Doctors will be forced to admit their mistakes during patient's treatment

A change in legislation means that medical professionals will be obliged to tell patients when mistakes or accidents have taken place during the course of their treatment.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar spoke with the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on the issue today.

Telling them of his plans, the minister suggested that if doctors were compelled to tell patients when an error had occurred "a lot fewer people would sue."

The minister has been devoting time recently to the country's maternity services which have undergone intense scrutiny following the release of damning reports.