Doctors Who Faced Disciplinary Action in UK Remain Registered in Ireland
- Dignity 4Patients
- Oct 5
- 2 min read
By Bernice Harrison- 06/10/2025- The Irish Times
How can it happen that a doctor who has been sanctioned or even struck-off in one country can simply move to another and continue working?
Shouldn’t the various medical registration bodies have robust recording and information-sharing systems that would make that impossible? Most patients will assume that to be the case, but a new global investigation has found serious flaws in the system.
And it is happening in Ireland: 11 doctors who have faced serious sanctions in the UK, including being struck off, remain registered in Ireland.
In each case, the UK sanction was not recorded on the doctor’s publicly available record published by the Medical Council.
The information comes from the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which in the past has investigated transnational criminal gangs and drug cartels but in recent months has turned its attention to doctor registration.
Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher joined international journalists from more than 50 other media outlets to uncover this very real threat to patient safety. He explains the findings of the report, particularly as they relate to Ireland.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm.
Dignity4Patients Commentary: This issue raises serious concerns about the integrity, transparency, and interconnectedness of international medical regulatory systems. Patients expect that if a doctor has been banned or sanctioned in one country, this would at least be flagged, if not disqualifying. The fact that this information is missing from public records is particularly concerning because it undermines patient trust and dignity.
