PCS Rules (IMC)

PART 11 RULES AND ASSOCIATED STANDARDS
Rules made by the Medical Council on 18th of January 2011 under Section 11 of
the Medical Practitioners Act 2007
These rules are made for the better operation of Part 11 of the Medical Practitioners Act
2007 (the Act). Sections 91 and 94 of the Act requires the Council to pass rules in
respect of criteria to be applied to recognised bodies/bodies seeking recognition and in
respect of requirements of practitioners and for the sake of clarity this set of rules, inter
alia, sets out the said criteria and requirements. The rules of interpretation shall be as
stated in section 2 of the Act unless otherwise stated.
The Council will apply the following criteria per Section 91(4):
1. A body must demonstrate that the professional competence scheme(s) which it
operates
a. incorporates the Medical Councils Domains of Good Professional Practice
(which is attached within Appendix 1 hereto).
b. complies with the Medical Councils Standards for the Maintenance of
Professional Competence Bodies Operating Professional Competence
Schemes (which is attached within Appendix 2 hereto).
2. The body will be required to declare that it will be responsible for all costs associated
with the operation of any professional competence scheme in respect of which the
body has secured recognition from the Council. The body will not be entitled to levy
any charges or fees in respect of enrolment on a scheme without the prior written
consent of the Council.
3. Recognition shall be valid for a period of three years from date of recognition and a
renewal application will be required for a further period of recognition.
The following rules are made pursuant to Section 11(4) and 94(2).
1. Every registrant will be required to enrol in a professional competence scheme and to
comply with the Medical Councils Standards for the Maintenance of Professional
Competence Registered Medical Practitioners. The pursuit of training by medical
practitioners registered in the Trainee Specialist Division shall in itself represent
evidence of the pursuit of an applicable professional competence scheme and to
comply with the Medical Councils Standards for the Maintenance of Professional
Competence Registered Medical Practitioners.
2. Every registrant must enrol in the scheme that best reflects their education, training,
demonstrated competence and current practice. Following recognition of bodies per
Section 91, the Council shall publish guidelines per Section 12 as to which
professional competence scheme is applicable to different categories registrant and
registrants shall comply with these guidelines.
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3. Any registrant may be directed at any time by the Council, the Fitness to Practise
Committee, or the Preliminary Proceedings Committee (in their absolute discretion)
to enrol in any particular scheme referred to in Section 91, to include but not
necessarily limited to a professional competence scheme for performance
assessment.
4. Each registrant must be in a position to confirm by way of annual declaration in a
form published by the Council to be submitted with any application for registration or
retention that they have enrolled in and are complying with the requirements of a
specified professional competence scheme.
5. Registrants must submit upon request any supporting documentation required by the
Council for the purpose of monitoring and assessing declared compliance with the
Medical Councils requirements in respect of professional competence schemes.
6. Registrants must comply with the Councils requirements if they become the subject
of an audit.
7. Registrants directed to enrol in the Councils professional competence scheme for
performance assessment, on account of the failure on the part of the registrant to
comply with a professional competence scheme recognised under Section 91, will be
responsible for all costs associated with any assessment under the professional
competence scheme for performance assessment.
THIS RULE WILL COMMENCE ON THE 18th DAY OF JANUARY 2011
GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Council
DATE
18th January 2011
Professor Kieran Murphy

President
Ms Caroline Spillane
Chief Executive Officer
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Appendix 1: Domains of Good Professional Practice
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Patient Safety and Quality of Patient Care

Patient safety and quality of patient care should be at the core of the health service
delivery that a doctor provides. A doctor needs to be accountable to their professional
body, to the organisation in which they work, to the Medical Council and to their patients
thereby ensuring the patients whom they serve receive the best possible care.
Relating to Patients
Good medical practice is based on a relationship of trust between doctors and society
and involves a partnership between patient and doctor that is based on mutual respect,
confidentiality, honesty, responsibility and accountability.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Medical practitioners must demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills. This
enables the exchange of information, and allows for effective collaboration with patients,
their families and also with clinical and non-clinical colleagues and the broader public.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Medical practitioners must co-operate with colleagues and work effectively with
healthcare professionals from other disciplines and teams. He/she should ensure that
there are clear lines of communication and systems of accountability in place among
team members to protect patients.
Management (including Self Management)
A medical practitioner must understand how working in the health care system,
delivering patient care and how other professional and personal activities affect other
healthcare professionals, the healthcare system and wider society as a whole.
Scholarship
Medical practitioners must systematically acquire, understand and demonstrate the
substantial body of knowledge that is at the forefront of the field of learning in their
specialty, as part of a continuum of lifelong learning. They must also search for the best
information and evidence to guide their professional practice.
Professionalism
Medical practitioners must demonstrate a commitment to fulfilling professional
responsibilities by adhering to the standards specified in the Medical Council's "Guide to
Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners".
Clinical Skills
The maintenance of professional competence in the clinical skills domain is clearly
specialty-specific and standards should be set by the relevant Postgraduate Training
Body according to international benchmarks
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Appendix 2: Standards for the maintenance of professional competence bodies operating professional competence schemes
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Standard 1 Good Professional Practice

The body operates the professional competence scheme to achieve the outcome of good
professional practice which contributes to patient safety and quality of patient care.
Standard 2 Leadership and Governance
The body effectively leads and governs the professional competence scheme to support
good professional practice.
Criteria
2.1: The organisational structure for the body outlines clear roles, responsibilities and
reporting relationships for the operation of the professional competence scheme.
2.2: The board of the body and the Medical Council receive regular reports regarding
the operation of the professional competence scheme and compliance of enrolled
registrants.
2.3: The body states the mission, principles and intended outcome of the professional
competence scheme.
2.4: The body seeks maximum appropriate participation in the formulation of the
statement of mission, principles and intended outcome of the professional
competence scheme.
2.5: The body plans the professional competence scheme on an annual basis.
2.6: The body has structures and processes in place to engage stakeholders relevant
to the operation of the professional competence scheme.
Standard 3 Learning & professional development processes
The body has effective learning and professional development processes for the
professional competence scheme to support good professional practice.
Criteria
3.1: The body uses educational expertise to design, implement, monitor and evaluate
the learning and professional development processes for the professional
competence scheme.
3.2: The body has processes integral to the professional competence scheme which
support the registered medical practitioner to meet Medical Council Standards
for the Maintenance of Professional Competence Registered Medical
Practitioners (see Annex A).
3.3: The body provides or recognises content for the professional competence scheme
which is diverse, evidence-based, practice-based and incorporates the domains of
good professional practice; this content can be tailored by registered medical
practitioners to their individual needs and reflects the needs as the population
and the wider health system.
3.4: The body has processes integral to the professional competence scheme which
support the registered medical practitioner to collaborate with peers and other
health professionals in the maintenance of professional competence.
3.5: The body uses relevant information technology to promote effective and efficient
learning and professional development processes.
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Standard 4 Management processes

The body has effective management processes in place for the professional competence
scheme to support good professional practice.
Criteria
4.1: The body develops and implements a range of documented, authorised and
current policies and procedures to support the professional competence schemes
in key areas, including but not exclusive to the following:
- Enrolment, conduct and monitoring of registered medical practitioners;
- Quality assurance of recognised or provided activities;
- Handling of complaints and appeals of decisions
- Information governance
4.2: The body implements procedural guidance issued by the Medical Council
regarding the operation of a professional competence scheme.
4.3: The body ensures that relevant responsible individuals are trained to implement
policies and procedures supporting the professional competence scheme.
4.4: The body uses relevant information technology to promote effective and efficient
management processes.
4.5: The body demonstrably uses the budget for the professional competence scheme
efficiently and effectively and reviews use against stated plans to achieve the
mission and intended outcome.
Standard 5 Monitoring, evaluation and improvement
The body monitors, evaluates and improves the professional competence scheme to
support good professional practice.
Criteria
5.1: The body uses quantitative and qualitative information from a range of sources to
monitor the professional competence scheme and to evaluate the effective
achievement of stated mission and intended outcome.
5.2: The body implements actions to improve the professional competence scheme in
response to monitoring and evaluation; significant change is implemented in
agreement with the Medical Council.
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Annex A: Standards for the maintenance of professional competence registered medical practitioners and framework for maintenance of
professional competence activity
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Standard 1
Good Professional Practice
The registered medical practitioner maintains professional competence to achieve the
outcome of good professional practice which contributes to patient safety and quality of
patient care.
Standard 2
Planned on assessed needs
The registered medical practitioner plans the maintenance of professional competence
based on current patient, practice and health system needs as well as anticipated future
developments.
Standard 3
Diverse and relevant practice-based activities
The registered medical practitioner is responsible for maintaining professional
competence through a diverse range of self-directed and practice-based activities
relevant to assessed needs to achieve targets set out in Councils Framework for
Maintenance of Professional Competence Activities
Standard 4
Reflection and action
The registered medical practitioner reflects on activity to maintain professional
competence and takes action to ensure good professional practice that contributes to
patient safety and quality of patient care.
Standard 5
Documented and demonstrable
The registered medical practitioner collects and documents evidence to demonstrate the
maintenance of professional competence.
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Framework for Maintenance of Professional Competence Activity 1
Type of credit
Examples
Target
External
(Maintenance of Knowledge
and Skills)
National/International
meetings
MSc, MD, PhD in related
fields*
20 credits minimum per year
Clinical clubs
Morbidity and Mortality
Meetings
Clinical Risk Meetings
Case Review/Handover
Grand Rounds
Multi-disciplinary meetings
20 credits minimum per year
Events/activities accredited by
Training Bodies that meet
educational standards (in
person or virtually)
Internal
(Practice Evaluation &
Development)
Activities that develop and
improve the quality of clinical
practice
Personal Learning***
Research or Teaching
Clinical Audit
Practitioners will be expected to

present an aspect of their
practice during one of the
above activities within the five
year cycle.
Journals
Journal clubs
E-Learning
Accredited Postgraduate
Trainer
Lectures
Tutorials
Examiner for exams
Publishing articles
Poster presentation
Development of National
Standards/Evidence-based
guidelines
Laboratory bench training
NCHD teaching sessions
SpR teaching sessions
Departmental visits
Measurement of compliance
with guidelines/protocols
Audit activities should be

focused on the practice of the
practitioner and not on the
processes.
5 credits minimum
2 credits per year desirable
Minimum 1 audit per year.

Recommended that
practitioners spend 1 hour per
month on audit activity
*Medically related advanced degrees
This framework will be adapted and developed by each body recognised by Medical Council for the operation of a
professional competence scheme to be applicable to enrolled registrants.
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Masters, PhD programmes sponsored by University, College, Institute or accredited

Training Body.
The number of credits is to be agreed in advance. This element requires that a national
framework is agreed.
***Personal Learning
Personal learning is recognised as an important element of CPD, however, this type of
learning is generally unverifiable.
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PART 11 RULES AND ASSOCIATED STANDARDS

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Council

Professor Kieran Murphy

Appendix 1: Domains of Good Professional Practice

Patient Safety and Quality of Patient Care

Standard 1 Good Professional Practice

Standard 4 Management processes

Framework for Maintenance of Professional Competence Activity 1

20 credits minimum per year

20 credits minimum per year

Practitioners will be expected to

Audit activities should be

2 credits per year desirable

Minimum 1 audit per year.

*Medically related advanced degrees

Masters, PhD programmes sponsored by University, College, Institute or accredited

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