A side-by-side look at how Ireland’s new 2025 Maintenance of Professional Competence (MPC) framework for doctors differs from the old system – from CPD hours and categories to mandatory PDPs, audit changes, pro-rata leave allowances, and more.
Key Differences in CPD Rules (2011 vs 2025)
The Medical Council’s MPC rules have undergone significant changes as of May 2025. Below is an overview of the major differences between the original 2011 framework (current until 2025) and the new 2025 MPC framework:
- Annual CPD Hours: Under the 2011 framework, doctors needed to complete 50 CPD credits plus a clinical audit each year (around 60 hours of activities). The new 2025 framework streamlines this to 50 hours of CPD total, with the audit (now called a practice review) counted within those hours. (For 2024/25, the requirement had been temporarily reduced to 40 credits + audit due to COVID-19, but it returns to the full 50 hours from May 2025 onward.)
- CPD Categories: The old system categorized CPD into Internal, External, Personal, and Research/Teaching activities. The new framework replaces these with four updated categories: Planning (Professional Development Plan), Practice Review, Work-Based Learning, and Accredited CPD. For example, what used to count as “internal” or “personal” learning is now captured under Work-Based Learning – a category that encourages reflective learning from one’s daily practice.
- Professional Development Plan (PDP): Previously, completing a PDP was optional (recommended but not mandatory). Now, the PDP is mandatory for all doctors each year. Every doctor must draft a yearly learning plan outlining their professional development goals.
- Audit vs. Practice Review: Under the old rules, all registered doctors had to conduct a clinical or practice audit annually. The new rules focus on Practice Review: only doctors who are actively practising medicine are required to do an annual practice review (audit, quality improvement, or evaluation, minimum 10 hours) each year. This practice review is broader than the traditional audit – it includes various quality improvement activities – and it’s now an integrated part of the CPD hour requirement. Doctors not in practice are no longer obliged to do an audit.
- Pro-Rata Leave Adjustments: The 2011 framework did not specify any adjustments for doctors who worked only part of the year or took extended leave (any allowances were handled informally or via policy). The 2025 framework explicitly includes pro-rata CPD requirements for those not enrolled for a full year. If you join a scheme late or take maternity/sick leave, your required hours are proportionally reduced, providing greater flexibility.
- Enrollment Timing: Previously, doctors simply had to enroll in a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) but no specific timeframe was stated in the rules. Under the new framework, doctors must enroll in a PCS within 60 days of the scheme year’s start (by June 30 each year), ensuring everyone is signed up promptly at the beginning of each cycle.
- Notification of Changes: Under the old scheme, doctors were advised to inform their PCS of any significant changes in their practice status (like leaving practice or going on extended leave), but this wasn’t enforced. Now, the rules make it a requirement to notify your Scheme of material changes to your circumstances – for instance, if you stop practising medicine for a period, you are obligated to let your PCS know.
- Evidence Retention: The old framework did not clearly state how long doctors should keep proof of their CPD activities. The new rules specify that doctors must retain evidence of CPD completion for six years. This documentation may be needed for audits or verification by the Medical Council or your PCS.
- Coverage of All Competence Domains: In the previous system, the Medical Council encouraged doctors to consider the Eight Domains of Good Professional Practice when planning CPD, but there was no specific requirement to cover each domain. The new framework formally requires that over any three-year span, your CPD activities should touch on all Eight Domains of Good Professional Practice at least once. This ensures a well-rounded professional development covering clinical skills, communication, management, ethics, and more.
By understanding these key changes – from the total hours and categories to new rules around PDPs, audits, and leave – doctors can better navigate the updated system. The overarching goal of the new framework is to make CPD more relevant, flexible, and supportive of doctors’ actual practice and learning needs, while maintaining high standards of professional competence in Ireland.
