Indian-origin Dr Mumtaz Patel elected President of Royal College of Physicians
New Delhi: An Indian-origin Dr Mumtaz Patel has been elected as the 123rd president of the UK's Royal College of Physicians, pledging to modernise the institution and reaffirm its role as the leading voice for its members.
Dr Patel is a consultant nephrologist based in Manchester. She is currently RCP senior censor and vice president for education and training, and has been acting as president since June 2024. Before being elected as senior censor, she was global vice president and has held various educational roles, including training programme director and RCP regional adviser.
She is an NHS England postgraduate associate dean in the north-west and has established a strong track record in education, training, assessment, and research. She has designed and delivered several educational and leadership courses in the UK and internationally and is actively involved in assessment as an experienced PACES examiner.
The RCP president is chair of the RCP Council and a member of the Board of Trustees. The president is elected for a recommended 4-year term, commencing as soon as possible after 14 April 2025. RCP Council will decide whether to support the incumbent president in each annual election. However, annual challenge remains a possibility. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a professional membership body with 40,000 members in the UK and around the world working to improve patient care and reduce illness. The activities focus on educating, improving, and influencing for better health and care.
Voting was open between 17 March and 14 April 2025. The election was supported independently by Civica Election Services and conducted using the single transferable vote electoral system. 5151 votes were cast for president, with a turnout of 36.3% across RCP elections 2025. This is the highest turnout in RCP elections since the presidential election in 2002. Dr Patel received 2239 votes with a margin of 682 votes over the next-placed candidate.
Dr Mumtaz Patel said, “As president, I will lead the RCP to be the best organisation it can be, supporting our members throughout every career stage to deliver the best possible healthcare for our patients. I will bring passion, commitment, vision, a values-driven approach, and more than 20 years of RCP experience to the role.”
Dr Diana Walford CBE, chair of the RCP Board of Trustees, said, “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I warmly congratulate Dr Mumtaz Patel on becoming the next president of the RCP. Dr Patel takes on this vital role following a challenging period for the college, and I am confident in her ability to lead with integrity, rebuild trust among our members, and restore the lustre to this illustrious college. I look forward to working with Dr Patel in this important next chapter in the RCP’s long history.”
Dr Anthony Martinelli and Dr Catherine Rowan, co-chairs of the RCP Resident Doctor Committee, said, “The Resident Doctor Committee is pleased to congratulate Dr Patel on her election. We look forward to working with her to improve conditions, support, and career prospects for early career doctors.” “Together, we can ensure that the next generation of physicians is empowered, valued, and equipped to thrive in a changing healthcare landscape. Last week, the Resident Doctor Committee launched the 2025 RCP Next Generation Survey. The national survey, inviting resident doctors to share their experiences of working and training in the NHS, will run from 9 April to 5 May 2025 and is open to all resident doctors working in a UK clinical setting,” they added.
