I am pleased to welcome Professor Ollie Minton as Commentary’s new clinical editor. He’ll be leading a Commentary advisory group, which will look at planning interesting and exciting content for our readers over the year.

The RCP is also delighted to welcome our new CEO who started his role in January; Jonathan Brüün. It has been lovely to work with him so far, and you can read all about his vision for the RCP in his Commentary interview with Ollie.

This edition looks forward to some upcoming events, like the 2026 Excellence in Patient Care Awards – with some advice on what you’d need to put together an application – and the Chief Registrar Programme.

This edition of Commentary also includes a piece on the Peers' breakfast held in December where I spoke to members of the House of Lords about our members reporting seeing increasing impacts of the social determinants of health. Huge thanks to our special advisers, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate who gave a short talk on air quality, Dr Kath McCullough on obesity and Professor Sanjay Agrawal on tobacco and vaping harm.

Dr Alexis Paton, chair of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine, medical sociologist and bioethicist, also explores the social determinants of health in her interview about her new book on the topic. I read her book before it was published at the end of 2025 and really appreciated the in-depth exploration of the vital links between health, society, politics and economic status – all of which she touches upon in her interview.

I also enjoyed hearing from my RCP colleagues, Dr Omar Mustafa and Dr Ben Chadwick, in their joint interview about the registrar and deputy registrar roles. They look back on 2025 and offer some insight into the RCP’s work. Two other articles touch on completely different areas of RCP work – looking at how to improve fracture care and the history and purpose of Munk’s Roll.

Finally, looking globally, we have an interview with two resident doctors who took part in an international exchange fellowship between the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Physicians and the British Infection Association which has been a fantastic initiative. It sounds like an amazing experience. In another article, a displaced doctor shares how support and mentorship have helped him find his feet in the NHS.

As we head into 2026, I would encourage you all to fill in the publications survey which will help us make sure that the RCP journals and Commentary magazine continue to feel useful, interesting and relevant to you. Thank you all for your continued support for the college.