About

Our Mission

Standing with our colleagues and our patients.

The Medical & Dental Consultants Association (MDCA) stands with consultant doctors and dentists in independent practice across Ireland — supporting our colleagues, safeguarding our patients, and upholding clinical excellence as the foundation of everything we do.

Clinical excellence is non-negotiable. We uphold the highest standards of practice, ethics and governance, and we give our members a unified, credible voice in their dealings with private hospitals, insurers, indemnity providers and Government — so that the conditions for outstanding private care in Ireland are protected for the next generation.

 

Brief History

The Medical & Dental Consultant Association (MDCA) emerged when a group of like-minded consultant dentists and consultant doctors convened in April 2020. Since then, we have become an organisation that seeks to identify and address the issues impacting on the practice of medicine and dentistry in the private sector in Ireland. We continue to actively welcome new members into our organisation.

Scroll down to learn more about our Strategic Objectives, Management Team and Organisational Structure. If you have any questions or need more information, please email info@mdca.ie and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Strategic Objectives

  • To recognise and promote the crucial role that independent Medical and Dental consultants play in the provision of quality healthcare nationally
  • To advocate for policy and practices that enhance patient care
  • To promote, encourage and support the independent practice of private Medicine and Dentistry
  • To support new consultants, and those moving to full-time independent practice
  • To engage with private health insurance companies, relevant state agencies, medical indemnity providers, private hospitals and key stakeholders in private medicine
  • To provide advice and counsel to members on issues with health insurance companies as well as webinars and bulletins on topics of medical interest
  • To prepare/commission relevant reports and action their findings
  • To encourage innovation and facilitation of initiatives
  • To contribute to the ongoing education of medical graduates, NCHDs and ourselves
  • To hold ourselves and others to the highest possible professional standards
  • To maintain collegiality, co-operation and communication, both within the group, and beyond: “Supporting Colleagues, Delivering Care”

Organisational Structure

  • The Medical and Dental Consultants Association is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG).
  • The Association is administered by a Board of Directors (4) and an Executive Board (12). The executive has 4 officers, namely the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.
  • The board must have a majority of full-time Private Practice Consultants.
  • The President and Vice President must be of no less than 7 years Consultant standing. Both individuals are elected to serve one year, but in the case of an emergency, their tenure may be extended beyond one year by agreement with the Executive Board. On retirement, the President serves on the Board for a further year. All honorary officials including the 6 nominees are elected at the Annual General Meeting.
  • The President chairs the Board and all general meetings, providing oversight in relation to the operations of the Association, including Finance and Governance. The President acts as a spokesperson on organisational Medical and Dental Association issues. The President represents the Association at meetings of National and International bodies as determined by the Board.
  • There is a separate Governance committee. The Governance committee is composed of 5 nominees to ensure there is independent oversight. The objective of the governance committee is to ensure best practice is observed at all times.
  • The Association is managed on a day-to-day basis by an administrator who reports to the Board and does not have voting rights. Their role is to manage the development and implementation of agreed strategies approved by the Board.
  • The Honorary Treasurer manages the development and implementation of financial budgetary policy and ensures that the Board are promptly informed of any issues that could impact upon the Association.
  • Likewise, the Executive Board is responsible for ensuring that the Association’s profile is enhanced by PR initiatives while representing the Association at National and International Bodies as requested by the Board.