Patient Safety

Patient safety is at the heart of the Medical Council's role. Our work aims to improve standards of patient safety and protect the public in Ireland by promoting and better ensuring high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among doctors. This section provides guidance for patients on how to check the register, make a complaint and prepare for medical appointments, along with valuable information on how to work in partnership with your doctor and the Patient Advocacy Services available to support patients.

Check the Register

By law all doctors must register with the Medical Council in order to practise medicine in Ireland. Patients can check our website to verify that a doctor is registered to practise medicine in Ireland, and can also check a doctor's qualifications through this facility: Check the Register.

Making a Complaint

As a regulator, the Medical Council’s primary focus is to determine whether a doctor poses a risk to patients. By maintaining this focus, we uphold our commitment to fostering a healthcare environment that prioritises patient safety and trust in doctors. If you have an issue or concern about your doctor, the Medical Council has a dedicated resource section on our website explaining what you can do as a patient. Please visit our webpage for more information; Information on Complaints.

The Medical Council also provides a Glossary of Terms that are frequently used at Fitness to Practise Inquiries which patients may find helpful.

Patient Support Services

A Patient Advocate is somebody who can act on the patient's or the patient's family's behalf when dealing with the hospital or healthcare service.  A patient advocate can represent the views of those seeking information or making complaints when required. For more information on the list of Patient Support Groups and Services, please visit our webpage: Patient Advocacy Services.

Useful Publications

Working with Your Doctor: useful information for patients booklet

The Working with Your Doctor: useful information for patients booklet aims to help patients get the best health care through working in partnership with doctors and other health professionals. It explains the different types of doctors that might treat patients, what you can expect from them and how you can work with them to improve your care.

Telemedicine Guide for Patients

The Telemedicine Guide for Patients aims to help patients understand what is involved in a telemedicine consultation. This guide explains how such consultations work, what you can expect from a telemedicine consultation with a doctor and what you can do in preparation and as part of the consultation to help ensure the doctor can provide you with the appropriate care.

Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics

The Medical Council protects the public by promoting and ensuring high standards of education, training, conduct and competence among doctors who are registered with the Medical Council. As part of its role, and to support doctors to meet these high standards, the Medical Council produces guidance on matters related to professional conduct, ethics and aspects of practice. The Guide is also useful for patients as it clarifies the standards of care they should expect from their doctor. Read more in our Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics (9th Edition) 2024.