General information

For over 200 years RCSI has played a major role in medical education and training in Ireland. Founded in 1784 to train surgeons, today the College provides extensive education and training in the healthcare professions.

At the request of the Health Service Executive National Doctors Training and Planning Office (HSE NDTP), the RCSI Department of Surgical Affairs has been responsible for providing dedicated educational courses for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) through the Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD_SS). This section is dedicated to the CPD_SS and its comprehensive educational offerings. Our programme includes an array of full-day and half-day courses in technical and non-technical skills for the surgical specialities, emergency medicine and others.

The programme also provides Human Factors in Patient Safety classes for all NCHDs, along with a range of online activities which afford NCHDs in non-training posts an easy and free way to accrue 20 external credits per annum. Our courses are continually evolving in response to feedback from previous attendees and new modules are regularly introduced to reflect changes in the emergency medicine and surgical arena. Typically a day-long course will provide the participant with 7.5 CPD credits.

About the CPD_SS

The Medical Practitioners Act (2007) requires all doctors to demonstrate on-going professional competence through formal participation in professional development activities. Since 1 May 2011, it has been mandatory for all doctors to register with a professional competence scheme run by one of the postgraduate training bodies. RCSI has been designated by the Irish Medical Council to run the PCS for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

The Department of Surgical Affairs provides a CPD_SS which will assist doctors who are not engaged in training to satisfy the requirements of the Irish Medical Council. Once enrolled for the professional competence scheme, NCHDs can avail of the CPD_SS which is open to all eligible NCHDs and is free-of-charge (subject to certain limitations, see below fee information for more details) Further details regarding eligibility can be found in the HSE Guidance Document.

Fees

The cost of attending CPD_SS classes is covered for those who are registered for the scheme with RCSI or any of the participating training bodies up to 20 external credits or three days per annum, whichever is greatest. Should a participant who has reached the credit limit of three classes or 20CPD credits, set by HSE NDTP and laid out in the Guidance Document, wish to attend further classes they must pay the fee set for each class. The fee for each class is €300.00.

NCHDs who are eligible to attend classes but have not registered for the scheme by the deadline may attend classes but must prepay in full to secure a place.