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Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019 amends the five health professional regulatory Acts, in particular in relation to fitness to practise and registration.

The key amendments include:

  • applicants for registration must declare on application, and annually thereafter, any convictions, or sanctions imposed on their practise by a regulatory body (inside or outside the State)
  • disciplinary inquiries in other jurisdictions can be used as admissible evidence in fitness to practise proceedings in Ireland
  • all sanctions will be published to ensure the public has access to information about disciplinary sanctions imposed on doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other regulated health professionals
  • practitioners will have the right to appeal to the High Court when minor sanctions of advice, admonishment or a censure in writing have been imposed on a practitioner. Currently there is no right of appeal for these sanctions

The five acts are the Dentists Act 1985, the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; the Pharmacy Act 2007; the Medical Practitioners Act 2007; and the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011.

Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019
This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister for Health may by order or orders appoint either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so appointed for different purposes and different provisions.
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Explanatory Memorandum to the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019
A number of the amendments to the five health professional regulatory Acts are resulting from the transposition of Directive 2005/36/EC (as amended by Directive 2013/55/EU) on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications.
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