About the scheme

The HSE-funded Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS) supports non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) who are not enrolled in a formal training programme by providing access to education and training opportunities that help maintain and enhance clinical knowledge, skills and professional competence in line with Medical Council requirements.

The scheme enables eligible NCHDs to participate in accredited professional development activities and gain credits towards meeting their annual Professional Competence Scheme requirements.

Eligibility criteria

To enrol in the CPD-SS, an NCHD must:

1. Be enrolled in the relevant Professional Competence Scheme for their specialty and area of practice, as required by law.
2. Hold the NCHD Contract 2010.
3. Work within the public health service.
4. Not be enrolled in an intern training programme or a specialist training programme recognised by an Irish postgraduate training body.
5. Be registered on the general or supervised division of the Medical Council’s Register of Medical Practitioners.

Doctors must also have paid their annual professional competence subscription for the current year to complete enrolment.

Please note

The CPD-SS does not apply to doctors currently enrolled in either of the following:

• An intern training programme under an intern training network.
• A specialist training programme under an Irish postgraduate training body.

CPD allowance

Once enrolled, NCHDs may attend approved educational and training activities and earn up to 20 accredited continuing education (CE) credits or three days per annum, whichever is greater.

If the annual allowance (as outlined in the HSE National Doctors Training and Planning Office guidance document) has been reached, any additional courses attended will require payment of the applicable registration fee. All of our courses are approved under the Training Support Scheme, and eligible participants may claim reimbursement of the registration fee through the scheme.

We offer the following course delivery formats: 

Interactive learning (scheduled) – These courses are delivered via Zoom. Most (but not all) are spread across multiple dates. If you agree to enrol in one of these courses, please ensure you are available to attend all scheduled sessions. 

Classroom-based (scheduled) – These courses take place in person. As places are limited, we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment. 

Self-paced courses – Our innovative online self-paced CPD-SS programmes are designed for healthcare professionals across a wide range of specialties. These courses can be completed anytime, from any location. 

Hybrid courses – These courses include a combination of classroom-based and self-paced learning. Please note that the self-paced component must be completed as it forms a prerequisite for attending the course.