The 2025 CPD updates introduce pro-rata rules that adjust CPD requirements for doctors on sick leave, maternity leave, or mid-year registration. Discover how these flexible provisions help doctors in Ireland balance CPD with time away from practice.
Pro-Rata CPD – What It Means
The term “pro-rata” simply means “in proportion to time worked.” Under the new 2025 Maintenance of Professional Competence rules, if you are not practicing for a full CPD year, your CPD requirements will be reduced proportionally. This is a welcome change for doctors who, for example, take maternity leave or extended sick leave, or who register partway through the year. Previously, CPD rules did not formally account for time away – every doctor was held to the same annual targets regardless of leave (any accommodations were handled informally or via separate policy). The updated framework closes that gap by explicitly including pro-rata adjustments in the rules.
New Flexibility for Leave or Part-Time Practice
Doctors on leave (such as statutory maternity leave, paternity leave, long-term illness, or other career breaks) will no longer be expected to complete the full 50 hours of CPD if they weren’t practicing for a portion of the year. The Medical Council’s new rules specify that CPD requirements are adjusted pro-rata for those who are not enrolled in a Professional Competence Scheme for the entire scheme year. In plain terms, this means your required CPD hours will be scaled down based on the time you were actively practicing.
For instance, consider a doctor who takes a six-month break during the May–April scheme year. Instead of needing all 50 hours, she might be required to complete roughly half that (around 25 hours) for that year. Similarly, a doctor who registers with a PCS late – say in November – would only be accountable for the portion of the year they were registered (November through April, roughly 6 months worth of CPD). These are simplified examples; the exact calculations may be specified by the Medical Council or your PCS, but the principle is that you won’t be penalized for time out of practice.
This change provides much-needed clarity and fairness. As the Medical Council itself noted, the pro-rata rule “will provide clarity to doctors who enrol… midway through the scheme year, as well as those doctors required to take extended time off a scheme, through sick leave, maternity leave or other forms of statutory leave”. In the past, doctors returning from leave often weren’t sure how much CPD they were expected to make up. Now the expectations are clearly defined in the CPD rules, reducing stress and uncertainty.
How to Take Advantage of Pro-Rata CPD
If you plan to take or are currently on an extended leave, here are a few practical tips to ensure you make use of the new pro-rata provisions:
- Notify Your Scheme: It’s now a requirement to inform your Professional Competence Scheme if you have a significant change in circumstances, such as going on long-term leave. Make sure to officially notify your scheme (and the Medical Council, if required) about your leave dates. This will enable the scheme to apply the pro-rata adjustment to your CPD targets.
- Get Clarity on Required Hours: Check with your PCS or the Medical Council’s guidelines on how many hours you’ll need to do for the portion of the year you’ll be active. They may have a formula or a set of examples (e.g., X hours per month of practice). Knowing your adjusted target will help you plan your CPD activities efficiently.
- Focus on Relevant CPD: With a reduced requirement, prioritize the learning that is most beneficial for your practice. For example, if you’re on leave for part of the year, you might choose to do a few high-yield online courses (for accredited CPD credits) and some personal study related to your specialty to meet the pro-rata quota. The new framework gives you flexibility in how to distribute your CPD, so long as you cover the needed categories and hours.
- Document Your Activities: Even though your required hours may be fewer, you should still document whatever CPD you do complete and retain evidence (certificates, notes, etc.) as usual. The six-year evidence retention rule still applies regardless of pro-rata adjustments.
- Plan Your Return: If you’re returning from leave, use your Professional Development Plan to outline how you’ll get back up to speed. The PDP can be a useful tool to identify any knowledge or skill gaps that might have arisen during your time off and plan targeted CPD to address them once you’re back (for example, refreshing clinical protocols that changed while you were away).
Scenario Examples
- Maternity Leave: Dr. A is on maternity leave for 4 months (1/3 of the year). Instead of 50 hours, she is expected to complete roughly 33–34 hours of CPD. She informs her PCS about her leave. During her time off, she attends some e-learning modules and keeps a log of personal study (articles, guidelines) to cover part of her CPD. After returning to work, she completes a clinical audit (practice review) and a few remaining CPD hours via a workshop to reach her adjusted target.
- Mid-Year Registration: Dr. B moves to Ireland and joins a PCS in October 2025. Since only half the scheme year remains, his CPD requirement for 2025/26 is pro-rated to approximately 25 hours instead of 50. He quickly drafts a PDP focusing on key areas of the Irish health system he needs to learn. He then undertakes two weeks of intensive courses and some work-based learning projects in his new hospital role to meet the 25-hour requirement by April.
- Unplanned Sick Leave: Dr. C has a medical issue and takes unplanned sick leave from January through April (the last four months of the scheme year). Because she was practicing for only ~8 months of the year, her PCS advises that her CPD target is about 67% of the full requirement (around 33–34 hours). With 40 hours already logged before January, Dr. C has exceeded her pro-rata requirement and is considered in compliance for that year. (While carrying over excess hours isn’t allowed for future credit, meeting the adjusted target is sufficient for the current year.)
These scenarios illustrate the flexibility now built into the system. The key takeaway is that doctors have leeway to step away from practice when needed without falling foul of CPD obligations. The pro-rata rule acknowledges that life events happen – whether it’s having a baby, dealing with illness, or moving mid-year – and the Professional Competence requirements can adapt accordingly.
Bottom Line: The introduction of pro-rata CPD rules in 2025 is a very positive development for doctors’ work-life balance. It ensures that maintaining professional competence remains compatible with personal life events and part-time working arrangements. If you’re planning leave, communicate with your PCS early and make a plan for how to fulfill your adjusted CPD hours. With these new flexible provisions, you can keep up with your professional development at a pace that matches your circumstances.
