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Prof Deirdre J Murphy elected Medical Council President

By Mindo - 30th Jul 2026

Pictured at the Medical Council’s offices in Dublin are (L-to-R): Dr Maria O’Kane, Medical Council CEO; and Prof Deirdre J Murphy, new Medical Council President. Prof Murphy’s Presidential term will continue until 31 May 2028. Photo credit: Chris Bellew-Fennell Photography

The members of the Medical Council have elected Prof Deirdre J Murphy as incoming President. The election took place yesterday (29 July).

Prof Murphy has served as a member of the Medical Council since 1 June 2023. She is Chair of Obstetrics and a Consultant Obstetrician at Trinity College Dublin and the Coombe Hospital, Dublin. She is a clinical academic with over 30 years’ experience in obstetrics and gynaecology. Prof Murphy has formal training in healthcare leadership and has been an expert medical witness and independent assessor for over 20 years.

Addressing members of Council at Kingram House in Dublin, she highlighted her vision for the future of the regulator:

“My priority as President will be to ensure rigour and excellence across all the Medical Council’s areas of responsibility, so that patient safety remains at the centre of our work and doctors, patients and the public can have full trust and confidence in us.

“I’m committed to supporting doctors at every stage of their career, because a regulator that understands the full professional life cycle of a doctor is one that can work towards preventing harm before it happens.”

She continued: “I want to promote strong governance, ensuring the Medical Council is both effective and financially sustainable for the future.

“I plan to strengthen relationships between Council members, the Council Executive and important stakeholders to ensure that we work together to promote safer better healthcare through our role as a regulator.

Prof Murphy also paid tribute to outgoing President, Dr Suzanne Crowe.

“I also want to pay tribute to Dr Suzanne Crowe, who has been President since 2021 and a Council member since 2018. Her contribution to right-touch regulation and her compassion and expertise have protected patients and supported doctors throughout her tenure. I want to thank her for her partnership and wish her well.”

Dr Maria O’Kane, CEO of the Medical Council, said: “I warmly congratulate Prof Murphy on her election as President of the Medical Council, and I look forward to working closely with her in this role.

“Patient safety is, and will always be, the Medical Council’s first concern, and trust between doctor and patient is at the heart of everything we do as a regulator. I’m confident that under Prof Murphy’s leadership, the Council will continue to build that trust as we work to achieve our regulatory remit.”