Part One: Disciplinary Organizations WITHIN the Medical Association
or Medical Chamber1:
Order of Physicians of Albania
 Not a trade union
 Registers and licenses all doctors and dentists
 Responsible for National Registry of doctors
 Monitor professional standards and the doctor's ability to practice
Austrian Medical Chamber
 Is a trade union
 National authority for doctors
 Responsible for admission to National Registry of doctors and recognition of foreign
medical diplomas
 Responsible for quality assurance of medical practice and CME
 Executes disciplinary legislation and arbitration
Bulgarian Medical Association
 Not a trade union
 Maintains national registry of physicians
 Ethics Committee can impose fines and reprobation
Croatian Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Trade union is an independent association
 Issues Code of Medical Ethics and is responsible for inspecting physicians and
deciding on disciplinary measures
 Maintains National Registry of physicians
 Issues, renews and revokes medical licenses
 Determines physician fees for private practice
Czech Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union
EFMA Handbook, The Norwegian Medical Association
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 Maintains national registry of physicians
 Licenses physicians
 Deals with cases of medical malpractice
Cyprus Medical Association
 Is a trade union, but has mandatory membership
 Is responsible for disciplinary professional issues
Estonian Medical Association
 Is a trade union
 Licenses physicians
 Deals with problems of medical ethics
Councseil National de Ordre (France) (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union
 Maintains national registry
 Discipline imposed by expelling members
German Medical Association
 Not a trade union
 Umbrella organization of regional medical chambers with mandatory membership
 Regional chambers responsible for monitoring professional conduct, investigating
malpractice claims and disciplinary measures
Panhellenic Medical Association (Greece)
 Is a trade union, membership is mandatory
 Responsible for maintaining ethical standards
Hungarian Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union, voluntary membership
 Maintains national registry
 Supervises adherence to the Ethical Code  Separate College on Ethics is
responsible for Ethical Code
Icelandic Medical Association
 Is a trade union
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 Supervises and encourages adherence to Code of Ethics and deals with breaches of
Code of Ethics
Federazione Nazionale Degli Ordini dei Medici Chirurghi e Degli Odontoiatri (Italy)
 Not a trade union, obligatory membership
 Maintains national registry
 Disciplinary powers
Lithuanian Medical Association
 Is a trade union, voluntary membership
 Has formal powers to impose sanctions other than expulsion from membership
when problems of professional ethics
Norwegian Medical Association
 Is a trade union, voluntary membership
 Committee on Ethics deals with breaches of code of conduct (Not specified which
disciplinary measures are used)
Polish Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union (but is involved in negotiations), mandatory membership
 Licenses physicians
 Maintains national registry
 Disciplinary action for physicians
Romanian College of Physicians (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union, mandatory membership
 Issues guidelines and protocols for practicing medicine
 Enforces medical code
 Judges physicians in cases of an infringement of professional ethics
Slovak Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union, voluntary membership but mandatory registration
 Umbrella organization of 8 regional branches
 Responsible for registering and licensing physicians
 Responsible for professional discipline
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Slovenian Medical Chamber (NOT ASSOCIATION)
 Not a trade union, mandatory membership
 Maintains national registry of physicians
 Issues, renews and revokes medical licenses
 Adopted medical code: responsible for monitoring physicians and taking disciplinary
measures where necessary
General Council of Medical Colleges of Spain
 Not a trade union, obligatory membership
 Supervise medical practice
 Implements disciplinary actions
Turkish Medical Association
 Acts only in some ways as a trade union, membership mandatory ONLY for private
physicians
 Disciplinary Committee can impose sanctions on physicians
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Part Two: Disciplinary Organizations External to Medical Association or
Government:
Ireland2: Medical Council
 Established by the Medical Practitioners Act of 1978 and was operational in 1979
 Responsibilities include: quality of undergraduate and postgraduate education,
registration of physicians, disciplinary procedures, guidance on professional
standards and ethical conduct, and professional competence
 25 members: 13 non-medical, 12 medical
 Funded by annual payments of registered doctors
Malta3: General Medical Council
 President is appointed by the Prime Minister of Malta
 Members appointed by PM, University of Malta, Medical Practitioners, and Dental
Surgeons
 Various laws enforce powers of the GMC in Malta
 Maintains National Registry
 Maintains professional and ethical standards
United Kingdom: General Medical Council
 Registers physicians
 Medical Act of 1858 established the GMC
 Sets educational standards for medical schools
 Determine principles of good medical practice and take action when standards not
met
 Legal powers
 Council includes 12 members: 12 doctors and 12 lay members  appointed by the
Appointments Commission4
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http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/default.asp
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http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=87
4
http://www.gmc-uk.org/index.asp
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