Coronavirus: Doctors have ‘ethical duty’ to self-care

Doctors have an ethical duty to "self-care" in order to protect themselves, colleagues and patients, the Medical Council has said in its first comment on the coronavirus outbreak.

Where doctors experience difficulties in maintaining their continuous professional development due to the outbreak, account will be taken of these circumstances, it has indicated.

President Rita Doyle said the council was monitoring the situation in relation to the virus very carefully, especially in light of its role in protecting patients and supporting doctors.

Doctors and other healthcare workers are the "front line" in the battle to minimise the impact of Covid-19 in Ireland, she noted.

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“I want to remind doctors that they have an ethical duty, according to the Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics, to self-care in order to protect themselves, their colleagues and their patients.”

Doctors must ensure personal protective equipment is worn correctly and that notices are placed at the entrances of clinics and practices informing patients to return home and call their GP or the HSE if they are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 or respiratory illness, she said.

Dr Doyle urged patients and the wider public to follow the guidance of the HSE and public health doctors. “Your first port of call for any concerns should be the HSE website, which is updated regularly. Most cases will be mild and you will be able to care for yourself at home.”

“If displaying any symptoms, do not attempt to attend your GP, out-of-hours service or an emergency department. Please call your local GP or contact the HSE website for guidance.”

Slowing spread

Everyone has a role in the community response needed to slow down the spread of the disease, she said, from individuals following personal hygiene guidance to businesses, shops, bars and restaurants having signage up reminding people to wash their hands and providing hand sanitiser or sufficient hand-washing facilities.

The council is working closely with the Department of Health and the HSE on a number of matters and continues to monitor the situation, she said.

All doctors are required to engage in ongoing learning, including attending conferences. The council says it understands the significant workload faced by doctors, and the potential travel disruption, caused by Covid-19, and appreciates that some doctors may choose not to attend overseas medical conferences or have difficulty recording their continuous professional development.

It says doctors not meeting their CPD requirements for these reasons should advise their professional competence scheme and indicate, when filling in their annual returns, their non-compliance.

“By doing both of these the doctor’s circumstances will be taken into consideration in the compliance monitoring process, and if the doctor’s compliance with the requirements has been consistent in the past, this deviation should not cause any concern.”