Since the last edition of Commentary in February, the RCP has been working to represent our members and support the work of physicians. Read our summary of the news from the last 2 months and the upcoming opportunities.
RCP governance matters
Read the latest updates on RCP governance matters and find your opportunities to get involved.
The results of the elections for senior censor and vice president for education and training (VPET), vice president for Wales and councillors are now available.
The RCP is tremendously grateful to all the candidates who stood and to all fellows and collegiate members who voted. Congratulations are due to:
- Dr Dan Furmedge, who will take up the VPET role at an agreed date as soon as possible.
- Professor Sam Rice and Dr Ben Thomas, who have already started in role as joint vice presidents for Wales. Read our Commentary interview with the pair.
- Dr Gina Allen, Dr Patrick Davey, Dr Shruthi Konda and Dr Asif Qasim, who will join Council from 1 August 2026.
Read more about College Day 2026 in Commentary.
As required by section 6 of the Medical Act 1860, the annual election of the president was held on Monday 30 March 2026 as part of College Day. Professor Mumtaz Patel was the only fellow nominated and was re-elected as president by fellows in the uncontested election.
Fellows and members will be able to watch the SGM on the RCP website (behind the login) after 17 April and access both the FitzPatrick and Samuel Gee lectures through the RCP Player.
Read more about College Day 2026 in Commentary.
The RCP Council met in open session in March to discuss the new organisation-wide strategy, medical training reform, corridor care and the work of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
You can read a full summary of the open section of the meeting on the RCP news page.
As part of the RCP’s commitment to transparency, summaries of all open session Council discussions are published online following each meeting.
- RCP publishes summary of September 2025 Council meeting.
- RCP publishes summary of November 2025 Council meeting.
- RCP publishes summary of January 2026 Council meeting.
About RCP Council
RCP Council meets six times a year to debate, develop and approve policy on professional and clinical matters. The next meeting is 19 May 2026.
- Learn more about the governance of the RCP.
- Read about the role and responsibilities of Council.
- Read about our impact in the media.
- Read our recent news stories and blogs.
Council meeting minutes (open section) are published in the member-only section of the RCP website once they are approved at the following meeting. The closed section of the meeting is reserved for fellowship and business-sensitive information.
For more information, please contact Council@rcp.ac.uk.
Please note that the AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 22 September 2026. It will be a hybrid meeting held 5–7pm and followed by a dinner (for pre-booked fellows).
Our officer, committee and other clinical volunteer roles are an ideal opportunity to support the RCP, guide our decision-making and ensure the voice of the membership is included across all activity.
Read about the latest opportunities. This includes the recruitment for two new censors.
Recent RCP work
Read more about our work, from publications, award winners and responses to healthcare reports, on our News and opinion page – and see some of the recent highlights below.
You can now access our VLe ebook collection with a mobile app allowing you to read anywhere, anytime and offline. The app is available on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android.
To download the app go to www.vlebooks.com/install. To link the app to RCP ebooks you need to be logged into your RCP OpenAthens account, you can then generate an access code that will last for 90 days.
You will need an OpenAthens account for the RCP eLibrary to access ebooks. Sign up today by contacting the library team by email at library@rcp.ac.uk or call 020 3075 1490.
The new issue of FHJ focuses on end-of-life care, bringing together perspectives from patients and healthcare professionals working in community services, emergency medicine, intensive care and palliative care, guest edited by physician, author and campaigner Dr Kathryn Mannix.
One of the authors in this issue is Commentary clinical editor, Dr Ollie Minton, writing about the use of AI in palliative care.
You can also read a blog by Kathryn on why all physicians need to talk about dying.
An graphic from an FHJ article in this edition.
Over the past 2 months, the RCP has published multiple responses to bills and consultations. The RCP news pages contain full details of the following stories:
- The RCP welcomed decisive House of Lords support for a smokefree generation.
- The RCP responded as the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act becomes law and published an update on Government Authorised Exchange visa sponsorship for the Medical Training Initiative.
- Read more about the work on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and its progression through parliament.
- Learn about the RCP engagement with MHRA consultation on the regulation of AI in healthcare.
- The RCP responded to the Health and Social Care Committee report on palliative care.
As the global population ages, geriatric medicine becomes increasingly important. The latest issue of ClinMed features a CME section on geriatric medicine, edited by Dr Ian Chan and Dr William Gibson, looking at frailty, fragility and falls in older people. Elsewhere the issue features papers on prolonged disorders of consciousness and genetic aetiologies of bronchiectasis.
FHJ has been officially accepted for indexation in Scopus, the world’s largest and most reputable abstract and citation database, recognising the journal’s high editorial standards and the quality of its peer reviewed content. Scopus indexing will significantly broaden FHJ’s global reach, making its articles easier for researchers to discover, cite and share, and increasing visibility for contributing authors.
FHJ continues to welcome new submissions on issues shaping the future of healthcare in the UK and beyond. Get involved as a reader, reviewer or author. Submit your article here.
Coming up
There is plenty more to look forward to in 2026, including a variety of events for resident doctors and new consultants. Here are a selection of educational programmes, webinars and other opportunities to look out for in the next few months.
RCP events and upcoming opportunities
A body of knowledge: woodcut print workshop
21 April | 6pm–8.30pm
We are delighted to be hosting London Drawing artist and expert printmaker Sisetta Zappone for an introductory workshop to woodcut printing this spring. Tickets are £28, with member discount ticket at £25 (use code RCP2026 at checkout).
RCP Museum Late: medicinal garden
6 May | 5.30pm–8pm
This May, step into spring with us for a free evening enjoying our medicinal garden and museum with expert tours and a special display of botanical books.
Plants and potions: children’s workshop
28 May | 10.30am–12.30pm
Create your own pomander, explore the plants of the RCP medicinal garden, get hands-on with medical history, and more in this creative half-term workshop. Tickets are £12 per child, adults go free.
Applications are now open for the Dwyer-Hart RCP medical research grant, supporting high-impact translational research that bridges laboratory science and real-world patient care.
Funded by the Dwyer-Hart Medical Research CIO, this prestigious project grant award offers up to £60,000 to support a 12-month research project led by mid- to advanced-level clinical researchers based at UK institutions.
- Duration: 12 months, full-time.
- Eligibility: RCP members / fellows based at UK institution.
- Applications close: Sunday 7 June 2026 at 11.59pm.
Find out more and apply today.
The 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 12pm on 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.
Applications are invited for the Lewis Thomas Gibbon Jenkins of Briton Ferry Fellowship.
This award was established in honour of the late Nancy Crawshaw to provide money for the promotion of medical research within Wales. Monies from the trust fund can be provided for travelling bursaries, with an emphasis on training for research linked with Wales, or for research into any aspect of physical disease prevalent in, but not necessarily exclusive, to Wales.
Up to £40,000 per annum is available, to be paid over a maximum of 2 years.
Applications are open to resident doctors up to and including ST6, or at least one year pre-CCT at the commencement of the fellowship. Applicants must also be subscribing members of the RCP prior to the start of the fellowship.
Please email your application form, CV and supporting papers to the development officer at fundingandawards@rcp.ac.uk by Thursday 30 April 2026.
Join us at the RCP annual conference, Medicine 2026, a 2-day event dedicated to exploring the three transformative shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future.
- From hospital to community – the neighbourhood health service
- From analogue to digital – the digital revolution in care delivery
- From sickness to prevention – healthier, longer lives for everyone
Wednesday 13 – Thursday 14 May 2026 at the RCP at Regent’s Park and online.
What to expect
- Keynotes and discussions: dive into the future of AI and neighbourhood health and hear from Professor Ben Goldacre MBE, renowned for his work on evidence-based medicine and data-driven healthcare.
- Specialty and policy updates: stay informed on the latest developments shaping clinical practice and health policy. Expert speakers from across the UK and around the world will deliver vital clinical updates across various specialties including acute medicine, cardiology and neurology.
Medicine 2026 is open to doctors of all career stages and specialties and will be CPD-accredited.
Clinical Medicine is among the top 15% of general medical publications worldwide. By publishing open access with Clinical Medicine, you can:
- expand your reach
- amplify your visibility
- connect with collaborators across the globe
- contribute to high-quality educational resources supporting clinical practice.
As an RCP member you can publish in the journal for free. That’s a saving of up to £1,850 per article (depending on exchange rate).
Join our many members who have published original research for free, including RCP fellow Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, who told us how the fee waiver has benefited her:
‘Clinical Medicine processed our paper promptly and we were delighted to discover that we were exempt from the publication fee because we were members and fellows of the RCP. This was a significant benefit at a time when our grant had run dry. The paper has been highly accessed and widely cited.’
Deceased fellows
Munk’s Roll is the RCP’s collection of biographies of deceased fellows, published online as Inspiring Physicians. To write an obituary or notify the RCP of the death of a fellow, email munksroll@rcp.ac.uk.
Over the period of 8 February – 16 April 2026 the RCP was informed of the deaths of the following fellows:
- Alok Kumar Deb
- Noel Connolly
- Jerzy Jacek Misiewicz
- Graham John Thorpe
- Arthur Sydney Edward Fowle
- Richard Frank Gunstone
- John Battersby Wood
- Lateef Akinola Salako
- Michael Harry Snow
- Ian Arthur Dennis Bouchier
- Hugo Roger Baillie-Johnson
- David John Walker
- Reinhard Ziegler
