Latvia to require doctors to disclose work abroad

Latvian doctors will have to disclose their professional work abroad under changes approved by the government, LSM reported. The measure is intended to prevent cases in which violations committed by doctors in other countries remain unknown.

The changes to the rules governing the certification of healthcare professionals, supported by the government on Tuesday, will improve the assessment of professional qualifications, particularly during recertification, the Ministry of Health said.

Currently, healthcare professionals working in other European Union member states must submit documents confirming their right to practise there when seeking recertification. However, they are not required to inform certification commissions about their professional work abroad.

Under the new rules, certification and recertification documents will include information about professional work outside Latvia. The updated forms will contain a designated field for this information.

The changes also provide for broader information exchange between state institutions. The Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior will provide the Health Inspectorate with information about valid decisions imposing criminal penalties on healthcare professionals. The Health Inspectorate will then pass the information to the relevant certification institution for assessment during the recertification process.

Professional or ethical violations committed during the period covered by a previous certificate may also be taken into account during recertification.

The rules on issuing electronic certificates have also been revised. Information about a certificate will be stored in the register of the certification institution, while the healthcare professional will receive an informational notification, eliminating the need to sign each certificate with a secure electronic signature. The change is intended to reduce unnecessary administrative work.

The requirements for organising continuing education events and for lecturer qualifications have also been clarified. Restrictions on distance-learning events will no longer be set, taking into account changes in the organisation of remote education in recent years.