The Royal College of Physicians (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).
As part of the RCP’s commitment to transparency, summaries of open session Council discussions are published online following each meeting.
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President’s update
RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel updated Council on key developments since the previous meeting, including the Medical Training Prioritisation Act, which has now received royal assent. This legislation will prioritise UK medical graduates for postgraduate training places from 2026 and will be extended from 2027 to doctors with significant NHS experience.
The RCP has welcomed action to address unsustainable competition ratios, while emphasising the importance of clarity around the definition of NHS experience and the need to support international medical graduates (IMGs) already working in the NHS. The RCP continues to engage with government, NHS England and other stakeholders on next steps.
Council also received an update on phase two of the postgraduate Medical Training Review, now underway and chaired by Professor Jane Dacre. The review’s scope and terms of reference have been agreed and the RCP is gathering evidence to inform its submission through a series of internal focus groups with members of Council, committees and specialist society representatives. These will cover training delivery and flexibility, educator roles and generalism, and career progression and clinical academic pathways. Outputs from these sessions are being fed directly into the national review.
Council welcomed NHS England’s publication of a data definition for corridor care and a commitment to national monthly reporting from May. Members emphasised that consistent national data is an important step and stressed the need to link reporting to meaningful action to eliminate unsafe temporary care environments. The NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan is expected later this spring.
Council heard that the RCP has issued a statement in response to the Middle East conflict. International exams and events continue to be reviewed on a week‑by‑week basis in line with Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, with some upcoming sittings cancelled and others under review. The RCP has also engaged with military medicine colleagues, alongside wider Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and NHS discussions, on preparedness from a medical perspective.
Council also heard about recent membership engagement through college visits, regional Update in medicine conferences and our series of ‘Meet your president’ online engagement sessions, which will continue throughout the year.
- RCP hosts Meet your president session for IMT doctors
- RCP hosts Meet your president session for specialty registrars
- RCP president visits Queen’s Hospital in Romford
- RCP calls for urgent action to support Northern Ireland’s overstretched physician workforce
Progress was noted on exam governance, including plans to move to in centre delivery for some specialty exams from June. Governance matters, including the transition of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine to independent college status, were also discussed.
The president’s update concluded with an update on preparations for the RCP annual conference, Medicine 2026, which will take place on 13–14 May 2026.
Developing the RCP strategy
Council discussed the draft RCP strategy. Council discussed the need for a clear delivery plan, including priorities, timelines and measures of success, to ensure that strategic ambition translates into real world impact for physicians and patients.
The new strategic priorities will be launched during the president’s address at College Day on 30 March, ahead of the full strategy launch at Medicine 2026.
Policy priorities: a refreshed approach
Council reviewed feedback from a recent member survey on policy priorities, structured around three pillars: workforce, clinical transformation and public health and prevention. Workforce emerged as the highest ranked priority, followed by clinical transformation and public health. Policy priorities will be reviewed annually to ensure they remain responsive to emerging challenges.
Working with NICE: evidence, guidance and implementation
Council welcomed Professor Jonathan Benger, chief executive officer of NICE for a discussion about evidence based guidance and implementation. Professor Benger outlined NICE’s work to improve the speed, relevance and accessibility of guidance, including increased use of real world evidence, investment in digital platforms and closer alignment across medicines, health technologies and clinical guidelines. He highlighted NICE’s role in the NHS 10 Year Plan, modern service frameworks and work to reduce unwarranted variation in access to health technologies.
About RCP Council
RCP Council meets six times a year to debate, develop and approve policy on professional and clinical matters. Council met most recently on 25 March 2026.
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