RCSI has launched the 2023/24 Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS), which is a free education programme for non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). This extensive programme has been developed by RCSI in collaboration with HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP).

To be eligible to attend these free CPD courses, NCHDs must enrol on the programme before enrolment closes on Friday, 29 September. Further information on how to enrol is here.

This year’s programme includes new courses including ENT Skills for General Surgeons, Head and Neck Trauma Management and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. The programme also includes self-paced online courses, including Safe Clinical Handovers, Communication Skills for Video and Telephone Consultations and Medical Science for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

Now entering its 13th year, the CPD-SS supports NCHDs who are not on a structured training scheme to maintain their professional competence in line with Medical Council requirements. Over 930 doctors took part in last year’s programme which provides a structured means of achieving 20 external CPD credits.

This year RCSI has expanded the programme by up to 15% and will offer more than 115 courses in the National Surgical and Clinical training centre in Dublin, in new regional centres and online. Participants will be offered an expanded selection of classes in surgical skills and emergency medicine while also providing classes in clinical audit, quality improvement processes, research and ethics, IT skills, social media, personal development and a range of e-learning activities.

The full programme of courses will be launched during August 2023 and those that enrol early will have exclusive access to September 2023 CPD-SS courses.

Career development

A previous enrolee in 2022/23 said: "I think the CPD Support Scheme is providing a great service to the NCHDs who are in non-training positions in their continuous professional development and learning skills.”

Mr Kieran Ryan, Managing Director, RCSI Surgical Affairs, said: “The team here in RCSI are acutely aware of the pressures that all healthcare professional are currently under in their difficult roles. Because of this, we have developed this year's offering to be flexible around your conflicting demands, with the course now being delivered in a combination of in-person, live online classes and online self-paced programmes. We are also delivering a number of our face-to-face courses regionally to make them more accessible.”

“This year I am particularly happy to launch our new Basic Surgical Principles and Practice Certificate, which is a 10-day programme of which 80% of the programme is delivered online. This programme is an outcome of our recent report on “Career development and support programme for non-training scheme Doctors” and is designed to support SHOs prepare for the next steps in their career progression. The programme is part of an incremental programme that will also be offered at intermediate and advanced levels for more senior NCHDs,” added Mr Ryan.

Application process

To apply for the CPD-SS programme, NCHDs must have a current HSE NCHD contract, be on the General Division or Supervised Division of the Medical Council Register and be enrolled with the RCSI annual Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) for 2023/24.

Since 1 May 2011, it has been mandatory for all doctors to register with a 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.

Information on the CPD-SS, including how to enrol, is available here. The scheme runs until April 2024.

RCSI is grateful to HSE NDTP for their continued support for this innovative programme which is designed to enhance the clinical knowledge and skills of all NCHDs. More information about the work of NDTP and other supports available to NCHDs is accessible here.