Dr. Colm Henry:

Deputy MacSharry is correct that we do not have a dedicated service and the NHS does. It is called the National Clinical Assessment Service, NCAS, and was established in recognition of the fact that the approach to regulation is binary. One is referred and either found guilty or not and fit to practise or not. The focus of the NCAS is on remediation and approaches that can be made short of censuring a doctor. That approach in the UK has been successful in re-educating or retraining doctors on whatever deficits are identified and returning them to the delivery system, bearing in mind our significant recruitment difficulties. We have a recent arrangement with the NCAS to use its services regularly for a small number of cases. We are now going to enter a more substantive agreement with the service to allow for a dedicated Irish phone line assessment service and remediation where appropriate in recognition of the fact that the UK service has been up and running for many years and has developed skills and expertise.