not quite. Ireland has forgotten the basis of all social and civic housing. That is affordable housing provides a sustainable and cost effective labour force, creating affordable things and services people can buy. Currently this freemarket winner takes all which trickles down approach has failed as we are funding to our ’8 billion in interest’ cost… What we require is building for a strong social asset base, then the rest of the market is just icing on the cake for those who want to play with spare cash..

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    Mute Aoife
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    Aug 24th 2016, 7:22 PM

    Actually it’s investors that got Ireland into the trouble were in originally or have you forgotton. So if private investors building houses is the panacea for the homeless and people struggling to pay huge mortgages and rent why isn’t it working? Is your plan more of the same. Your argument is seriously flawed but not only as a theory but equally in reality.

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:52 PM

    Many happy memories of Merville and Belgrove back in the day! Loved living on campus in UCD!

    64
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    Mute Aiden Galvin
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:25 PM

    That will be perfect.we will jst send all our homeless back to college

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    Mute brian magee
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:01 PM

    3000 extra students , that’s an awful lot of riding. Set up a stall selling pot noodles and Johnies and you’ll take it in.

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    Mute Lorraine Sheridan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:29 PM

    They opened new apartments costing over €8000 for 9 months. When will they build affordable accommodation??

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    Mute Ó Muirí Oisín
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:42 PM

    Lorraine; one should go to WIT or the likes for that…

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:10 PM

    Lorraine> You are dead right. The colleges charge much more than the going rate for accomadation. They always have and make money off it.

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    Mute Jñr
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:17 PM

    Proposed 6000+ housed when complete = 50M Smackeroonies for accommodation ONLY , not too bad an investment by UCD

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    Mute Alanearls
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:56 PM

    Pity these could ha e not been built years ago, recession building prices and kept a few hundred builders from signing on the dole,

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    Mute Paddy O'Brien
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:14 PM

    This would pay for itself in 6-7 years at current rates per college year (not taking into account summer rental to tourists and forwign language students)

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 4:29 PM

    Cost per student €100,000 (sounds high). Income about €8,000 repairs and maintenance 20%, €1600 which leaves €6,400. Take 16years to pay it back. Summer rental might turn a mediocre investment into a good one

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    Mute Lukey
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:22 PM

    all well and good if ya got the space. UCD is full of lads from Mayo

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    Mute Trisha Tully
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:21 PM

    Education is obviously a very profitable business.

    18
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    Mute BogumilM
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:37 PM

    So 300’000’000 euro for 3000 students
    100’000 euro for accommodation per one student

    14
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Aug 24th 2016, 2:40 PM

    Bogummilm they are not disposable apartments.

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    Mute Fred Johnson
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:12 PM

    No it’s a fair point. They have 4 students sharing an apartment / kitchen area, so that’s 400k per apartment? What sort of luxury are we talking about here. And the land is already owned.

    15
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    Mute JustMade Ireland
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:49 PM

    It pity the could not build higher even if was substituted by the government (Tax payers) on condition rent on private property would be caped and would be given 1st to none students and then to students who cant get on campus accommodation. A lot of campus would have the space for high rise and would make better use of the land they own. Where I live there is 5 tower blocks 20 stories high opposite us whether it sunny or cloudy day they don’t effect mine or neighbors lives or enjoyment. This would free up a lot of property.

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    Mute Eoghan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 10:13 PM

    300 million for 3000 rooms. That’s 100,000 per room. Well done to the developer a who wins this project.

    5
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    Mute mursim
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    Aug 24th 2016, 4:15 PM

    Has planning permission been granted for 6 high rise apartment blocks on the Quays each with 100 apartments?

    If not then why not?

    4
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    Mute 6ljJQRRU
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    Aug 24th 2016, 4:04 PM

    More accommodation to house students who spend more time drinking than studying. What a joke college is. And what a joke building these are as well.

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    Mute Sean Claffey
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    Aug 24th 2016, 4:31 PM

    Damn right. What good has education ever done for us?

    35
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Aug 24th 2016, 6:09 PM

    Maybe they will do a Stanford university on it.

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    Mute Mr D
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    Aug 24th 2016, 7:55 PM

    I sincerely hope the students are good at math, and realise that there is €100,000 spent on each one of them

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    Mute Zizhen Wang
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    Aug 24th 2016, 3:09 PM

    8000+ for 9 month

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