Presidential elections
Nominations for our next President opened on 1 June and will close at midday on 5 August.
Dr Adrian James will be stepping down as President in June 2023 after three years in office and we are accepting nominations for his successor from 1 June to midday on 5 August 2022.
Below you can find out all the information you need on how to stand, as well as information on voting and the timetable for the election.
Please use the yellow button below to submit your nomination to stand for election.
All Members, Fellows and Specialist Associates of the College are eligible to stand for election as President.
There are two routes to stand for election as President:
Route 1 - Nomination by Council
The nominating meeting of Council is on 8 July, at this meeting the Council will agree on a maximum of three candidates to nominate for the position of President. Candidates will be proposed and seconded at this meeting and will have to provide their written consent to stand for election.
Information you'll need to provide
If you're proposed as a candidate by Council, you'll need to submit the following through the nomination platform by midday on Friday 5 August.
- Three supporting statements:
- a 50-word summary statement for use on the College’s communication channels
- a 250-word statement for use in RCPsych Insight
- a 500-word statement which will appear on the ballot paper and RCPsych website
- Good standing information: you'll be asked to confirm your good standing with your country's medical council and with regard to College membership fees.
Route 2 - Nomination by other members
The second route to stand for President is to submit a nomination that is supported by twelve Members or Specialist Associates who aren't members of the Council. Members can only support one nominee for President.
Information you'll need to provide
If you want to stand under route two described above, you'll need to submit the following through the nomination platform by midday on Friday 5 August.
- The names and email addresses of your 12 supporters, they must all be Members or Specialist Associates who are not Council members.
- Three supporting statements:
- a 50-word summary statement for use on the College’s communication channels
- a 250-word statement for use in RCPsych Insight
- a 500-word statement which will appear on the ballot paper and RCPsych website
- Good standing information: you'll be asked to confirm your good standing with your country's medical council and with regard to College membership fees.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 June 2022 | Nominations open |
| 5 August | Closing date for submission of nominations |
| 24 August | Candidates filmed for website at Prescot Street |
| Early September | Announcement of candidates standing for election |
| September | Article in RCPsych Insight profiling candidates |
| 12 October | Hustings webinar |
| November | Online Q&As |
| 14 December | Voting opens |
| Noon 18 January 2023 | Voting closes |
| 19 January | Results declared |
Under our canvassing code for the Presidential election, candidates will be able to communicate with members about their candidacy through:
- a hustings webinar
- a short video on the College site
- a feature in RCPsych Insight
- their social media accounts
- an online Q&A
- their personal websites
- a short statement published on the website, and
- emails and phone calls to members.
All Members, Fellows and Specialist Associates are able to vote in Presidential elections.
Voting will open on 14 December.
If you're eligible to vote (please check eligibility section above), you'll automatically be included in the electorate.
The email address that you have registered with us as your default will be given to the Civica Election Services who will send you an email with a link to the voting site. Please ensure that your email address is updated on the Members' Area.
This link will be unique to you and the voting page can’t be found through a search engine. Once you're taken to the site you can read the candidates’ statements and rank the candidates in order of preference.
If you're having issues with your ballot email or you're eligible to vote but haven't received the email, please contact elections@rcpsych.ac.uk.
Can I support more than one nomination for President?
No, you can only support one nomination.
Can I be supported by a member of Council as part of the 12 supporting signatures?
No, Council members can nominate members at the nominating meeting of Council on 12 July but otherwise can't support a nomination for President.
Are there any dates I should keep free as part of the election process?
Yes, we'll be filming candidates for the website on 24 August at the College's office in London. We'll also be holding a hustings webinar on Wednesday 12 October.
Can I discuss my candidacy on my social media or website?
Yes, please see our canvassing code for further information.
When will voting take place?
The voting period is from 14 Dec 2022 - 18 Jan 2023. We'll announce the results on 19 January.
2020
Candidates: Professor Kam Bhui, Dr Adrian James, Professor Pamela Taylor
Dr Adrian James elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,346
Voter turnout: 22.9%
2017
Candidates: Dr Peter Aitken, Dr J S Bamrah, Professor Wendy Burn, Professor Rob Poole, Dr James Warner
Professor Wendy Burn elected President
Total number of votes cast: 4,595
Voter turnout: 33.1%
2014
Candidates: Dr Laurence Mynors-Wallis, Professor Sir Simon Wessely
Professor Sir Simon Wessely elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,012
Voter turnout: 23.0%
2011
Candidates: Professor Dame Sue Bailey, Dr Dabyasachi Bhaumik, Professor Nick Craddock, Professor George Ikkos, Professor Anthony Pelosi, Professor Chris Thompson
Professor Dame Sue Bailey elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,286
Voter turnout: 26.6%
2008
Professor Dinesh Bhugra elected President unopposed
2005
Candidates: Professor Sheila Hollins, Professor Cornelius Katona, Professor Femi Oyebode, Professor Richard Williams, Dr Tony Zigmond
Professor Sheila Hollins elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,370
Voter turnout: 33.89%
Further questions
For any questions about the Presidential election that haven't been answered here, please contact the elections team on elections@rcpsych.ac.uk.