Medical Council Restricts Dr Joe McAndrew-Lima Over Cloud Clinic Complaints
Dr Joe McAndrew-Lima has agreed to an undertaking with the Irish Medical Council not to practise medicine while a complaints process is underway regarding his online ADHD assessment service, Cloud Clinic, The Journal reported in April 2026. The restriction on his medical registration requires him to cease providing medical advice, treating patients, and prescribing until the complaints process concludes or the council releases him from the undertaking.
Patient Complaints and Treatment Disruption at Cloud Clinic
Operating out of an office in Dublin while offering online psychiatric care, Cloud Clinic charged €950 for full ADHD assessment pathways since opening in 2024, treating over 500 people, according to practice figures provided to The Journal. Patients reported that while the specialist was “really good” during assessments, chaotic administrative backlogs forced them to ration medication and pay between €400 and €500 to transfer to alternative providers. Clients also stated they were prescribed Tyvense, a lisdexamfetamine-based stimulant, without providing information on their vitals for monitoring.
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Administrative staff attributed delays to technical difficulties and sleepless nights by McAndrew-Lima, while clinic representatives accused patients of running a sabotage campaign on an online forum. The regulatory undertaking stipulates that Cloud Clinic must facilitate the prompt release of patient records to any nominated medical practitioner or the relevant patient if requested, with the Medical Council advising past patients to seek out their GP or transfer to another service for further ADHD treatment.
Regulatory Resolution and Unresolved Financial Losses
Providing an undertaking allows a practitioner to resolve a regulatory or fitness-to-practise concern without formal suspension or cancellation of their registration. Compliance with the agreement can conclude the regulatory proceedings, and such a measure does not inherently establish that the practitioner has been found guilty of professional misconduct. However, past patients remain critical of the clinic’s closure and unresolved financial strains. One former client noted that she lost several hundred euros in promised compensation credits and had to spend €500 transferring to a new psychiatrist after months of no response from the clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cloud Clinic
What happens to active prescriptions now that Dr McAndrew-Lima cannot practise?
The Irish Medical Council states that McAndrew-Lima must cease all prescribing functions. Past patients are instructed to contact their general practitioners or transfer to another medical service to continue their ADHD treatment.
How can former patients retrieve their medical records?
Under the terms of the regulatory undertaking, Cloud Clinic is required to facilitate the prompt release of patient records to any nominated medical practitioner or the relevant patient if requested.
What is the timeline for the Irish Medical Council complaints process?
The exact duration required to finish the complaints procedure remains uncertain, and McAndrew-Lima will stay barred from clinical practice until the review concludes or the medical council formally releases him from the agreement.
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