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Medical Council devises policy on unacceptable behaviour towards staff

By Catherine Reilly - 18th Feb 2024

unacceptable behaviour

The Medical Council has implemented a policy to address the “small number of cases” where behaviours towards its staff by doctors and the wider public are unacceptable or unreasonable.

A spokesperson told the Medical Independent (MI): “Most people who engage with the Medical Council do so in a reasonable way. We recognise that the circumstances that lead people to contact the Medical Council can be stressful and, from time to time, this stress may cause people to act out of character.”

“However, there may be times when the behaviour of people contacting the Medical Council makes it difficult for us to deal with the issues they raise. In a small number of cases their behaviours may become unacceptable or unreasonable because of the way they treat our staff, or the demands they make on the Medical Council.”

Staff who could be subjected to such behaviours include those from sections with the most public contact – for example, complaints and investigations, fitness to practise, front of house/facilities, communications, and registration.

The spokesperson said the Council has a duty to protect the welfare and safety of its staff and does not condone behaviour that is abusive, offensive or threatening, or which places unreasonable demands on the work of the Medical Council.

The policy, dated September 2023, stated that the Council records all incidents of unacceptable or unreasonable behaviour by people contacting the Medical Council. The spokesperson told MI it did not have this data available at present.

There had been “rare instances” of behaviour necessitating Garda involvement, but the spokesperson emphasised that such incidents are isolated and not reflective of the overall workplace culture.

Asked about the impact on staff of behaviours covered in the policy, the spokesperson said this may include increased stress, anxiety, decreased job satisfaction, and potential negative effects on mental and emotional health.

Commenting on what prompted the policy, the spokesperson said the Council consistently reviews its policies and procedures and introduces new policies where required.

“The people and culture department at the Medical Council recently led a cross-functional project team whose primary objective was to establish a well-rounded approach that addressed the needs of both the public and our staff members,” according to the spokesperson. “Consequently, the decision was made to develop a comprehensive policy, training tools, and additional support resources for our staff, aimed at enhancing their performance and wellbeing.”

The Council has a number of supports in place for staff, including prioritising open communication and conducting debrief sessions. It also provides training sessions on the policy, procedure, and best practices for caller management, and access to mental health resources and counselling services through the employee assistance service.

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