Professional Competence
As of May 2011, doctors are legally obliged to maintain their professional competence by enrolling in professional competence schemes and following requirements set by the Medical Council. Most doctors previously engaged in continuous professional development, however this new system creates a formal process of lifelong learning which highlights doctors’ dedication to developing their skills throughout their professional lives.
Schemes will be operated by postgraduate training bodies and have been developed to drive good professional practice which is centred on patient safety and the quality of patient care. The activities which doctors will engage in will be straightforward and practice based.
Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme will help registered doctors to demonstrate that they are fulfilling their new statutory duty. Schemes are in place for all registered doctors on the Specialist and General Division of the Medical Register. Doctors registered in the Supervised Division of the register will also enroll in a Professional Competence scheme related to their chosen specialty.
To view the public consultation on rules for new performance procedures, please click here.
Enrolling in a Professional Competence Scheme
For more information on how to enroll in a professional competence scheme relevant to your area of practice, please contact your postgraduate training body. If you are not already aligned to a recognised postgraduate training body then contact the body which best reflects the area of medicine in which you practice.
Postgraduate Training Bodies
For a list of Postgraduate Training Bodies and professional competence schemes, click here.
Information for the Public
To download the professional competence information leaflet for patients please click here.pdf
Additional Information