RCP launches new strategy as the physician community gathers for Med26

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) opened the doors of its Regent’s Park building on Wednesday for Medicine 2026, its 2-day annual flagship conference bringing together physicians from across the UK and beyond to explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing modern medicine.

A key theme across both days was the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice. As outlined in the RCP’s view on digital and AI report, physicians across England are increasingly embracing the technology, and a dedicated session at Med26 examined what that shift means in practice for the NHS.

Chaired by the RCP’s digital health clinical lead Dr Anne Kinderlerer, the opening session welcomed expert views from Professor Alastair Denniston and Dr Jess Morley on how AI will transform healthcare and address real-world challenges facing clinicians and patients. Both speakers emphasised the importance of digital systems that can work across different platforms. Meanwhile, delegates also enjoyed workshops exploring using AI to support difficult conversations around breaking bad news, and a hands-on session examined how AI can help to identify anatomy for regional anaesthesia and cardiac echocardiography.

A dedicated RCP next generation campaign session brought together resident doctors and senior clinicians to explore how general internal medicine (GIM) training must evolve to meet the needs of a changing NHS. Panellists spoke candidly about the current experience of training, highlighting concerns that an increasing assessment burden and ‘tick box’ portfolio culture risk crowding out meaningful learning and undermining professional identity. Participants described a lack of clarity around what generalism represents in practice, with calls for a stronger, more consistent definition of general medicine and clearer pathways that recognise its value and complexity.

Despite these challenges, the discussion was forward looking and solution focused, with strong consensus around the need to rebalance training. Suggestions included strengthening mentorship, creating clearer competency standards, and developing more flexible routes such as portfolio pathways and opportunities to build specialist interests alongside generalist skills. Speakers also emphasised the importance of embedding general medicine earlier in medical education and supporting more care delivery in community settings, including through virtual wards and integrated models of care. Overall, the session reflected both the scale of the challenges facing the next generation of physicians and a shared determination to shape a more sustainable and rewarding future for the profession.

Co-chair of the RCP Resident Doctor Committee Dr Stephen Joseph said: ‘It was really interesting to see the amount of enthusiasm there is within the college for general medicine. But it was good also to see a good understanding of what the problems are – that people understand that the working conditions that you practice in really matter and the training you get really matters.’

He added: ‘If I wanted to see something that would make a big difference tomorrow to the way that training works, it would be quality assurance. At the moment there is very little incentive for trusts to deliver good education and we seem to be in a world in which we assume that medicine can change a lot, but the same system will continue to produce great consultants in the future, and I’m just not convinced that’s true. With good quality assurance, we can be more certain that whatever is intended to happen with the new training review actually will happen. Implementation is always a lot harder than ideas.’

Neighbourhood health was another central theme of this year’s conference. Chaired by RCP clinical vice president Dr Hilary Williams, the second day’s morning session examined how the NHS 10 Year Plan aims to bring healthcare back into the community and what the most effective path looks like.

Dr Nicholas Hicks, senior strategy adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, spoke on delivering the government’s vision for neighbourhood health. He told us: ‘I hope that people were inspired to see it [the session] as a real opportunity to get involved, because members and fellows of this college will have a vital role to play in joining up services, providing expert advice and creating a better health service.’

An RCP report published earlier this month called for physician expertise to be integrated into neighbourhood teams, noting the NHS commitment to shift most outpatient care out of hospitals by 2035 and introduce neighbourhood health centres in every community. A 2026 RCP snapshot survey found, however, that almost half of respondents (48% of 414 clinically active RCP members in England) were unclear about how their specialist role would fit within a neighbourhood health team. The report makes 10 recommendations to the UK government, NHS England and local systems.

Medicine 2026 also marked the launch of the RCP’s 2026–30 strategy, shaped by a clear message from physicians across the UK and globally for a modern royal college offering a stronger sense of community, high-quality education, exams and standards, and a more visible, confident and influential voice in shaping the future of medicine. 

Launching the strategy, RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel said: ‘Physicians are working in an increasingly complex and pressured NHS. This strategy is about ensuring they have the support, education and the voice they need to deliver the best possible care. Our members told us clearly that they want a college that stands alongside them – one that listens, supports and speaks up with confidence on the issues that matter most to them and their patients. This strategy is our commitment to delivering exactly that.’

Read the RCP strategy and catch up on Med26 sessions now.