‘We are moving in the right direction’: RCP publishes summary of November 2025 Council meeting

Since July 2025 and in a move to increase transparency, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has begun publishing open summaries of its Council discussions within a week of each meeting.

RCP Council meets six times a year to debate, develop and approve policy on professional and clinical matters. Council met most recently on 18 November 2025.

President’s update

RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel provided Council with a verbal update on key activities.

First, she highlighted that fellows have voted in favour of extending voting rights to collegiate members in elections for councillors and vice presidents. An even higher percentage of voters supported the RCP exploring legislative change to extend voting rights and other rules about how and when the president is elected. Further modernisation proposals will return to Council in 2026.

Council also heard about significant progress with the RCP next generation campaign. In October, NHS England published the phase 1 diagnostic report of the national medical training review. Many of the recommendations echo the priorities set out in the RCP next gen top 10 briefing, which was informed by the results of our 2025 national resident doctor survey.

‘It was fantastic that the top 10 priorities we identified for the next gen campaign were very much aligned with the recommendations of the review. This a real opportunity to change the narrative and improve medical training for the better,’ Professor Patel explained.

She also confirmed that the RCP is already engaging with phase 2 of the medical training review. Professor Sheona MacLeod, NHS England director of education and training, will attend the January meeting of the RCP next generation oversight group to discuss next steps.

Professor Patel updated Council on the RCP’s work to influence the 10 Year Workforce Plan for England. During October, the college ran four internal focus groups with Council and committee members and gathered evidence through an all-member survey.

Senior officers have also attended party political conferences, taken part in national roundtables and given evidence to various parliamentary inquiries and select committees, including on assisted dying.

Professor Patel also described the RCP’s continued advocacy on corridor care, highlighting updated guidance to support physicians delivering care in temporary environments, and told Council that she had met NHS England chief executive Jim Mackey to push for the publication of accurate national data ‘to ensure we do not normalise unsafe temporary care environments’.

‘While we have called on the government to eliminate corridor care, with transparent data published all year round, we recognise it has become a daily reality for many patients. Our updated guidance offers practical support to clinicians,’ she said.

Professor Patel thanked Council members for their input into regional visits, Meet the president events and Med+ 2025, describing the conference as ‘a huge success’ with record in-person and online attendance. Membership engagement continues to be a key priority for the college. 

Developing the new RCP strategy

Professor Patel provided a high-level overview of the RCP’s consultation on its new strategy, which has included membership surveys, internal and external stakeholder interviews, regional engagement and dedicated committee discussions. Over 2,500 members and fellows responded to an all-member survey. Council will next meet in December to discuss these findings in depth.

‘Education and career development for all physicians continue to be at the heart of our mission,’ she told Council. ‘Over the past 18 months, we have been focused on reestablishing trust and credibility with our members, but I recognise there is always more to do. We want to strengthen our sense of community and give physicians a professional home where they feel they belong.’  

‘As president, I want to amplify your voice – ensuring it is heard by wider stakeholders and translated into meaningful action that benefits colleagues on the ground. Initiatives like the next generation campaign and our advocacy on corridor care are examples of how we are working to close the loop between discussion and real-world impact.’  

Delivering MRCP(UK) exams and related RCP activities across the world

Global vice president Dr Emma Vaux presented a detailed paper on the ethical, professional and practical considerations of delivering MRCP(UK) examinations globally and other related RCP activities.

‘This framework gives the RCP a clear audit trail of how we reach decisions. It helps to ensure that our international engagement is thoughtful, consistent and aligned with our values,’ she explained. ‘We need a mechanism to revisit those decisions as contexts change.’

The proposed mechanism will guide conditional engagement where systemic human rights risks exist, while preserving equitable access for members, while an internal decision tool will support consistency. Council reaffirmed the RCP’s commitment to maintaining rigorous standards wherever MRCP(UK) exams are delivered.

Election 2026

Council approved arrangements for the 2026 elections and a short (exceptional) extension to the tenure of the vice president for education and training and vice president for Wales, to cover business needs and align with the normal electoral cycle.

Social media policy

An updated social media policy was presented to Council. This has been extended to cover staff, volunteers and election candidates. The new policy is intended to provide clearer guidance on safeguarding confidentiality, preventing conflicts of interest and maintaining professional standards.

Tackling health inequalities through parliamentary engagement

Council discussed a proposal to launch a new all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on health inequalities.

‘We now need to move to a new phase in our campaign to tackle social determinants of health. An APPG would give us a foothold in parliament, allowing us to push our agenda and build relationships with MPs.’

Council members welcomed the continued focus on tackling health inequalities, saying ‘prevention is vital for improving patient outcomes’. The RCP will now consult with Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) member organisations on how best to move forward while seeking to establish a new APPG. 

Looking ahead

Closing the meeting, Professor Patel thanked Council members:

‘There is always more to do – but we are moving in the right direction. Being at the table matters. Thank you all for what you are doing to help drive meaningful change.’

Full Council meeting minutes (open section) will be published in the member-only section of the RCP website once they are approved at the following meeting. 

For more information, please contact council@rcp.ac.uk.