Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
622. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the practice of the provision of online medical certificates is approved by the HSE and his Department; and if so, how a person can be judged as being fit or unfit for work without actually carrying out a medical examination. [18745/24]
View answerUnder the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, medical practitioners who practise medicine in the State must be registered with the Medical Council. Doctors are permitted to provide telemedicine services and the Medical Council has produced specific guidelines to assist doctors in understanding their obligations in this area.
Telemedicine is referred to within the Medical Council’s 9th edition of the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners which became effective from the 1st January 2024. Section 37 of the Guide states that doctors providing telemedicine services to patients must observe the same standards of conduct and practice as would be expected if treating the patient in-person.
My Department has no role in setting the criteria employers should use in relation to sick leave management or medical certificates.
