We hold elections to decide RCP clinical leaders and other key role holders. Please see the current opportunities, arrangements and supporting documents below.
Election arrangements 2026Nominations now open for RCP elections 2026
Nominations are now open for the roles of senior censor/education and training vice president (VPET), vice president for Wales (VPW) and elected councillors (x4).
The nomination period runs from 4 December 2025 to 6 January 2026.
RCP Council supports an uncontested presidential election in 2026, recommending that Professor Mumtaz Patel be nominated to continue to serving as president. This is with the expectation that her term of office is 4 years, ending in September 2029. Please read the statement from Council in support of Professor Patel’s candidature, which forms part of the nomination form.
Find out more
Find out more about the roles, including specifics of the nomination process by clicking the panels below.
Council wishes to emphasise that the nomination period is confidential.
The RCP will announce the lists of candidates in each election in line with the timetable below. The public announcement should be the first notification to the electorate of who is standing.
Election timeline
- 4 December 2025 Nominations open
- 6 January 2026 Nominations close
- 28 January 2026 Council to review nominations received and inform nominees of eligibility to stand.
- 6 February 2026 Deadline for submission of election material to the RCP by candidates.
- 16 February 2026 (provisional date) Public announcement of candidates in all elections – including access to candidates’ 500-word statement and photograph on the RCP website. Candidates and their supporters are prohibited from beginning canvassing before the announcement is made by the RCP.
- 2 March 2026 Voting opens, Civica Election Services (CES) to send voting invitation emails to all eligible voters. CES voting platform to include all candidate submitted election material.
- 30 March 2026 (College Day) Online voting closes at midday in all elections.
- 30/31 March 2026 Public announcement of election results
- ASAP after results Successful vice president candidates to take up office with a tenure until 31 July 2029. Council has approved a short extension to the usual 3-year tenure for these roles to cover business need and return elections to the recognised annual timetable.
- 1 August 2026 Successful councillor candidates to take up office with a tenure until 31 July 2029.
