15% of doctors probed in past year

Around 15% of doctors have had a claim for negligence or a complaint investigated by the Irish Medical Council in the last 12 months.

The survey of 182 doctors by the Medical Protection Society also found that 80% of doctors practice defensively to avoid claims and complaints.

Doctors who practice defensively may order more investigations, change their prescribing habits, or avoid certain procedures to help protect themselves, not because it is in the best interests of their patients.