The King’s Fund review was commissioned by the RCP following an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on the role of physician associates (PAs) in March 2024. The report set out recommendations on improving leadership, management and culture, and structure and processes at the college, including a governance review that considers Board effectiveness, college byelaws and how RCP Council operates.
To deliver on these recommendations, the RCP developed a response plan with 14 actions.
Read our 2025 progress report1. Leadership, management and culture
We’ve strengthened the RCP’s values and behaviours to support a more inclusive and positive culture:
- Creating consistent onboarding and induction processes for staff, officers and volunteers.
- Reviewing key policies like our Code of Conduct and appraisal processes to make them clearer and more inclusive.
- An action group including fellows, members, staff and patient representatives is being set up to shape and review these changes.
2. Governance review
We’re reviewing how we govern and make decisions:
- A new Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr Diana Walford CBE, and a new chief executive, Jonathan Bruun, have been appointed.
- Standard procedures for running EGMs and large meetings are being modernised.
- A full review of our governance with external support has been launched. We invited key groups to participate and expect to report by the end of the year.
- Council approved a constitutional review, and for the first time collegiate members will now be included in voting for vice presidents and elected councillors.
3. Structure and processes
We’re improving internal processes, communication and engagement to make the RCP more transparent and member-focused:
- A communications reference group of fellows and members has been helping to shape how we communicate and engage.
- A redesigned version of Commentary magazine has been launched.
- Clearer updates and greater openness on Council business have been introduced, alongside improved survey practices across the organisation.
- Regular online ‘Meet the President’ forums are now running, promoted on our events pages.
- The challenges of working in the NHS from fellows and members across the UK has been published in a major new Voice of Physicians report.
- We are advocating for resident doctors through the NextGenPhysicians project, sharing their stories and amplifying their voice on medical training.
- A new CRM system, social media strategy and policy are being developed.
4. Health and wellbeing support
We’re supporting the wellbeing of our people at the RCP:
- We’re developing a dedicated volunteer policy and health and wellbeing survey for clinical volunteers.
- We’re exploring how to extend current support (like our employee assistance programme) to officers and volunteers.
The action plan
Our action plan took the main themes from The King’s Fund learning review and grouped 14 actions alongside them.
The action plan is led by the strategy executive group – senior officers and executive directors – and reports to BoT and Council.
Theme one: Leadership, management and culture
1. Create consistency across staff and volunteer people policies
2. Review appraisal structures
3. Improve induction processes for volunteers
4. Create cultural alignment across volunteer and staff workforce
5. Develop president and chair of Board of trustees’ relationship
Theme two: Governance review
6. Commission an external review of the governance structure, including Council operations, Board of trustees’ effectiveness, standing orders and the bye-laws
7. Develop standard operating procedures for extraordinary general meetings (EGMs) and any large meetings involving fellows or members
8. Review the constitution with a focus on voting rights
9. Review the criteria for calling an EGM
Theme three: Structure and processes
10. Review and improve membership engagement and communications processes
11. Review management of member and other surveys to improve quality, consistency and design
Theme four: Staff and officer capacity, health and wellbeing support
12. Review current support services for staff and officers
13. Implement additional wellbeing programmes
14. Analyse officer and executive time commitments, providing additional support where necessary
This page was last updated December 2025.
