Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
621. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the providers of online medical certificates including fit to return to work certificates, unfit for work, pre-employment medical certificates and prescriptions are approved by his Department. [18744/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 http 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.
