Recruitment open for two censors

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) invites its fellows to apply for the post of censor.

RCP fellows are invited to apply for these important roles which will commence on 1 August 2026 with a three year tenure. The roles are open to all fellows, in good standing, including SAS doctors.

The deadline for applications is midday Wednesday 13 May 2026 and shortlisted candidates are expected to be available for interview on Monday 8 June 2026. Please note that interviews will be conducted virtually with details provided to shortlisted candidates.

Eligibility
Censors must be RCP fellows in good standing. All officers of the RCP are encouraged to be practising medical doctors and actively connected with, and credible to, the clinical community.

Applicants must possess a skillset relevant to the remit of the role (at times this may include ongoing expertise related to the NHS in the United Kingdom).

Tenure
The tenure of the post is for 3 years (1 August 2026 – 31 July 2029).

Closest Managerial Relationship
Reports to Senior censor and vice president for education and training (VPET)

Censor role description

Responsibilities

Duties of the role include:

To serve on the RCP Education Faculty and support delivery of the Education Department strategy. For example, this may include curation and oversight of clinical content of new education products such as podcasts and video content. Other roles may include assessment of certificate of eligibility for specialist registration (CESR) applications and review of proposed new policy on which the RCP is asked to comment and respond.
To serve on the Education Board, which meets three times each year.
Ideally with experience as an MRCP(UK) examiner, to act as a PACES chair for at least 1–2 diets each year, and/or as examiner in the RCP Assessment Unit.
To participate in the Standing Panel of Censors to investigate and make recommendations according to the procedure for the conduct and discipline of fellows and members.
To deputise for the VPET, as required by the RCP.
To support senior RCP officers in their work, depending on the particular interests or experience of individual censors.
To serve on such committees of the RCP as may from time to time be requested. For example, one censor recently participated in the review of the RCP bye-laws; censors may also be invited to join interview panels for RCP roles.
To attend and be part of the formal procession at ceremonies for the admission of new members and fellows.
To attend RCP lectures and other occasions (such as the annual general meeting and the presidential election), as part of the formal procession, when requested.
To attend a biennial meeting of the president and censors.
One censor (with another acting as their deputy) to represent the RCP on the Board of Trustees of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons.
Two of the serving censors are voting members of the RCP Council, acting on behalf of the others.
To undertake an annual appraisal of their RCP role.

The role is reviewed regularly, to take account of developments in the work of the RCP and of the NHS in general. No single individual will be required to undertake all of these duties – there is an expectation that through selection the team of censors will collectively manage this large portfolio of work.

Board and committee membership

• Education Board – three times per annum.
• Council (as an attendee or as one of the two voting censor members) – six times per annum.

Financial aspects

This is a voluntary role and not remunerated. It is the duty of a candidate for office to obtain advance agreement from their employing authority that they will be given adequate time to perform RCP duties, in the context of activities recognised by the Department of Health and Social Care, before standing for election.

It is anticipated that duties will be performed through a combination of agreed SPA time over and above the minimum required to fulfil revalidation requirements, and that any shortfall would be made up through additional external activities agreed through the postholder’s job plan.

Appointees are eligible to claim reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their roles, in line with the RCP’s expenses policy.

How to apply

If you would like an opportunity to discuss the role prior to applying, please contact Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president c/o zara.gorman@rcp.ac.uk.

Please return the completed form by email to harriet.barr@rcp.ac.uk with the subject heading CENSOR APPLICATION. Applications are to be addressed to Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president and are it must reach us by midday on Wednesday 13 May 2026.

Shortlisting will take place the week after the application deadline. Interviews will be held on Monday 8 June on MS Teams.

RCP censor application form

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