Complaints against doctors increased by 20% so far this year

The Medical Council has said it is receiving record numbers of complaints against doctors.

The council said yesterday the number of complaints had increased by about 20 per cent so far this year compared with 2004.

The council's legal adviser William Kennedy said 156 complaints had been received in the first six months of the year. If trends continued the number of complaints would reach 300 by the end of the year.

Medical Council president Dr John Hillery said the complaints ranged across all areas.

It is understood the council has noticed an increase in the number of complaints about doctors misprescribing, and having difficulties with alcohol and drugs. In a number of cases there had been a failure to meet conditions set down by the council's health committee for doctors with alcohol and drug problems and these had been referred to its disciplinary committee. Under current legislation the Medical Council can initiate a complaint against a doctor.

The council also revealed at a press briefing yesterday, that the High Court had suspended three doctors from practising since the start of the year as potentially being a danger to patients.

Dr Hillery said the council can approach the court with an ex-parte application to have a doctor suspended if it believed there was a danger to the public. The doctor involved cannot be named until found guilty of professional misconduct.

The council indicated the outcome to a patient, who would be subject to a confidentiality rule.

Nevertheless, Dr Hillery said the council had "misgiving" about Department of Health proposals that disciplinary hearings should be held in public in future as is the case in Britain.