15 registered doctors are over 90

AS many as 15 doctors over the age of 90 are registered with the Irish Medical Council (IMC), meaning they can continue to practise medicine.

The 11 males and four females pay their annual registration fee to the IMC, which permits them to practise independently in any healthcare setting without supervision.

A further 292 doctors between the ages of 81 and 90 are also registered, which breaks down into 78 females and 214 males. Between the ages of 70-80, 520 males have paid-up registration and 154 females, giving a total of 674. This exceeds the total number registered in the 65-69 age bracket.

President of the IMC, Dr John Hillery, said they are taking steps to tighten up the register with the introduction of competence assurance structures (CAS). CAS include a series of assessments and audits to ensure doctors maintain the knowledge and skills to function effectively.

However, the introduction of elements of CAS - including clinical audits and peer review (where colleagues assess each other’s performance) - cannot be introduced without the promised Medical Practitioners Act.

A bill for this legislation, which replaces the 1978 Act, is due for publication later this year.

Dr Hillery said: “At the moment, people are engaged in activities to keep themselves up to date, but we have asked for the new bill to empower us to introduce procedures such as peer review.”

The new legislation, when enacted, will mean anyone on the Register of Medical Specialists will have to undergo a peer review every five years in order to remain on the register.

At the moment, registration is voluntary.

It will also allow for a process of “performance appraisal” of any doctors who may be performing poorly.

Dr Hillery said CAS “will not be an age issue” but it will mean people have to prove their competency to continue to practice.

In July this year, the IMC hiked its over 70s registration fee from €8 to €50.

This was done to discourage doctors who are no longer practising from keeping their names on the register.

David Hickey, the IMC’s head of registration, said one reason for an elderly doctor to register was to retain an entitlement to vote in IMC elections.

However, Mr Hickey stressed that of the fitness to practice complaints lodged with the IMC, “very few come in just because the person is elderly”.

Stephen McMahon, chairperson of the Irish Patients’ Association (IPA) said attending an elderly doctor would not cause him concern once he could be assured of their competence.

“I’d want to know that they were up to date in the latest skills and technology and that they had a steady hand with the scalpel.”

He said he hoped the Government would enact the necessary legislation sooner rather than later to ensure doctor competency and safeguard patients.