Members' eNewsletters

Your views are vital for inpatient capacity survey (members only)

We’re calling on all members to support our call for improvements – please complete this five-minute survey, the more respondents the more powerful our call for change.

Registrar elections: meet the candidates

Find out about our super six candidates who are running to be the College’s next Registrar and watch the Registrar hustings from Thursday.

Update on Mental Health Bill (England and Wales)

An update on the progress of the Mental Health Bill through Westminster Parliament and the College's influencing work on it.

College launches accounts on Bluesky and Threads

The College has launched new social media accounts on Bluesky and Threads, to maximise our ability to reach our audiences in the UK and around the world.

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025

Take part in our free member webinar celebrating International Women’s Day, at 4-5pm on Thursday 6 March.

Early bird tickets for RCPsych International Congress 2025

You have just over a month to secure your early bird ticket to the 2025 RCPsych International Congress.

Inquest Supervisor Training Workshop

Clinical supervisors: sign up for this full day session next week which will provide you with the skills to support those in training during the challenging aftermath of a patient’s death.

Publishing programme seeking new Books Editor

The RCPsych Publishing books programme is looking for a dynamic Books Editor to lead the programme for the next five years.

Celebrating Cynefin at the Senedd

RCPsych in Wales hosted pupils from Llysfaen Primary School last week to celebrate the Cynefin programme – winner of RCPsych Communicator of the Year programme in 2024.

Chief Executive's blog (members only)

RCPsych Chief Executive Sonia Walter discusses this year's Eating Disorders Awareness week under the theme of ‘Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder’ .

Share your experiences on local capacity

Guaranteeing patient safety and improving patient flow is a priority of the College – complete this survey and tell us about your experiences.

Lade’s blog

In her January blog post, Lade talks about the opportunity to become the next Registrar, representing your concerns to Parliament on assisted dying, and NHS England’s new planning guidance.

Apply to be the next RCPsych Registrar

Are you ready to take on an exciting leadership role that makes a real impact? We're calling on passionate members to step forward and apply for the prestigious position of RCPsych Registrar.

Domestic abuse: new resource published

A new resource to help mental health professionals identify, assess and respond to perpetrators of domestic abuse has just been published.

Vacancy: College Books Editor

The College is seeking a dynamic Books Editor to lead the RCPsych’s vibrant book publishing programme for the next five years.

International Congress: bookings open

You can now book your place at International Congress at our special early bird rates – don't miss the chance to attend this exceptional event, taking place this year in Wales.

Call for Congress posters

Members have less than a week to submit posters to this year’s International Congress event that will take place on 23-26 June 2025.

Scottish chair responds to First Minister speech

Patients in Scotland are not getting the right care in the right place at the right time, Scotland’s First Minister has said.

Complete the Outcomes survey

The College sees measuring outcomes as crucial to delivering high quality care for our patients. Please help us by completing this survey about patient outcomes.

Chief Executive's blog (members only)

RCPsych Chief Executive Sonia Walter discusses the recent Patients and Carers conference and the hard work of our patient and carer workers.

Inviting nominations to become Registrar

Tomorrow we'll be opening nominations from members to become the College's next Registrar – and it's also the last day to put your name forward for a range of other roles.

New Year Honours

Find out which of our members and those who work with the College were recognised in the New Year Honours list.

Opportunity for members in Wales

Prescribing in pregnancy and breastfeeding and opiate addiction are two of the topics coming up in new virtual discussion sessions available to members in Wales.

Constance Pascal-Helen Boyle Prize: deadline 19 January

The European Psychiatric Association is calling for nominations for 'Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in Working to Improve Mental Health Care in Europe'.

Remembering Dr Malcolm Faulk

The College was sad to hear of the recent death of Dr Malcolm Faulk, whose book Basic Forensic Psychiatry remains essential reading for many, and not just psychiatrists.

Now in its third edition, it is a keystone of the psychiatric textbook canon. Its ongoing appeal is a tribute to him and his legacy.

Lade's blog

In her final blog post for this year, Lade reflects on the need to focus on treatment and care, as well as increasing understanding of mental illness, in 2025.

RCPsych Registrar nominations to open in January

Could you become our next Registrar? Find out how to put yourself forward for this role, and about other College roles which are already open for nomination.

‘Violence and aggression towards psychiatrists’ survey

Help us tackle workplace violence and aggression for psychiatrists by taking this survey.

RCPsych in Northern Ireland calls for changes to new strategic plan for health and care

Dr Julie Anderson, chair of RCPsych in Northern Ireland, has responded to the new strategic plan launched by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

National Audit of Dementia report published

Read the findings from the National Audit of Dementia’s Care in General Hospitals sixth National Report.

Trainees say yes to ‘resident doctors’

The Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee voted in favour of trainees being referred to as resident doctors.

National Resident Doctors' Conference

Book your place at the National Resident Doctors' Conference. This is a two-day annual event held in collaboration with the Psychiatric Trainees' Committee.

How we marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024

Catch up with our dynamic and thought-provoking webinar Blurred: Disability Inclusion in Medicine.

Inquest Supervisor Training Workshop 2025

Join this workshop which will focus on vital areas, including the profound impact that a patient’s death can have on healthcare professionals.

New psychopharmacology newsletter (members only)

The RCPsych Psychopharmacology Committee have launched a newsletter for members interested in psychopharmacology.

Demand, Capacity and Flow QI Collaborative update

Dates for upcoming Demand, Capacity and Flow QI collaborative have changed, with the sign-up deadline and launch date both moving back.

Lade's blog

In her November’s blog post Lade discusses the College's position on assisted dying, legislation across the four nations, and the vote tomorrow which could affect the law in England and Wales.

Membership feedback

Earlier this year thousands of you provided feedback that gave us valuable insights about how you engage with the College, what you value and how we can improve the way we support you.

Find out what you said and what action the College will be taking as a result.

Action against violence

In the week of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, our Presidential Leads for Women’s Mental Health spoke about this important issue.

Help us tackle workplace violence and aggression faced by psychiatrists

The Violence and Aggression against Psychiatrists Sub-Working Group has undertaken an important survey to learn more about the experiences of violence and aggression faced by psychiatrists in their work.

Mental Health Bill update

This week members of the House of Lords began debating legislation to reform the Mental Health Act. We've written this update on our influencing activity for College members.

Sign up to watch the President’s lecture

Next week Professor Owen Bowden-Jones will be giving an exclusive preview of the College’s position on cannabis and will join a panel discussion afterwards.

RCPsych Northern Ireland calls for urgent workforce investment

New College data has revealed vacancy rates for consultant positions in Northern Ireland have increased to nearly one in four – as patient waiting lists continue to rise.

Calling all members with an interest in pharmacology

The College’s Psychopharmacology Committee are excited to announce they are starting a newsletter – and all members are invited to sign up to receive it.

New mental health leaflets for binge eating and ADHD in adults

Our exclusive leaflets, uniquely written by psychiatrists with patient input are available to order now. These leaflets provide clear information on symptoms, treatments, and additional support for binge eating and ADHD in adults.

Professor Keith Rix awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Expert Witness Institute

We’re delighted that College member Professor Keith Rix was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Expert Witness Institute (EWI) at the Sir Michael Davies Lecture on 9 October.

Why choose BJPsych Bulletin?

Choose the BJPsych Bulletin, a journal that prioritises research, opinion and informed reflection on the state of psychiatry, management of psychiatric services, and education and training in psychiatry.

Public Mental Health Leadership: register now for 2025 cohorts

Following the successful launch in 2024 of the Public Mental Health Leadership Certification course, registration is now open for two further 2025 cohorts.

New autism patient resource

We’ve launched a new autism patient information resource this week. The resource explains what autism is, how it’s diagnosed and what support is available for autistic people.

Hundreds join us for World Menopause Day

The College's first ever online event dedicated to menopause was a huge success with hundreds joining worldwide and 90% saying it will change their clinical practice.

Drug and drink deaths in Scotland warning

Increased spending to reduce drink and drug deaths in Scotland has not helped make hoped for improvements and a fresh approach is needed, auditors have warned.

Engaging locally in England

The English Divisions have been meeting with local NHS Integrated Care boards (ICBs) this year, as part of a new initiative.

NHS England National Electronic Patient Record Survey

Take part in the second ever national EPR usability survey which benchmarks user satisfaction with electronic patient record systems across the NHS.

Submit ideas for BJPsych International blog

BJPsych International is looking for new submissions to its long-running blog series, Muses - which aims to highlight international artists in low-and-middle income countries.

Accreditation committee call out

The College's Centre for Quality Improvement is looking for members interested in joining their Accreditation Committees and driving service improvements nationally.

Seeking six scholars

The College is recruiting six Presidential Scholars to support the Presidential leads in their specific areas of work.

RCPsych Awards 2024

Who won Psychiatrist of the Year, who was our Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and who triumphed in the 16 other categories? Find out here!

Chief Executive's (CEO) blog

Sonia discusses this year's RCPsych Awards and the uplifting ceremony held at Prescot Street, and highlights some particularly deserving winners.

Lade’s blog

In her October blog post Lade talks about the autumn Budget, our influencing work, protecting the mental health of sanctuary seekers and more.

Our response to the Budget

Mental health services must receive a fair share of the boost to NHS funding set out in this week's Budget.

Consultation on the NHS's 10-year plan in England

Help us shape our response to the Government consultation on its 10 Year Health Plan for England.

Assisted dying survey – complete by 4 November

Share your views on assisted dying – our survey for members in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Crown Dependencies ends soon.

President’s lecture on cannabis

Book your place at the next President’s lecture in December, at which Professor Owen Bowden-Jones will be giving an exclusive insight into his new report on co-occuring substance use and mental illness.

Call to reduce inequalities in Wales

RCPsych Wales has joined calls for the Welsh government to reduce the impact of poverty and inequalities, with Wales having the highest poverty rate among the four UK nations.

Updated patient information on long-acting injectable (depot) antipsychotics

The College has updated its patient information resource on long-acting injectable antipsychotics (also known as depot medication).

Demand, Capacity and Flow QI Collaborative – Wave 2

Following a successful first cohort of the Demand, Capacity and Flow (DCF) Collaborative, the NCCMH is recruiting to a second wave, launching in January 2025.

Equity Champions Network

During 2024 we’ve been recruiting individuals with a passion for helping us drive change through our UK-wide Equity Champion Network.

Black History Month 2024

Catch up with our Black History Month podcast about one psychiatrist’s journey from Ghana to working in the NHS, and all the ways we’ve celebrated Black History Month in October.

RCPsych Awards 2024

Reserve your place to watch next week’s RCPsych Awards ceremony live online - our glittering event is taking place at 7 November, from 2-4.30pm.

World Mental Health Day 2024

Catch up with our special interview with the College’s Presidential lead for Global Mental Health Strategy. Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, and see how else we’re marking World Mental Health Day today.

Influencing the NHS Long Term Plan

Engagement on the NHS 10-year plan has begun and will continue into early next year – read an update on how the College will contribute to the plan.

Assisted Dying debate

The Guardian’s health policy editor Denis Campbell is chairing our special debate for members on Assisted Dying next Tuesday. Find out more and sign up.

Scottish locum costs soar

The cost of bringing in locum psychiatrists on emergency contracts to treat mental health patients in Scotland has soared - according to new figures from BBC Scotland and The Guardian.

Black History Month

There’s still time to sign up for this afternoon’s free member webinar ‘I see you – leading cultural change in healthcare.’ Find out about the event and other ways we’re marking Black History Month

New Equity Champion network up and running

Following a College-wide recruitment process, we were delighted to hold an induction session last month to welcome our new RCPsych Equity Champions.

Observing Yom Kippur and Dussehra

The College marks many religious festivals throughout the year and soon it will be Yom Kippur and Dussehra.

New partner network in England

The College and the NHS Confederation have set up a new network to improve the way we support and gather insights from mental health members on the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

Supporting people with OCD

Next week is OCD Awareness Week – you can help your patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by sharing our OCD information resources.

Lade’s blog

In her September blog post, Lade discusses the challenges faced by mental health services in England due to underfunding. and what the College is doing to bring about change.

College response to Lord Darzi’s review

Read the College’s response to Lord Darzi’s report setting out the results of his investigation of the National Health Service in England.

Debate on assisted dying – book now

Members are invited to watch an international panel of speakers lead a debate on assisted dying and assisted suicide, in the first of a special series of President’s events..

Tackling Racism in the Workplace learning materials

Access new learning materials to help your organisation act against racism and tackle racism in the workplace.

RCPsych Awards 2024 shortlists revealed

The shortlists for this year’s RCPsych Awards have been announced, with winners due to be revealed at our Awards Ceremony on 7 November.

Become a College External Advisor

Do you want to play a role in the externality of ARCP panels and interview panels, ensuring objectivity is represented?

Demand, Capacity and Flow

Read more about the Demand, Capacity and Flow QI Collaborative, run by NCCMH, which aims to support mental health services across the UK to improve the demand, capacity and flow of their services.

Want to be a part of the 2025 International Congress?

Find out more about the submission process for RCPsych International Congress 2025, taking place next June in Wales. You have just one month left to submit.

Members debate on assisted dying

Next month the College will be holding a debate on assisted dying and assisted suicide, as the first of a series of special President’s events for members.

COVID inquiry: Academy of Royal Colleges is core participant

This week the UK Covid-19 Inquiry began evidential hearings for its third module, which is examining the impact of pandemic on healthcare systems and staff.

Suicide rate increase in Scotland

Suicide prevention and ensuring people in crisis can access the help they need is vital to stemming the rise in suicide rates, Scotland’s suicide lead has said.

College backs climate call

We’re backing a UK Health Alliance Climate Change report calling for the Government to change and improve the country’s energy system.

Impact of exercise on mental health

Read the NCCMH’s new report on the impact of physical activity on treatment outcomes for people using NHS Talking Therapies services in England.

Apply for Fellowship

There’s just a few days left to apply for Fellowship at the College. Fellowships are awarded as a mark of distinction and recognition of contribution to psychiatry.

Lade's blog

In Lade’s August blog post, she reflects on the racism, discrimination, and Islamophobia that contributed to the recent civil unrest in the UK. She comments on the actions that need to be taken to help tackle discrimination and shares details of relevant College resources for members.

Spotlight Audit in Memory Assessment Services

The National Audit of Dementia has published their second report on memory assessment services. The report examines waiting times, access to assessments, and treatment and post-diagnostic support for people with dementia in memory assessment services.

Colleges unite in Northern Ireland following race riots

RCPsych in Northern Ireland has signed a joint statement with other Royal Colleges standing against racism following the recent race riots.

Inviting applications to Eating Disorder Credential

We’re inviting higher trainees, consultants and SAS doctors to apply for a new Eating Disorder Credential.

Catch up with Congress 2024 and join the mailing list for 2025

If you missed International Congress this year, find out how you can catch up with the great talks that happened and how you can ensure that you don’t miss Congress next year.

Support following patient suicide

If you’ve been affected by patient suicide find out about the peer support group that you can attend that’s been organised by the Psychiatrists' Support Service.

How we celebrated South Asian History Month

Read the great blog post written by our Presidential Leads for Equity and catch up with all the things we did to celebrate South Asian History Month.

Help your organisation reach Net Zero

We’ve just released an eLearning module that’s free for everyone involved in providing mental health care which will help your organisation reach Net Zero.

Apply for Fellowship

There’s less than three weeks left to apply for Fellowship at the College. Fellowships are awarded as a mark of distinction and recognition of contribution to psychiatry.

Lade's blog

In Lade's July blog post, she reflects on the contents of the King's Speech, the implications for psychiatry in England, and the College's response.

RCPsych in Wales welcomes new chair

Professor Alka Ahuja MBE has become the new chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales and a vice president of RCPsych.

Last chance to complete our members survey

There are just hours left to complete our membership survey and help us understand what members want from the College.

College calls for ADHD investment

The College called for investment to expand ADHD services this week after a BBC investigation showed nearly 200,000 adults are waiting to receive an ADHD assessment.

Call for Sustainability Scholars

The College is now recruiting Higher Trainees in psychiatry to become Sustainability Scholars.

Fellowship nominations now open

The College is inviting nominations for Fellowship until 15 September 2024. This is awarded as a mark of distinction and recognition of contribution to psychiatry.

Recruiting Equity Champions

Find out what Equity Champion roles are still available and how you can apply to become one.

Tackling racism in the workplace: a year on

Twelve months after the launch of our Act Against Racism campaign and the launch of our Act Against Racism campaign, what progress has been made?

Chief Executive's blog: South Asian History Month 2024

In her most recent blog post for staff, the College’s Chief Executive Sonia Walter reflected earlier this month on South Asian History Month.

Physician Associates: Interim guidance

The College has published interim guidance on Physician Associates working in mental health.

Working with the new government

Following last week’s general election, the College is engaging with key ministers and officials.

Meeting with Medical Directors

Last Friday RCPsych Officers hosted a special event with Medical Directors from across England to discuss the key challenges faced by leaders in psychiatry

Seeking assessors for Lampard Inquiry

The Lampard Inquiry is looking for psychiatrists to work as assessors, as they investigate mental health in-patient deaths in Essex.

Hear from the new Northern Ireland chair

The new chair of RCPsych Northern Ireland and Vice President of the College, Dr Julie Anderson, has spoken about her priorities for the coming months.

Complete the membership survey

If you fill in our short membership survey you can help shape member experience at the College, and you could win a ticket to International Congress 2025.

New Equity Champions appointed

Find out who our first Equity champions are – and whether there’s still the chance to apply for a role in your area.

Chief Executive's blog

Sonia Walter, RCPsych Chief Executive, reflects on ways to prevent doctors from dying by suicide in light of Dr Ananta Dave's recent report on the subject.

President's blog – June 2024

Lade looks back at an exciting Congress which featured Dr Hilary Cass giving her first ever keynote. She also reflects on Pride month and the importance of continuing to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ members, staff and patients.

Help us improve the member experience

College CEO Sonia Walter announced the launch of a new membership survey at Congress last week. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and tell us how we can best represent and support you.

College response to election manifestos

Ahead of the General Election, President Dr Lade Smith CBE has commented on the manifestos issued by the major UK political parties and what this means for mental health care in the NHS.

Top psychiatrists recognised by the King

The recently published King’s Birthday Honours list recognised two psychiatrists as well as many others for their contribution to mental health.

RCPsych Awards – one day left to nominate!

Nominations have been extended for our yearly RCPsych Awards. The deadline for nominations is now 5pm BST on 28 June.

Become an Equity Champion

The College is recruiting Equity Champions to work with divisions, faculties and devolved nations to help deliver the College’s Fairness for all strategy aimed at improving equity for all. Applications close on 1 July.

Recording packages for Congress

Over 2,600 College members attended Congress last week in Edinburgh. If you were unable to make it, you’ll soon be able to purchase a recording package of most of the sessions.

Celebrating Pride

The College has been celebrating Pride month in various ways including recording a video with a member who talks about the importance of role models.

Northern Ireland perinatal campaigner recognised with MBE

A leading Northern Ireland campaigner in perinatal mental health has been recognised for their work with an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Chief Executive's blog

Sonia Walter, RCPsych Chief Executive, reflects on this year’s International Congress in Edinburgh and takes a look at the innovations that were introduced.

Election update: voting rights for patients

With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, we have joined forces with Rethink Mental Illness to remind people of the voting rights of hospital inpatients.

International Congress 2024

An exceptional programme of talks plus wellbeing sessions, highland dancing lessons, and stand-up comedy – just a taste of Congress 2024 in Edinburgh next week.

RCPsych Awards deadline extended

We have extended the deadline for the RCPsych Awards until 28 June to give members the most time possible to nominate this year’s heroes of psychiatry.

High-level appointment

NHS England has appointed Dr Adrian James, former RCPsych President, as the first ever National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity.

How prevalent is autism in doctors?

The College has agreed to support a survey to assess the prevalence of autism and autistic traits of doctors in the UK.

Sculpture exhibition

An exhibition of sculptures that investigates how emotions, feelings and motivations can be exposed by art is on display at the College in London until mid-July.

Chief Executive's blog

As a regular feature of the members’ eNewsletters, we’re sharing the College CEO Sonia Walter’s blog posts for RCPsych staff. In her most recent posts, Sonia talks about the upcoming general election and the start of Pride month.