If you are absent from practice for three months or more during the Professional Competence year which runs from 1st May 2025 - 30th April 2026, you should inform RCSI PCS department.  Examples of circumstances that may result in a shortfall in minimum requirements are:

• Maternity leave
• Certified sick leave
• Carer's leave
• Parental leave
• Bereavement leave
• Adoptive leave

Where possible, you should maintain some level of engagement in the maintenance of your professional competence while on leave.  

You should sign in to your PCS Portal. Scroll to the ‘make a request’ section on your dashboard and click on ‘confirm extended absence from work’. Here you can complete the online form.

If your absence has occurred for three months or more during the professional competence year (which runs from 1 May to 30 April), we will record the absence on your PCS portfolio and an annotation will be appear against the relevant year on your Statement of Participation.  You may be required by the Medical Council to produce documentation supporting your absence from practice if you are selected for a Maintenance of Professional Competence Audit.