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EU member states could check doctors' professional histories under new proposals after an Irish Times investigation found sanctioned medics working in Ireland.
The European Commission is examining proposals to let EU member states check the professional histories of doctors from other European countries, to stop medics struck off in one jurisdiction from continuing to work in another. European commissioner for health Olivér Várhelyi set out the plans at a press conference in Dublin Castle on Thursday, following an informal meeting of EU health ministers.
Sanctioned Doctors Keep Irish Licences
Last year, The Irish Times revealed that doctors who are professionally sanctioned overseas, including for sexual misconduct and patient harm, are able to retain their Irish licences without the public being aware of their offences.
The investigation identified 11 doctors who have faced serious sanctions in the UK, including being struck off, and who remain registered in Ireland. In each case, the UK sanction was not recorded on the doctor's publicly available record published by the Medical Council.
The investigation was conducted alongside 50 international media organisations and co-ordinated by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. It identified dozens of cases of doctors prevented from practising in one country, but continuing to work in another. It raised concerns about how information on sanctioned doctors is shared between authorities.
Várhelyi Flags Abuse of Qualifications Recognition
Speaking at a press conference following the informal meeting of EU health ministers in Dublin Castle on Thursday, Várhelyi said there are some doctors who like to abuse the mutual recognition of medical qualifications between European countries.
He said there are very clear rules about how a doctor can register in another member state, but added that they do not have to redo university. He said there is another tendency, in which some people abuse the possibility of getting new recognition of their professional qualifications and basically do not disclose all of their professional history.
Várhelyi linked this to potential abuses after national restrictive measures in terms of professional activity. He said the issue is something the European Commission is now examining.
We are looking now at establishing an exchange between member states so they can check whether the professional who would like to register with them is not under any restriction in other member states, Várhelyi said.
Ministers Focus on Clinical Trials Access
The European health ministers meeting also discussed access to medicine and growing the number of clinical trials in the bloc.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who chaired the meeting, said the aim is to improve the clinical trials environment so smaller countries like Ireland can have improved access to these trials. She said it is about equity of access, regardless of country size.
Speaking to reporters, Carroll MacNeill said it is hoped there will be a European Council recommendation on cardiovascular health checks by the end of the year, with a particular focus on early detection and screening.
Tobacco Directive Update Expected This Year
Várhelyi said he hopes to publish an update on the Tobacco Products Directive by the end of the year. The directive will focus on the addictive nature of tobacco products, he said, adding that the work is very well advanced.
The proposals on sharing doctors' professional histories form part of wider efforts by the European Commission to close gaps in how national regulators exchange information about sanctions. Under the current system, medical qualifications are recognised across member states, but checks on a doctor's disciplinary record depend largely on the country where the doctor originally trained or last worked.
The Irish Times investigation highlighted how a sanction imposed in one country may not appear on a doctor's public record in another, leaving patients and employers without a full picture. The proposed exchange between member states would aim to give regulators a way to verify whether an applicant is under any restriction elsewhere before granting registration.
The informal meeting of EU health ministers in Dublin Castle also covered broader health policy priorities, including access to medicines and the expansion of clinical trials across the bloc. Smaller member states have argued that they can struggle to attract trials, and the discussion focused on making the environment more equitable.
Carroll MacNeill said the cardiovascular health recommendation, if agreed by the end of the year, would emphasise early detection and screening. Várhelyi said the Tobacco Products Directive update would address the addictive nature of tobacco products, and he described the preparatory work as very well advanced.
No timeline was given for when the Commission might bring forward formal legislation on the exchange of doctors' professional histories. The issue remains under examination, with the aim of ensuring that a restriction imposed in one member state can be seen by authorities in another.
European Commission Olivér Várhelyi Medical Council Jennifer Carroll Macneill Dublin Castle Tobacco Products Directive Clinical Trials
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