Last November I received approval from Government to the drafting of a Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. This Bill is now being drafted as a matter of priority. This is a different Bill to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The latter is effectively a Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) No. 1 Bill, with the other a No. 2 Bill as soon as it is introduced.
The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill being drafted provides for amendments to the Medical Practitioners Act 2007; the Dentists Act 1985; the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; the Pharmacy Act 2007; the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011; and the Health Acts 1953 and 2004 to provide for:
- consequential amendments required by the transposition of Directive 2013/55/EU;
- an appeal against minor sanctions;
- amendments in relation to a number of issues.
As the provisions in relation to registration are being amended consequential to the Professional Qualifications Directive, I am taking the opportunity to remove the equivalence of the certificate of experience as a requirement for entry to the Trainee Specialist Division. This would mean that entry to the Trainee Specialist Division for doctors with non-EEA qualifications would be by way of the Pre-Registration Examination System (unless exempted) and the offer of a specialist training post by the HSE in a recognised training programme.