A new report sums up a year of tangible change and progress at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). A year of transformation outlines how we responded to an independent learning review conducted by The King’s Fund.
The learning review identified four key areas for improvement and provided a roadmap of recommendations. We accepted the recommendations in full and developed an action plan, which mapped 14 actions to the four main themes and set ourselves the goal of completing the majority of the work by the end of 2025.
This short report summarises our progress, highlighting our achievements to date and the work that still lies ahead to drive positive change at the RCP. Our journey has been one of reflection, collaboration and action.
Notable milestones include the introduction of voting rights for collegiate members in the election of college leadership, commissioning the Good Governance Institute to carry out an independent governance review, and the development of a new policy to create cultural alignment among staff and volunteers. We also improved member engagement in our communications processes.
The new leadership of the RCP over the last year (president, chair of our Board of Trustees and chief executive) will continue to play a pivotal role in steering the college through a period of transformation and renewal.
RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel said, ‘Looking ahead, the lessons we’ve learned and the progress we’ve made will be central to shaping our new RCP strategy for 2026–29. I am confident that, by continuing to work together, we will create a stronger, more inclusive and responsive college for the future.’
The King’s Fund independent learning review provided a valuable opportunity for the RCP to consider current practices and identify ways to better serve our members, fellows and the wider healthcare community. Many initiatives are now embedded into regular business practices, supported by ongoing review and feedback mechanisms.
Looking to the future, the report concludes with a commitment to maintain momentum, ensuring that the RCP continues to sustain and build on these changes to deliver lasting improvements for our members, fellows, officers and staff.