How we are governed

The Chair of Council is the lead Officer of Council and has responsibility for all matters relating to policy and strategy for the GP profession and for leading Council which is the most senior membership and professional body in College.

Main responsibilities

General

1. To uphold the aims, objectives and values of the College and act in its best interests and enhance its reputation as a respected professional and academic body for GPs.

Professional / Academic

1. To ensure the College promulgates clear views on the professional / academic issues of the day.
2. To maintain appropriate contact with other professional/ academic institutions and Primary Care stakeholders.
3. With the President, to sign all Membership and Fellowship certificates.

Political

1. To ensure a clear direction for Council policies.
2. To represent and guide the views of the Council.
3. To ensure appropriate representation of the College at all policy-making meetings and discussions.
4. To speak on College policy matters for the College to the press and media, and to approve all press communications.
5. To ensure appropriate relations are maintained with the GMC, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Departments of Health in the countries of the UK, the GPC and other GP / Primary Care organisations and institutions of the UK.
6. When engaging in political debate, to ensure that the College remains strictly neutral in its dealings with the political parties, in line with the Charity Commission’s guidelines.

Governance

1. To be an ex officio member of the Trustee Board and ensure that all those to whom the Council delegates its responsibilities are working to the objectives and programmes set, to agreed timescales and targets.
2. To ensure maximum engagement with all members and Faculties in furthering the College’s aims.
3. In conjunction with the Honorary Secretary, to approve all items for the Council agenda, and for other meetings which he or she chairs.
4. To chair the Council effectively to ensure time is spent on issues which only the Council can and should decide.
5. To lead and develop the College Officer team.
6. To provide advice and support to the Council, Trustee Board and Devolved Council / other Committee Chairs.
7. To ensure that all necessary follow-up action is taken on the resolutions agreed by the Council at its meetings.
8. To ensure that the Council is kept informed of the achievement and delivery of its decisions and policy priorities.
9. To be an approved signatory for the College.

Current role-holder: Kamila Hawthorne

The current Chair of council is Professor Kamila Hawthorne. She has been a GP for 34 years, with 27 of them spent working in South Wales. She qualified from Somerville College, Oxford, in 1984, and completed her GP training in Nottingham in 1988. Kamila was Head of the Graduate Entry Medicine Programme at Swansea University and is on the Trustee Boards of the Kings Fund, and Cardiff Women’s Aid. She is also a Bevan Commissioner and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.

Kamila has a deep interest in medical education, and believes that we should be training excellent, caring and inclusive clinicians, for a global society. She is passionate about the role of GPs in patient care and as advocates for patients.

Her research and clinical working interests have been in health inequalities and access to health services, (her MD was based on working with BAME patient groups with Type 2 diabetes in Nottingham, Manchester and Cardiff). With wide experience of general practice and running community projects in diabetes and heart disease, she has been named ‘GP of the Year’ twice and was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to general practice.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is the most senior executive within the RCGP (the College) and is responsible for ensuring the direction and leadership of the RCGP’s corporate activities, the day-to-day operations of the College, and for implementing the organisation’s strategic goals as established by the College Council and the Trustee Board.

Main responsibilities

General

1. Accountable to the Chair of Council and work closely with Council to develop College strategy and report to the Chair of the Trustee Board and work closely with the Trustee Board and Council Officers to facilitate the achievement of College strategy, policy and objectives by ensuring that:

1. Council agrees an overall strategy and appropriate policies
2. all sectors of the College undertake appropriate forward-planning and delivery of agreed objectives
3. the progress of the College in achieving its strategy, policies and objectives is monitored – including review on a periodic basis against key performance indicators agreed with the Chair of Council and Trustee Board
4. the resources of the College are best deployed to achieve the required objectives
5. good communication is promoted and sustained with Officers, Trustees, Council and the wider membership
6. networks are established and sustained, through the Chair of Council and others as appropriate, with appropriate external bodies including the NHS, regulatory bodies, academic partners including other Medical Royal Colleges, the third sector, non-governmental organisations, public and patient organisations, and health organisations in all four countries of the UK.

2. Take lead responsibility, accountable to the Chair of Council, for enabling the College to meet its aims and priorities within agreed College strategy by effective and inclusive internal leadership and management of the organisation by:

1. working closely as a member of the Leadership Team, using initiative and innovation to achieve key strategic internal goals of the organisation
2. providing effective leadership, co-ordination and management to the Executive Management Team and staff taking forward and delivering the strategic aims and organisational objectives
3. ensuring that projects are managed and delivered innovatively and effectively
4. ensuring that College assessments are developed and delivered effectively.

3. Enable the College to fulfil its charitable duties, reporting to the Chair of the Trustee Board, making sure of the proper governance and financial management of the College by ensuring that:

1. the College sets an achievable budget
2. there is effective monitoring of financial performance of the College against budget
3. there are effective arrangements for managing risk (including, but not limited to financial, reputational and strategic risk) at all levels within the College
4. all legal and statutory obligations including those relating to health and safety, employment legislation and data protection are discharged
5. the Trustee Board receives appropriate and timely information and advice on all matters relevant to the discharge of its obligations and statutory responsibilities
6. all elections are properly organised and delivered by acting as Returning Officer
7. joint responsibility is taken, with the Honorary Treasurer, for approving and signing all contracts including all contracts of employment
8. the role of Company Secretary of the College Pension Schemes, RCGP Conferences Ltd and RCGP Enterprises Ltd is discharged effectively.

4. Lead the engagement, wellbeing, inclusion, motivation, efficiency and productivity of staff, also ensuring compliance with all current employment legislation, by ensuring that:

1. the College’s people and resources are engaged and developed to meet the needs of a modern, professional organisation, being sufficiently flexible to adapt rapidly to change and be self-sustaining
2. there is a positive, inclusive culture that embraces the values of the College – Compassion, Inclusivity, Sustainability, Accountability and Integrity – and attracts, motivates, engages, develops and retains high-performing staff
3. leadership, recruitment, management, training and development of staff are directed to achieving the strategy and objectives of the College
4. there is excellent communication with staff across the College, including those in all four nations and Faculties
5. equality, diversity and inclusion are positively and proactively pursued, and all related policies are effectively enacted throughout the organisation
6. all College policies are lawful, relevant, fair and consistently implemented.

5. Support and advise College Officers and lead, direct and support the Executive Management Team (EMT) to ensure the collective leadership of high-quality services for members, by:

1. leading a collaborative, collective culture, encouraging the various parts of the College – Officers, Trustees, EMT, leadership group, staff and more – to work as one organisation, complementing each other towards a common purpose and shared objectives
2. sustaining the breadth and quality of all College products, including education and assessment activities
3. ensuring the further development of services for members which will enhance the quality of general practice and patient care
4. developing and maintaining international relationships, working to deliver the international strategy as agreed by Council, to support the development of primary care and promote the standards of general practice around the world.

6. Enable and supervise the College’s commercial activities, ensuring consistency with the charitable aims of the College, working with the Chair of the Trustee Board and the Trustees, by:

1. developing and implementing a strategy to deliver a significant increase in the commercial business of the College and to continue to maximise its business potential
2. driving innovation and organisation development in line with the risk appetite in given areas identified and agreed by the Trustee Board
3. ensuring that the potential of all properties and facilities owned or run by the College, especially but not limited to the Headquarters building in Euston Square, are fully realised
4. ensuring the risks relating to the HS2 development are assessed and managed.

7. Work with Medical Leads, Officers and EMT to ensure that the RCGP maintains and enhances its role as the quality standards setting body for education and assessment in general practice, by:

1. supporting the professional development of general practice to maintain standards of excellence and promote quality general practice
2. supporting the professional and personal development of GPs through all stages of their careers from training to retirement
3. ensuring continuous improvement in the calibre of clinical care provided in general practice by setting quality standards for education, training, continuing professional development, revalidation and the whole practice environment, and by implementing quality development initiatives
4. encouraging the promotion of general practice as a career to schools, medical students and junior doctors.

Current role-holder: Chris Askew

Chris Askew is the current Chief Executive Officer. He joined the College in October 2023, after eight years as CEO at Diabetes UK.

He was previously Chief Executive at Breakthrough Breast Cancer where he led the charity eventually into a merger to form the new charity Breast Cancer Now.

After working as a shipbroker in the international freight markets, he moved into the charitable sector in 1997. He has subsequently held senior fundraising positions at the charities Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Crisis, and Action for Children.

He is a Trustee of the National Academy for Social Prescribing and the charity Action for A-T.

He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours List for services to people with diabetes.

The Chair of the Trustee Board has lead responsibility for ensuring that appropriate measures and systems are in place for effective governance of the College. They must ensure that the College acts wholly within the remit of its Charter and Charitable Object.

Main responsibilities

Strategic leadership

1. To chair meetings of the Trustee Board to ensure the overall purpose of its role is met.
2. To provide support and advice to the Board and its Sub-Committee Chairs.
3. To ensure that the Board has agreed strategic priorities.
4. To build and maintain close relations between the College’s various constituencies, and stakeholder groups to promote the effective operation of the College.
5. To set the conditions for the overall board and the individual effectiveness of Trustees.
6. To set clear expectations concerning the College’s culture, values, and behaviour, leading the board in ensuring that these are embedded and enforced.
7. To promote the College’s Core Values and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy.

Relationship with, and accountability to, Council/h5>

1. To ensure that any matters raised by Council members and Faculties that fall within the remit of the Trustee Board are dealt with and reported back to Council.
2. To provide an oral report to Council at each of its meetings on the work of the Trustee Board in order to demonstrate that the responsibilities of the College Trustees are being carried out effectively.
3. To maintain and foster a strong working relationship with the Chair of Council in order to work jointly in best interests of the College.
4. To attend General Meetings of the College to answer any matters that may arise concerning the trusteeship of the College.

Governance

1. To operate within the schedule covering the mutual reporting arrangements between the Trustee Board and the Council, as contained in the Trustee Board Regulations.
2. To ensure that oversight and appropriate consultation is undertaken with the Council on College governance issues – including the size and composition of the Council, the structure of Boards and Committees, proposals for amendments to the Charter, Ordinances, Byelaws and Standing Orders, and contacts with the Privy Council Office.
3. To ensure that all actual or potential litigation undertaken by or against the College is managed effectively, ensuring any damage to the College’s reputation is mitigated.

Current role-holder: Mike Holmes

Professor Mike Holmes is the current Chair of the Trustee Board. He has been a GP Partner for over 20 years and works in a large practice caring for almost 100,000 patients across York, Hull and Scarborough.

He chairs a GP owned Provider Organisation in York, bringing together all practices in the city of York caring for a population of 250,000 people and delivering services at scale in conjunction with multisector stakeholders in areas such as Urgent Care, Community Diagnostics and Community Services. He provides the General Practice voice at Place level within his ICS and is part of the ICS Primary Care Collaborative.

Mike has previously served as a Vice Chair (Membership and International) at the Royal College of General Practitioners (2018-21). He contributed to the College’s Health and Wellbeing offer during the pandemic and in particular the offers developed for all those working in Primary Care by NHSE.

He holds a number of other roles. He is an Honorary Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York and a Trustee at St Leonard’s Hospice in York.

He is a member of the remuneration committee.

To reflect the devolved nations of the UK we have councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They provide support by taking forward the aims and objectives of RCGP and help us address the differences in devolved laws and services.

• College ordinances (PDF file, 75 KB)
• RCGP Byelaws (PDF file, 592 KB)
• College standing orders 2023-2024 (PDF file, 668 KB)
• Trustee board regulations (PDF file, 599 KB)

This conflicts of interest policy (PDF file, 359 KB) has been drafted to ensure that all those who work for, with or on behalf of the Royal College of General Practitioners (“RCGP” or the “College”) have guidance on the following:

• Common principles and rules for managing conflicts of interest;
• Advice about what to do in common situations;
• How interests should be approached and managed; and
• Issues and rationale behind the policy.

The College is a diverse organisation that encourages debate and challenge as the lifeblood of development. It is recognised that members seeking office or on Committees and Boards are volunteers who altruistically devote their time and effort to the College.

It is a privilege to be able to serve the College, and members receive professional benefits by doing so. These benefits carry with them responsibilities and obligations to act in accordance with the highest standards, whether as trustees of the College Charity or as members of the College.

This Code acknowledges that those holding key roles for the RCGP will be identified with those roles when acting in public settings, and sets out the principles of conduct that those persons are expected to follow.

Those who are Members and Fellows of the RCGP are seen as representatives of the College in a broader sense, and their actions can uphold the reputation of the College or bring it into disrepute.

Members should abide by the requirements set out in “Good Medical Practice” (GMC) and “Good Medical Practice for General Practitioners” (RCGP), and follow the principles set out in this Code, which are based on the Nolan principles of standards in public life.

• Members' Code of Conduct (PDF file, 323 KB)

For the College to continue to operate effectively, it is critical that everyone involved in the organisation treats all of those they work with – both College members and employees – in a collegiate and respectful manner. This document sets out the RCGP’s expectations regarding the type of behaviours that are necessary for a successful working relationship to exist between College members and College employees. The behaviours in the document equally apply to working relationships solely involving College members, and solely involving employees. It also applies to all lay members of all committees, groups, and boards across the College.

• RCGP Behavioural Framework (PDF file, 515 KB)

The modern slavery statement is designed to satisfy the requirements of Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act (2015), by informing our members, students, staff, campaigners and the public about the College and its policy with respect to modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and bonded labour and labour rights violations in its supply chains.