Your Consultant
Who are they and what do they do
Consultants are doctors who are specially trained in a very specific area of health. So when you need specialist advice and treatment, you will be referred by your General Practitioner (GP) to a consultant. Following your consultation, you may then require out patient or in patient (hospital) treatment, depending on what your condition calls for.
Check the credentials
Doing a little bit of research on your doctor gives you a greater sense of control over your health. Before you agree to any medical procedure, you should always find out whether your doctor is licensed or has been subject to any disciplinary actions.
Thankfully, this is a lot easier than it sounds. All medical consultants in Ireland must be registered with the medical council, which was set up to protect the interests of the public when dealing with registered medical practitioners. If you want to check if your consultant is registered, all you have to do is visit www.medicalcouncil.ie and go to the 'Search for a doctor' area.
You can view the General Register of Medical Practitioners which lists all doctors who hold full, internship or temporary registration. You can also contact the Medical Council on registration@mcirl.ie if you have any queries about your consultant.
What checks does Aviva carry out?
When a consultant registers with us, we carry out a number of checks on your behalf. Firstly, we verify that they are registered with the Irish Medical Council. We then review their C.V. and check their letter of appointment from the hospital they work in.
How do I access a consultant?
In almost all cases, you will be referred to a consultant by your G.P. who will write a letter to the consultant giving details of your health and the specific condition to be examined. You're completely free to read this letter too - after all, it's your health.
Don't be shy about asking your GP why he has referred you to a particular consultant, or whether he referred a lot of other patients to this particular consultant, or what's the track record of the consultant.
Before you go?
Be sure to bring a complete list of the medicines and dosages you are taking. Your consultant may ask to see your medicines, so it's a good idea to bring them along with you. It's also very important that you bring the referral letter from your G.P. summarising your medical condition.
It will also be very helpful if you can bring copies of your medical record, including X-rays and other test results related to your current medical concerns. Don't be surprised, however, if your consultant needs to repeat some of these tests to ensure the most accurate diagnosis possible.
You're bound to have a number of queries about your condition, so it's a good idea to write out a list of questions in advance, making sure that you don't forget to ask about something.
During the consultation
Your consultant will ask you questions about both your general health and the specific condition that you have been referred for. He or she may recommend further tests and treatment.
At this stage, ask as many questions as you want and don't be afraid to take notes on your diagnosis and treatment. Tell your consultant that you may ring later if you have any further queries.
Follow up
Your consultant will contact you with the results of any tests and will also let you know if any further day case or hospital treatment is needed. Sometimes, you may be asked to book another consultation to discuss your condition once all the tests results are available.
Your consultant will also contact your G.P. with the outcome of your consultation.
If you are concerned about the diagnosis or recommended treatment, you can always opt to get a second opinion. Just ask your doctor to refer you to another consultant and start the process afresh.
What if I have a complaint?
Should you have a complaint about your consultant, you can contact The Fitness to Practise Committee of the Medical Council. This consists of members of the Medical Council, the majority of whom must be elected, and it must include at least one lay member. At present, three lay members sit on the Committee - these have been appointed by the Minister for Health to represent the public interest.
The Fitness to Practise Committee of the Medical Council has a statutory duty to consider complaints made by the Council or any person into the conduct of a registered medical practitioner on the grounds of:
(a) his/her alleged professional misconduct and/or,
(b) his/her fitness to engage in the practice of medicine by reason of physical or mental disability.
If you decide to make a complaint, you should write to the Professional Standards section with the following information:
- The name and address of the medical practitioner against whom you wish your complaint considered
- Complete details of your complaint
You do not need to get legal advice to make a complaint, although you can ask your solicitor to formulate your complaint for you, in which case you will be responsible for your solicitor's costs.
You can make a complaint at any time and there are no time limits for doing so, although considerable delays in making a complaint may make it more difficult to establish the facts.
For More Information visit www.medicalcouncil.ie.
Aviva Cover
Most registered consultants in Ireland are covered by Aviva (either as participating or part participating) for a range of medical and surgical procedures, whether as an in patient or day case at a Aviva recognised facility. We have direct settlement arrangements with most consultants in Ireland.
If you need any further information on your cover, please don't hesitate to call us on 1890 717 717.
