Supporting the physicians of the future with our NextGenPhysicians campaign

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Are you a resident doctor? At the start of your medical career? 

In September 2023, the RCP published Shape of medicine, in which we promised to explore how we can improve the experience of medical training and assess the impact of the changing medical workforce.

2025 is the year of 'next gen' at the RCP. As the voice of medicine, our college is committed to putting residents at the heart of everything we do

Last year, as a direct result of the feedback we were receiving from our fellows and members, the RCP launched our resident-led next generation campaign, a cross-college initiative that aims to support and empower residents to deliver the best possible patient care, while advocating for radical reform of the postgraduate medical training system.

Competition ratios for postgraduate training places 

The RCP is clear that medical students and early career doctors must be supported to train and work in the NHS throughout their careers. 

We’ve worked with our Resident Doctor Committee (RDC) and our Student Foundation Doctor Network (SFDN) to raise the issue of competition ratios in the media and with government. The RCP president, Dr Mumtaz Patel, along with our RDC and SFDN chairs, meet regularly with Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer and his team to raise our concerns. 

In February 2025, we published a brand new position statement, Left in the lurch, which said: 

‘From university graduation through to their first consultant or specialist role, doctors should be supported and empowered to train and work in the NHS throughout their careers. For every new medical school place created, we need a commensurate expansion in foundation and specialty training posts, based on population need in different parts of the country. A review of postgraduate medical training should address competition ratios for specialty training and ensure that publicly funded medical school places lead to the recruitment of more NHS doctors.’

The launch of this position statement was covered in the media by the Independent, by The BMJ and by The Financial Times, among others. 

What else are we doing to influence change? 

The results of our recent national next gen survey of more than 1,000 resident doctors informed our detailed response to the NHS England medical training review

Position statements, op-ed blogs, podcasts, webinars, conferences and events, the list goes on! 

For example, a panel of resident doctors led a very well attended main stage next gen panel debate at our 2025 annual conference that was held at our home in Regent’s Park in June. 

In the past 5 years, the RCP has successfully campaigned for an NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the expansion of medical school and postgraduate training places and a review of postgraduate medical training. 

We will continue to push for urgent action on competition ratios for postgraduate training places, more detailed workforce data to help us model the future medical specialty workforce, and putting resident doctors at the centre of the conversation about the 10 Year Health Plan. 

Want to get involved? Get in touch with us: NextGen@rcp.ac.uk 

Read our latest update

Next generation oversight group 

Reporting to RCP Council, the next generation oversight group will oversee and guide cross-college activity on the development, implementation and evaluation of workforce-related policies. The group will ensure that workforce policies align with the strategic objectives of the RCP, address workforce challenges, and promote the delivery of high quality patient care. The oversight group will: 

  • review existing RCP workforce policies
  • provide recommendations for updates to policy positions related to workforce, recruitment and training
  • provide advice and guidance on strategic priorities such as recruitment, retention, workforce planning, medical education and training, and workforce well-being
  • identify emerging workforce issues and recommend strategic actions to address them
  • facilitate collaboration and communication within the college.

The oversight group will be supported by our NextGenPhysicians reference group, an online community of RCP fellows and members.  

Read our terms of reference
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We’re here to support you every step of the way in your medical career

Are you preparing for PACES? Want to brush up on your clinical knowledge? From our podcast series RCP Medicine to our workshops and training courses, there’s something for everyone. 

If you’re interested in learning more about leadership or medical education, our RCP OnlineEd e-learning courses are free for members.

Find out more about our range of courses
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Be part of something bigger

Being an RCP member gives you access to targeted benefits that will support you to develop your career as a physician and clinical leader, including:

Find out more about RCP membership
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Discover more NextGenPhysicians news and download our resources

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Nextgenphysicians

How one cardiology team transformed the quality and experience of local medical training, using the GMC national training survey as a catalyst for change

In the September 2025 issue of the independent, peer-reviewed RCP publication Future Healthcare Journal, authors Vasileios Lamprou, VJ Karthikeyan, Niall G Campbell and Sanjay Sastry describe how they used General Medical Council (GMC) national training survey (NTS) results to drive local improvements in the quality and experience of medical training.

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We must train doctors for the NHS of the future, not the past’: RCP calls for 10 Year Health Plan to drive reform of medical training

Following the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan, Dr Theresa Barnes, clinical lead for outpatient care at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) explores what the ‘three shifts’ might mean for the future of postgraduate medical training.

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Hello, is that the new F1? An insider’s guide to the year ahead

On Wednesday 6 August 2025, thousands of new F1 doctors took up their first NHS training post. Dr Jaisila Patel, RCP Student and Foundation Doctor Network representative for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and current F2 doctor, remembers her first day and offers some advice to all the medical graduates starting out on the wards.

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‘We must move beyond rigid models of training’: why flexibility and an individualised approach in medical education matters

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The next generation of doctors – is the system ready?

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RCP responds to the Leng review report

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has responded to the publication of Professor Gillian Leng’s independent review into the roles of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), welcoming a focus on national consistency and clarity of role.

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RCP responds to the GMC 2025 national training survey

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has responded to the GMC 2025 national training survey.

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Empowering tomorrow’s health leaders: RCP’s 2024/25 Chief Registrars Programme concludes

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