New PCS Requirements 2025

• As under the current MPC Framework, all doctors registered in Ireland, except for those on the Trainee Specialist Division and those on the register of visiting EEA practitioners, must enrol on a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) relevant to their speciality or scope of practice which begins on 1 May and ends on 30 April each    year. Though the requirement to enrol in a scheme remains the same, the new MPC Framework revises the number of hours of CPD activity which doctors must record each year, as well as the categories that constitute the hours of required CPD activity.

• Under the new MPC Framework, doctors will be required to record a minimum of 50 hours of CPD activity each year. Doctors are still required to complete a practice review activity each year, though this is included within the total figure of 50 hours of CPD activity.                               

• Doctors must record a minimum of 50 hours of CPD activity across several categories, alongside an audit which should typically require 10-12 hours for completion. This results in an annual requirement of approximately 60 hours of CPD and audit activity for doctors to complete each scheme year. It is not possible to accrue a surplus of hours for use during the following scheme year.

• There have been revisions to the categories of CPD activity, while pro-rata provisions for doctors who enrol midway during a scheme year are also included.

• It is important to note that over the past five scheme years, these annual requirements were temporarily revised due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Doctors must retain this evidence for a period of six years.

Doctors engaged in the practice of medicine                                

Doctors not engaged in the practice of medicine

• If a doctor has declared during the annual retention process that they will be engaged in the practise of medicine in the Republic of Ireland during their period of registration, then they must complete the following annually:

• If a doctor is based in the Republic of Ireland and has declared    during the annual retention process that they will not be engaged in the practise of medicine in Ireland during their period of registrationthen they must complete the following annually:

 A professional development plan: 

One practice review activity - audit, quality improvement and/or practice evaluation:

Minimum of 10 hours

A mix of practice review activity (audit, quality improvement and/or practice evaluation) or work-based learning activity:

Minimum of 25 hours