The 2016/2017 Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPDSS) for non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) working in the fields of surgery and emergency medicine, taking place at RCSI, has been announced with this year's programme offering a newly expanded choice of modules. Eligible NCHDs have until Friday, 16 September to enrol on the programme.

The programme, which is now in its sixth year, is commissioned and funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to facilitate NCHDs within the public health service, who are not on training schemes, to maintain their professional competence in line with Medical Council requirements and provides a structured means of achieving 20 external CPD credits.

For 2016/17 RCSI will offer participants an expanded range of classes in surgical skills; emergency medicine; human factors in patient safety; clinical audit; quality improvement processes; research and ethics; computers for doctors; and a range of e-learning activities.

Professor Oscar Traynor, Director, National Surgical Training Centre, RCSI, said: "The RCSI Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme assists NCHDs to satisfy their professional competence requirement. The programme provides highly relevant courses for emergency medicine and surgery NCHDs at both SHO and Registrar level, to equip them with invaluable skills and technical expertise needed in order to excel in their speciality."

The Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme is open to NCHDs who are registered on the General Division or Supervised Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council. NCHDs must hold the 2010 NCHD contract and be working within the public health service. To successfully enrol on the Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme applicants must have paid the annual Professional Competence Scheme fee for 2016/2017.

Since 1 May 2011, it has been mandatory for all doctors to register with a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) run by one of the postgraduate training bodies. RCSI has been designated by the Irish Medical Council to run PCS for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.