The RCP has thanked members, fellows and staff across the UK and internationally for their input into the development of its new strategy, due to launch in 2026.

Over the past 6 months, thousands of physicians have shared their views through surveys, focus groups, regional visits and committee discussions, helping to shape the college’s direction for the years ahead. The RCP’s next strategy will build on the achievements of recent years, while responding to a rapidly changing health and care landscape.

‘We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to these conversations so far,’ said RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel. ‘Your insights, experiences and ideas are vital in shaping a strategy that truly reflects our members’ priorities and the realities of modern medicine. We want this strategy to be rooted in the values of our community – collegiate, evidence-based and forward-looking.’

Over the summer, the college consulted internally with hundreds of RCP Council, committee, network and advisory group members. Our online all-member survey of 40,000 fellows and members closed on 12 November and will directly inform the first draft of the strategy, which will be shared with Council and key RCP committees over the winter.

Early feedback has highlighted the importance of education, voice and community as the college’s enduring strengths. Members have called for the RCP to continue setting high standards in education and training, to be a strong and influential voice for physicians and patients, and to foster a more connected professional community – across career stages, specialties and nations.

Physicians have also emphasised key challenges that the strategy must address, including workforce pressures, wellbeing, digital transformation, the growing importance of generalist medicine, and the need to value diversity and inclusion in every aspect of college life.

‘The next strategy is about strengthening the RCP’s role as a modern, diverse and inclusive college,’ added Mumtazl. ‘We want to support physicians to deliver excellent care, wherever they work. We will continue listening as we refine our vision and priorities over the coming months.’

The new strategy will be launched in spring 2026.

Fellows and members can stay involved by attending upcoming Meet the president events, responding to our membership surveys or sharing ideas directly with comms@rcp.ac.uk.

The RCP has hosted its first global Meet your president conversation, bringing together fellows, members and international advisers from across the world to share ideas, ask questions and shape the future direction of the RCP.

Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president, stated: ‘We are here to support you. We want to build meaningful connections, amplify your voice and work together to modernise the RCP while respecting our heritage. As we develop our new strategy, our focus is clear: we will support physicians worldwide, champion excellence in healthcare and ensure that the RCP reflects the diversity and passion of our global membership.’

Find out more about the event and future events on the RCP website. 

The RCP has worked closely with fellows and members to shape our response to the NHS England 10 Year Workforce Plan (10YWP).

Through focus groups, surveys, regional visits, webinars and committee discussions, we’ve gathered first-hand insights from doctors at every stage of their careers to ensure the physician voice is front and centre of national workforce planning.

We’ve engaged directly with over 200 fellows and members in the past 6 weeks, running four facilitated focus groups with RCP Council and committee members and sending out an all-member survey asking for case studies and examples of good practice on the ‘three shifts’.

When the 10YWP was first announced, members told us they welcomed a long-term approach – but that the plan needed to go further on postgraduate training reform, retention and the balance between service and education. Since then, hundreds of physicians have contributed their views through our 'Focus on physicians' survey, the next generation of physicians campaign, and trust visits led by our president, Professor Mumtaz Patel.

Doctors have shared powerful testimony about what’s driving workforce pressures: rota gaps, corridor care, lack of supervision time and unsustainable workloads. Consultants have told us they are worried about early retirement and the loss of experienced educators. Resident doctors have described bottlenecks, burnout and limited flexibility in training. SAS and locally employed doctors have highlighted the need for clear progression routes and equitable access to development opportunities. These conversations have directly informed our recommendations to government and NHS England. We’ve called for the government to:

• invest in the medical workforce to deliver excellent patient care, with sufficient funding, infrastructure, and support for educators, supervisors and trainers
• expand medical education and training capacity, including a clear, costed plan to increase medical school and specialty training places in line with independently verified workforce modelling
• reform postgraduate medical training to ensure fair, flexible and sustainable pathways that reduce competition ratios and strengthen generalist and specialist skills
• engage meaningfully with doctors and royal colleges in the design, testing and implementation of the 10YWP, ensuring that assumptions are realistic and the workforce is fully involved
• deliver a transparent, regularly refreshed and evidence-based implementation plan that incorporates National Audit Office recommendations, recognises system capacity limits, and revises unrealistic physician assistant expansion targets.

Our response reflects what members have told us matters most: creating the conditions for excellent patient care by supporting the people who deliver it. Thank you to every member and fellow who has shared their experiences and ideas.

Your insights continue to shape how we advocate for a workforce plan that truly works for physicians – and for patients.

RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel received the President's Award for Professional Excellence at this year’s British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) conference at the end of November.

Upon receiving the award, she said:

‘I am honoured to receive the BAPIO President’s Award for Professional Excellence. As a community, physicians of Indian origin have made a profound contribution to the NHS and I am proud to be part of that tradition. This award reflects the support of colleagues and mentors throughout my career. I hope this award inspires others in our community to continue striving for excellence in patient care, medical leadership and innovation.’

She discusses the award in her Commentary opening column for December 2025. 

The RCP has published the full results of its national next generation survey, revealing widespread burnout, frustration and disillusionment among resident doctors across the UK.

Drawing on responses from over 1,000 resident doctors, the survey paints a stark picture of postgraduate medical training under pressure. Only one in four (26%) feel ready for the next step in their career, and fewer than one in five (17%) believe recruitment processes are fair. Most (72%) say insufficient staffing and rota gaps have the greatest negative impact on their training and wellbeing, followed by heavy workloads (66%) and poor IT systems (59%).

The findings were published a week before the NHS England medical training review diagnostic report in October. The RCP warns that without urgent action to improve training structures and working conditions, the NHS risks losing a generation of talented doctors who feel ‘undervalued, exhausted and unable to develop the skills needed for safe consultant practice.’

Resident doctors described a culture where service delivery consistently outweighs education. ‘It feels like a constant battle just to get any meaningful training,’ said one respondent. ‘I don’t feel like I’m progressing – I’m just a number on a rota.’

‘Operational fixes alone are not enough,’ explained Dr Hatty Douthwaite, former deputy chair of the RCP Resident Doctor Committee (RDC). ‘Resident doctors have been clear about what is broken – unfair recruitment, relentless workloads and a system that too often sidelines their learning.’

The RCP’s next generation campaign sets out ten priorities for reform, including fair and transparent recruitment, flexible rotations, guaranteed protected learning time and national standards for supervision. It also calls for better digital and leadership training, safer workplaces and long-term workforce planning to expand medical training places.

Reflecting on the survey results, Dr Catherine Rowan and Dr Stephen Joseph, co-chairs of the RDC, said, ‘postgraduate training must urgently adapt if we are to train and retain the next generation of physicians. The review offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get this right.’

Read our follow-up think piece from Dr Hatty Douthwaite or more about the RCP next generation campaign – including a Commentary feature.