The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) it is to undertake a fundamental review of its medical training programmes to ensure that they are providing doctors with the skills and expertise required to meet the needs of patients and society for the next ten years.

The College is the training body for physicians working in Irish hospitals.

The RCPI said the review would take into account challenges posed by an ageing population, the prevalence of serious long-term diseases such as diabetes and obesity as well as the introduction of reduced working hours for junior doctors under EU regulations.

The review will be conducted by Prof Kevin Imrie, incoming President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the findings will be reported by June 2014.

RCPI President Prof John Crowe, said training pathways should be flexible enough to accommodate doctors with young children and various professional interests and goals, including research and teaching.

The review will consider the duration, structure and content of postgraduate medical training and the use of new and emerging technologies, the College said.

It will also review the needs of an ageing population and the prevalence of chronic diseases in Ireland and will also examine training requirements in the planned new hospital groups.