COVID-19 and CPD

COVID-19: Updates to Professional Competence

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and further information becomes available, the College will be constantly providing new information to ensure the health and safety of our members and staff while promoting best practice at this trying time for the medical community. Click here for an evolving list of information by the College for all members and staff.

Professional Competence

Information on our Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) and Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS) for NCHDs in Non-Training Posts.

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Contacts for Professional Competence

COVID-19 and CPD

Medical practitioners remain under pressure due to the effects of the pandemic.  The College of Psychiatrists is here to support you.

The Medical Council has maintained reduced requirements for maintenance of Professional Competence in 2022/23.  To be compliant, you need to log 25 or more CPD credits from any CPD category(s) AND a Clinical (Practice) Audit in this PCS year.  See the “Regulation and CPD” section on the Medical Council’s website for full details of Maintenance of Professional Competence requirements for 2022/23, and other information updates.

Online CPD is a good source of External and Internal CPD credits.  Restrictions on the number of credits you can log from online CPD in 2022/23 will remain lifted.  See approved sources of online CPD here

Most College faculty, committee and SIG meetings are approved for CPD credits (1 External or Internal Credit per meeting).  A maximum of 10 credits per PCS year should be logged from all attendance at College Faculty, SIG and Committee meetings (including working groups etc.)

Email pcs@irishpsychiatry.ie if you have any queries about your professional competence.

Clinical / Practice Audit & GDPR.  Medical Council Information.

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All doctors enrolled on a PCS are required to log minimum 25 credits from any CPD category(s), PLUS confirm completion of a Clinical / Practice Audit.

Audit and GDPR:

The Medical Council’s guidance on the Implications of GDPR on Clinical Practice / Audit:

The Medical Council has reviewed the advice and confirms there are no restrictions under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Data Protection Act 2018 for Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to complete an audit“.

Further Clinical / Practice Audit resources:
CPsychI Clinical / Practice Audit guidance
Medical Council Clinical / Practice Audit guidance and videos
National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA) information 

Professional Development Plan (PDP)
The Medical Council continues to focus on PDPs as a fundamental aspect of planning CPD on an annual basis.  We strongly recommend you use a Professional Development Plan (PDP) to plan your CPD activities for 2021/22. You can log 1 Internal CPD credit for completing a PDP document, and 1 Internal CPD credit should you choose to have it reviewed by your Peer Group, or an individual Peer. A PDP is a professional development tool, not a performance management tool. See the College’s template and guidance on using a PDP.

We hope the above information is of assistance to you in planning your professional competence activities for 2022/23.

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LINKS TO INFORMATION ON CPSYCHI WEBSITE:
COVID & CPD guidance
COVID & College information, resources and links
Hot Topics eModules (available to College Members)

CONTACTS:
General queries, guidance, CPD approvals – Lorna O’Callaghan lorna@irishpsychiatry.ie
Invoicing, enrolment, Hot Topics Webinars & eModules – Louise Bunyan louise@irishpsychiatry.ie

Email circulated on 01/07/2020.

COVID-19 and CPD – Medical Council Reduces PCS Requirements for 2020/21

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The Medical Council has issued updated guidance for maintaining your professional competence in the PCS year May 2020 to April 2021. Please read the below letter.

In summary, doctors are required to log 25 CPD credits in this PCS year, with no CPD category requirements. Clinical (Practice) Audit is not mandatory in this PCS year. Full details are Medical Council issued letter, below.

We encourage all psychiatrists to maintain their professional competence and log CPD credits throughout the year. We will continue to keep you informed of any further updates regarding professional competence. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any queries about this email or any other professional competence issues.


Maintenance of Professional Competence – Interim Guidelines 2020/21

June 2020, letter issued by the Medical Council

In light of the COVID–19 pandemic, the Medical Council has considered how Maintenance of Professional Competence (MPC) requirements should apply in 2020/21 and has agreed interim guidelines for the Professional Competence Scheme Year 2020/21 to:

  • Help RMPs focus on the best possible care for patients and themselves;
  • Acknowledge the learnings gained by RMPs during the COVID-19 outbreak; and
  • Reduce anxieties regarding the recording of CPD during this unprecedented time.

For the 2020/21 Professional Competence Scheme Year, the Framework for Maintenance of Professional Competence Activity found in the Maintenance of Professional Competence Guidelines for Doctors has been modified.

Old Framework for Maintenance of Professional Competence Activity

Annually doctors are required to record one clinical/practice audit and a total of 50 CPD credits which comprise of:

  • A minimum of 20 external CPD credits;
  • A minimum of 20 internal CPD credits;
  • A minimum of 5 personal CPD credits; and
  • A minimum of 2 research/teaching CPD credits (desirable).

Revised Framework for Maintenance of Professional Competence Activity for 2020/21

For the 2020/21 Professional Competence Scheme Year only the following will apply:

  • Doctors will not be required to record a clinical/practice audit with their Scheme;
  • Doctors will not be required to record 25 CPD credits of the 50 CPD credit total with their Scheme. These credits will be considered as met arising from increased learnings by doctors during COVID-19.
  • Of the 25 CPD credits remaining, doctors will be permitted to record these credits in any CPD category (external, internal, personal, research/teaching). CPD targets for each category will not apply for 2020/21.

 

Doctors will be asked to make a declaration about their maintenance of professional competence during the 2021 annual retention process.

The 2020/21 CPD requirements as outlined above will be kept under review in light of a protracted pandemic. Should further updates be required, these will be communicated to doctors through their Professional Competence Schemes and on the Medical Council website.

MPC advice issued to doctors in April 2020 remains:

 

  • The Medical Council and Professional Competence Schemes will not verify or audit doctors’ CPD records for the 2019/20 Scheme Year.
  • The MPC declaration has been removed from the 2020 retention of registration process.
  • Scheme enrolee 2019/20 Statements of Participation will be annotated to indicate extenuating circumstances which prevented engagement in and recording of CPD activity for 2019/20.
  • Late enrolment in a Professional Competence Scheme will be facilitated by Postgraduate Training Bodies.

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LINKS TO INFORMATION ON CPSYCHI WEBSITE:
COVID & CPD guidance
COVID & College information, resources and links
Hot Topics eModules (available to College Members)

CONTACTS:
General queries, guidance, CPD approvals – Lorna O’Callaghan lorna@irishpsychiatry.ie
Invoicing, enrolment, Hot Topics Webinars & eModules – Louise Bunyan louise@irishpsychiatry.ie

Email circulated on 28/04/2020.

COVID-19 and CPD – Guidance

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As you know from our previous emails, there won’t be follow-up, verification or audit on the 2019/20 PCS year because the COVID crisis has impacted many doctors’ CPD activities. All doctors’ “Statements of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme” will carry a footnote to this effect. This year’s Statements will be issued by email in mid-May. Each year, the Statement displays your logged totals for the PCS year just ended plus the previous four years’ data (where applicable).

If you have any further CPD credits and Clinical (Practice) Audit completed in the 2019/20 PCS year, we recommend that you log them into your Diary, whether they bring you above annual requirements or not. The PCS year ends on 30th April, but the Diary will remain open until 13th May for logging of any credits and Clinical (Practice) Audit accrued between 01/05/19 and 30/04/20.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. We are working from home and you can email, or ring our direct lines 01 634 4375/78, which are diverted to our mobile phones.

We hope you stay well during these difficult times.

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30TH APRIL IS 2019/20 PCS YEAR END. CPD DIARY YEAR WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY: Log your CPD credits and confirm Clinical (Practice) Audit by 13th May latest, in order to have them included in your 2019/20 Statement of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme. Make sure you enter a date before 1st May, to have the data accrue in the 2019/20 PCS year.

ANNUAL PCS STATEMENTS: The College of Psychiatrists will issue Statements of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme by email only, after 13th May. The statements will display whatever CPD credits and Clinical (Practice) Audit you have logged in your online CPD Diary. As stated above, we will not be following up or carrying out verification processes on the 2019/20 PCS year.

PCS 2020/21 ENROLMENT: Invoices for 2020/21 PCS enrolment will issue by email in mid-May. Prior notice of mandated Direct Debits has been emailed to the relevant enrolees.

ASSISTANCE: We understand there are many difficulties and pressures on psychiatrists at the moment. The PCS Department is working (from home) to help with any of your professional competence or CPD queries. Please do contact me, Louise or Laura if we can assist you in any way.

LINKS TO INFORMATION ON CPSYCHI WEBSITE:
COVID & CPD guidance
COVID & College information, resources and links
Hot Topics eModules (available to College Members)

CONTACTS:
General queries, guidance – Lorna O’Callaghan lorna@irishpsychiatry.ie
Invoicing, enrolment – Louise Bunyan louise@irishpsychiatry.ie
CPD approvals, Hot Topics eModules – Laura Breen lbreen@irishpsychiatry.ie

Email circulated to all on PCS on 15/04/2020.

COVID-19 and CPD – Medical Council Guidance

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The Medical Council has asked the Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies to send all PCS enrolees a further update regarding CPD engagement and compliance.

The Medical Council’s advice indicates:
▪ Doctors will not be required to make a declaration about their maintenance of professional competence when retaining their registration in 2020.
▪ The Medical Council and Professional Competence Schemes will not verify or audit doctors’ CPD records for the 2019/20 Scheme Year.
▪ Doctors will not be required to make up any shortfall in CPD requirements for the 2019/2020 Scheme Year.
▪ The Medical Council advises doctors to retain their enrolment with their Professional Competence Scheme.

Link for this and further Medical Council information: https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/covid-19/

The Medical Council has advised Training Bodies to annotate all Scheme enrolees’ Statements of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme for the 2019/20 Scheme year with “COVID19”, to indicate that there are extenuating circumstances which may have prevented enrolees from engaging in and recording the required CPD activity for this Scheme year, ending 30th April 2020.

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30TH APRIL IS 2019/20 PCS YEAR END. CPD DIARY YEAR WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY: Log your CPD credits and confirm Clinical (Practice) Audit by 13th May latest, in order to have them included in your 2019/20 Statement of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme. Make sure you enter a date before 1st May, to have the data accrue in the 2019/20 PCS year.

ANNUAL PCS STATEMENTS: The College of Psychiatrists will issue Statements of Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme by email only, after 13th May. The statements will display whatever CPD credits and Clinical (Practice) Audit you have logged in your online CPD Diary. As stated above, we will not be following up or carrying out verification processes on the 2019/20 PCS year.

PCS 2020/21 ENROLMENT: Invoices for 2020/21 PCS enrolment will issue by email in mid-May. Prior notice of mandated Direct Debits has been emailed to the relevant enrolees.

ASSISTANCE: We understand there are many difficulties and pressures on psychiatrists at the moment. The PCS Department is working (from home) to help with any of your professional competence or CPD queries. Please do contact me, Louise or Laura if we can assist you in any way.

LINKS TO INFORMATION ON CPSYCHI WEBSITE:
COVID & CPD guidance
COVID & College information, resources and links
Hot Topics eModules (available to College Members)

CONTACTS:
General queries, guidance – Lorna O’Callaghan lorna@irishpsychiatry.ie
Invoicing, enrolment – Louise Bunyan louise@irishpsychiatry.ie
CPD approvals, Hot Topics eModules – Laura Breen lbreen@irishpsychiatry.ie

Email circulated to all on PCS on 06/04/2020.

COVID-19 and CPD – Medical Council Guidance

We have been asked by the Medical Council to send this information to all PCS enrolees.
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CPD Advice to PCS Enrolees

As a result of Covid-19, the Medical Council will not be monitoring doctors’ compliance with maintenance of professional competence requirements for the Professional Competence Scheme year 2019 – 2020.

The Medical Council acknowledges the extraordinary circumstances in which doctors are practising and while patient safety remains a priority, we know doctors’ continued personal learning and familiarisation with clinical and ethical guidelines has dramatically escalated.

The Medical Council will keep maintenance of professional competence requirements under review over the coming months. Updates will be posted on the Medical Council website and circulated to doctors via their Professional Competence Schemes.
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We in the College continue to engage with the Council on the practicalities of maintenance of professional competence in the current crisis, and will issue any further advice as soon as possible. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Wishing you well in these very challenging times.

Email circulated to all on PCS on 06/03/2020.

COVID-19 and CPD – Medical Council Guidance
Due to significant workload and potential travel disruptions, arising due to COVID-19, the Medical Council appreciates that some doctors may choose not to attend European and International medical education related conferences or have difficulty in recording their CPD. If, as a result of this, you will not meet your CPD requirements can you please do the following:

1.        Advise your Professional Competence Scheme – make a declaration here
2.        When completing the Annual Retention Application Form (ARAF), tick No you are not compliant.

By doing both of these your circumstances will be taken into consideration in the compliance monitoring process, and if your compliance with the requirements has been consistent in the past, this deviation should not cause you any great concern.

NOTE FROM COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS:
You should note that if you are unable to meet the annual CPD requirements due to the effects of COVID-19, or for any other reason, you still have to declare yourself non-compliant when completing your Medical Council registration renewal form (ARAF) later this year. However, we realise that most of you will wish to be fully compliant. Online CPD is an option you may wish to consider. With this in mind, we have some good news.

  • The current annual limit of 10 External and 10 Internal CPD credits from approved Online CPD has been removed for the remainder of this PCS year (ending April 30th).
  • The limit of maximum total 7 Internal / External CPD credits to be logged for participation in College faculty, special interest group and other qualifying committee meetings has also been removed for the remainder of this PCS year.

We hope these measures will facilitate and encourage you to meet your requirements.

LINK TO APPROVED ONLINE CPD RESOURCES

Please do take the time to update your PCS diary before year end 30th April. If you attended educational events and don’t have a CPD certificate of attendance, apply for CPD approval in good time before year end.

Approved Sources of Online CPD