Requirements for Professional Competence in 2021-2022 have been updated by the Medical Council

13 May, 2021

Requirements for Professional Competence in 2021-2022 have been updated by the Medical Council

The Medical Council has changed the Professional Competence requirements for the 2021-2022 Professional Competence year.

What has changed?

The Medical Council has stated that for the 2021-2022 Professional Competence year, the following will apply:

In the Professional Competence Year beginning on 1 May 2021 and ending on 30 April 2022, doctors will be required to undertake and record the following CPD activity with their Scheme:

25 CPD credits (in any category: External, Internal, Personal Learning, Research or Teaching); and
One Audit or Quality Improvement project

The Medical Council intends to reinstate its risk-based framework for monitoring doctors’ maintenance of professional competence. This means that doctors will be asked to make a declaration about their Maintenance of Professional Competence (MPC) when renewing their registration in 2021. Doctors’ MPC declaration will be compared with Professional Competence Scheme data to monitor that they are meeting their MPC requirements.

You can read the Medical Council/COVID-19 updates here (see Section Regulation and CPD).

What hasn't changed?

Doctors will still be asked to make a declaration about their maintenance of professional competence during the 2021 annual retention process.
Doctors are still required to retain enrolment on a Professional Competence Scheme. If you haven't renewed your enrolment please click here

The requirements outlined above will be kept under review in light of a protracted pandemic and the Medical Council will keep the COVID-19 section of their website updated with the latest information.

Medical Council Annual Retention Form (ARAF)

The Medical Council has asked us to let you know about the following changes to Question 1 in the Annual Retention Application Form (ARAF) which is used to renew your Medical Council registration.

Professional Competence Scheme enrolment and CPD activity compliance components have been re-introduced. Doctors should respond openly and appropriately as to whether they have met the annual minimum CPD requirements for the Scheme Year 2020-2021.
Trainee Specialist Division doctors will no longer be required to complete the declaration on maintenance of professional competence but should engage with other elements of the ARAF.
Doctors who restored to the register to assist in the COVID-19 effort will not be required to complete the Annual Retention Application Form as they are on the Medical Council Register for a defined period to assist with the COVID-19 effort.

Click here to read: Medical Council - Important notification regarding the ARAF Maintenance of Professional Competence declaration (Question 1)

Engaging in CPD improves patient care and physician wellbeing

In response to the profoundly changed circumstances we now face as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are expanding our range of webinars and online/virtual CPD opportunities and moving as many of our courses as possible to an online format. We hope to resume conferences and events in our Dublin headquarters as soon as it is safe to do so.

Professional Competence

Tel: +353 1 863 9739

We have a highly experienced Professional Competence support team. They are always happy to answer your questions and advise you on how to maintain Professional Competence. As the team are presently working at home, the fastest way to contact this department is by logging in to our support desk here

If you need help with your ePortfolio, we can arrange a convenient time to work with you to ensure your records are up to date.
If you need advice on how to apply for CPD approval for your event submit your event title and proposed date and we will talk you through what you need to do.
Contact the Professional Competence Team at professionalcompetence@rcpi.ie . If you would like a callback, please let us know the best time and phone number to call you. .
Alternatively, you might like to visit Professional Competence FAQs