Since the last edition of Commentary in June, 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.
Booking is now open for in person attendance by fellows at the AGM with options to also attend the Lady Estelle Wolfson lecture and fellows dinner. Please visit the website to make bookings and for further information on arrangements – including online access and how to raise advance questions.
The Lady Estelle Wolfson lecture is free and online access is open to all. If you have colleagues, family or friends interested in attending, please direct them to book their place online.
- RCP Council has agreed that a post-AGM online ballot of eligible fellows will consider whether collegiate members should be able to vote in college elections, and whether the restrictions that limit how and when the RCP president is elected should be further explored. This follows consultation earlier in the year on these elements of constitutional review. The AGM papers, once finalised, will include the detailed proposals for change. If you are eligible, please vote when the time comes
- A review, commissioned by the Board of Trustees, is being carried out by the Global Governance Institute Development and Research (GGI). It will focus on the effectiveness of the trustee board, its relationship and interactions with RCP Council, culture and conduct, governance structures, decision-making and oversight, and strategic alignment of the board and Council. Find out more and how to submit your views online.
- The review was commissioned in line with the recommendations of The King’s Fund (TKF) independent learning review. The TKF action plan update for July is available on our website.
- Dr Hilary Williams and Dr Emma Vaux recently took up posts as clinical vice president (CVP) and global vice president (GVP), respectively. The RCP wishes to place on record its sincere thanks to Dr John Dean, the previous CVP, and Dr Omar Mustafa, the previous GVP.
Dr Hilary Williams
- Following a recent recruitment process, the RCP is delighted to welcome Dr Alex Crowe, Dr Sarah Gladdish and Dr Elaine Hui as new censors, from 1 August 2025. Thanks are due to the recently demitted censors Dr Ruth Law, Dr Rajaratnam Mathialagan and Dr Jo Sykes.
- We are proud to announce the appointment of two new associate global directors. Professor Hariharan Iyer has been appointed as associate global director for the Americas, and Dr Mohamed Bakhit as associate global director for the Middle East and North Africa. Both started their new roles on 1 August 2025.
- Arrangements for the next election cycle are currently being reviewed by Council. Eligible fellows are encouraged to consider the key roles of senior censor / vice president for education and training (VPET), vice president for Wales (VPW) and elected councillors when nominations open later this year in Q4. Depending on the outcome of the post-AGM ballot, collegiate members may be able to vote in these elections for the first time.
- Arrangements for the annual election of the president will also be communicated in Q4, culminating in the special general meeting of fellows for the election of the president / College Day to be held on Monday 30 March 2026 – in line with the requirements of Section 6 of the Medical Act 1860.
Get involved with the RCP
Our officer, committee and other clinical volunteer roles are an ideal opportunity to support the RCP. From becoming a PACES examiner to becoming a member of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine, why not add something new to your CV? Visit our website to see the latest opportunities.
Applications are invited for the role of deputy medical director for invited reviews, to start from 1 December 2025.
The deputy medical director for invited reviews (IRs) is appointed by the RCP to support the current medical director for IRs in delivering this high-quality service. The Invited Reviews service provides an opportunity for healthcare organisations to deal with issues and concerns at an early stage before serious concerns arise.
The deputy medical director ensure that IRs are delivered in a timely way to healthcare organisations and chairs some of the invited reviews. For further information, please see the RCP website or contact Jazz Sidhu, head of invited reviews.
Deadline for applications is 14 September 2025. Applications should be submitted to invited.reviews@rcp.ac.uk.
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.
New guidance from the RCP, published at the end of July 2025, advocates for a more balanced, flexible and realistic approach to job planning that will protect patient safety and improve workforce retention. Download the guidance on our website.
The RCP has also published the first set of findings from the 2025 Focus on physicians survey, which ran between 12 March and 2 June 2025. You can find out the initial results on our website.
The RCP is proud to announce the winners of the Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2025.
Following a short break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCP’s flagship awards ceremony returned in 2025 to recognise and celebrate the ground-breaking work of our fellows and members in medical education, quality improvement and clinical research.
You can read more about the winners in this edition of Commentary.
A new report from the RCP has highlighted the growing evidence about the increased range of health impacts linked to toxic air even at low concentrations, urging government to act on air pollution as a serious and preventable public health threat.
In this edition of Commentary, we spoke to Professor Sir Stephen Holgate about the contents of the report.
The RCP launched a new toolkit – Time to focus on the blue dots – which calls for a fundamental shift in how the NHS delivers care.
Rather than designing services around buildings, the RCP is urging policymakers, clinicians and system leaders to focus on what truly matters to patients: personalised, integrated and compassionate care rooted in relationships and delivered as close to home as possible. Read more about the toolkit on the RCP website.
In the last few months, the RCP has responded to several announcements, reports and publications, including;
- the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England, welcoming commitments to expand specialist training places, improve the NHS working environment and tackle ill health through action on tobacco and obesity, while warning that investment in workforce, education and infrastructure will be needed to deliver the plan
- the publication of Professor Gillian Leng’s independent review into the roles of physician associates and anaesthesia associates, welcoming a focus on national consistency and clarity of role. The RCP has also adopted the nomenclature ‘physician assistant’, following the recommendations of the Leng Review
- the passing of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading
- government plans to reduce health inequalities
- the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change's Building a climate-resilient health system in the UK report
Upcoming opportunities
Learn more about our conferences, competitions and opportunities for publications.
We are thrilled to announce that the Med+ abstract competition is back!
Med+ 2025 will take place on 11–12 November at the RCP at Regent’s Park and online.
The abstract competition is one of the highlights of our conference, offering resident doctors and students the opportunity to showcase their research to healthcare professionals from around the world.
Be in with the chance of winning cash prizes, free conference tickets and certificates! Don't miss out, submissions close on 2 September 2025. Apply online.
On 27–30 August 2025, the ECSACOP will host its 10th annual ECSACOP scientific conference in Mombasa, Kenya. The theme will be ‘Fostering regional partnerships for health innovation and research in Africa’.
Dr Phil Gothard, RCP associate global director for sub-Saharan Africa and Dr Mumtaz Patel, PRCP will be attending to participate in the ECSACOP examinations, conference programme, graduation ceremony and annual general meeting.
Register now online.
We’re proud to announce that the RCP’s peer-reviewed journal Clinical Medicine’s impact factor has risen from 3.6 to 3.9; it is now 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.’
Fundamentals of self-leadership for doctors
This interactive 1-day workshop aims to empower you to recognise and cultivate your medical leadership potential. Through facilitated interactive discussions and practical activities, the workshop will help you to explore your personal leadership style and how to develop as an authentic leader. 5 CPD credits.
Fundamentals of leading others for doctors
This workshop is designed to empower you with the essential organisational leadership skills needed to navigate complex healthcare systems, advocate for your team – and champion equality, diversity and inclusion. 5 CPD credits.
Developing yourself as a senior medical leader
This q-day workshop seeks to empower you as an experienced medical leader and to support you in refining your leadership approach as you transition into senior leadership roles, focusing on self-reflection and personalised development. 5 CPD credits.
Leading teams and cultures in senior medical roles
This intensive q-day workshop will equip you as an experienced medical leader with the skills to cultivate inclusive workplace cultures within diverse healthcare teams. 5 CPD credits.
RCP Educational Supervisor workshop and accreditation
The RCP's educational supervisor workshop and accreditation has been developed to meet the latest General Medical Council (GMC) standards and give formal recognition to those with an explicit supervision role.
This course is suitable for doctors who are supervising trainees of any grade and specialty, or for those who are soon to become educational supervisors. 10 CPD credit.
RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel will host a special lunchtime networking forum on Monday 6 October to celebrate the SAS doctor community.
How could the RCP better support and advocate for SAS doctors in medicine? Share your views, ask questions and help shape the strategy and direction of the RCP. Open to all SAS doctors working in the UK – register your attendance.
RCP Global is proud to organise the Jeelani Drabu Palliative Care Programme, consisting of two free palliative care courses for physicians and nurses in Pakistan and in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
In-person course in Karachi
The first, a 5-day residential course, will be held on 24–28 November 2025 in Karachi. Not only is the course free of charge, but there will also be free board and lodgings – and participants from outside of Karachi can apply for a travel bursary.
Applications for this course are open until 24 August 2025.
Online course in Jammu and Kashmir
The second event is a 3-month online course, available to care workers who reside in the Jammu and Kashmir region. The course is accessible any time but will need to be completed within the 3-month timeframe. It will run from 3 November 2025 until 30 January 2026, with the final examination taking place in late February 2026.
Care workers interested in the course can apply from 17 July–3 October.
Physicians residing in Pakistan or Jammu and Kashmir and who are interested in increasing their knowledge on palliative care can find more information on our event page.
Funding and awards
Learn more about our opportunities for funding and awards that RCP members can apply for.
Made possible by a generous bequest from Dorothy Whitney-Wood, the scholarship offers up to £50,000 for research in all areas of medicine and healthcare, with a particular emphasis on work concerning cancer.
Named after the RCP's first president, Thomas Linacre, the lectureship offers RCP members aged under 40 the opportunity to present on an original piece of unpublished work suitable for a general audience.
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.
Here are the deaths reported covering the period 18 June – 9 August 2025:
- Alison Mary Brind
- Mary Katherine Martin Lindsay
- Alan Richard Haste
- Robert Leslie Bown
- Robert Campbell Heading
- Cecil Chin Hin Chew
- Paul Hughes
- Brian Livesley
- David Nunes Nabarro
- Wilson Macaulay Wallace
