In February 2025, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will launch the process to elect its new President.
The President is the chair of the RCOG’s Council, an ambassador for the global community of obstetricians and gynaecologists, and a professional leader for the specialty.
Through the office of President, clinicians of outstanding calibre have supported the RCOG’s work from a unique vantage, contributing their own expertise to help maintain the College’s standards of clinical excellence.
The President acts as a representative of the RCOG’s UK and international membership, which numbers around 17,500 members worldwide. As a public ambassador and spokesperson for the RCOG, the President plays a vital role in strengthening the organisation’s influence on the global stage.
Over a three-year term, commencing in December 2025, the new President will support the RCOG to achieve its ambitious five-year strategy, working with beneficiaries in the UK and globally.
2025 election timeline
| Wednesday 19 February | Nominations for President election open |
| Monday 24 March | Nominations close |
| Wednesday 9 April | Nominees confirmed |
| Friday 2 May | Launch of online candidate profiles |
| Monday 12 May | Virtual/live Q&A |
| Monday 19 May - Tuesday 17 June | Voting period |
| Friday 20 June | Declaration of result |
| Friday 12 December | Commence in post |
Election process
Prospective candidates for the role of President must obtain nominations from three RCOG Members or Fellows, as well as submitting a portfolio of documents evidencing their suitability for the role.
Each candidate will first need to contact the RCOG to obtain a nomination form and application pack. At this point, initial checks will be carried out to ensure that the individual fulfils the basic eligibility criteria detailed below. Once eligibility is confirmed, the candidate will be provided with a nomination form and application pack, which they must complete according to the instructions provided.
Candidate application submissions will be accepted until the close of the nomination period on Monday 24 March 2025 at 5pm.
Following this, the final list of confirmed electoral candidates will be published in alphabetical order on the RCOG website on Wednesday 9 April.
Candidates will then be invited to submit further campaign materials which will form their online candidate profiles, and which will launch on Friday 2 May. Candidates will also be invited to participate in a live Q&A session on Monday 12 May, which will be broadcast to the wider electorate.
Voting will take place between Monday 19 May and Tuesday 17 June by a ballot of all eligible Fellows and Members in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The new President-Elect will be announced on Friday 20 June and will take office on Friday 12 December 2025.
Further details are available in the RCOG Regulations and in the candidate pack.
Who is eligible to stand for President?
In line with the RCOG Regulations, candidates for the role of President must meet the following criteria to be eligible to stand for election:
- To be a Fellow of the RCOG in active practice* throughout the entire election period, who has been, or is currently, a voting member of RCOG Council
- To be up to date with their membership subscription
- To have been nominated by three Fellows or Members (all of whom must be in good standing and also be up to date with their membership subscription at the time of nomination)
As an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees, the President must meet additional criteria for Trustees, which are outlined in the Declaration of Interests and Good Standing in the candidate pack.
*For an explanation of the term ‘active practice’, please see the FAQs below.
Who can vote in the election?
The RCOG President is elected by a ballot of Fellows and Members in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
According to RCOG Regulations, the Presidential electorate constitutes Fellows and Members (including retired) who:
- Hold or have held in the UK or the Republic of Ireland their main or principal university or hospital appointment OR
- (In default of holding any such appointment) practise as a medical practitioner in the UK or the Republic of Ireland in obstetrics and/or gynaecology OR
- (If they have retired) reside in the UK or the Republic of Ireland; AND
- (Unless retired) are not in arrears with their subscriptions to the RCOG.
This excludes Trainees who are not yet members, Affiliates, Associates and Honorary Fellows (including Fellows ad eundem and Fellows honoris causa), who are not eligible to vote in the election.
How do I apply to be a candidate?
If you meet the eligibility criteria stated above and would like to stand as a candidate in the Presidential election, please complete the following steps:
1) Contact the RCOG to request a nomination form and application pack
Email the RCOG at RCOGElections@rcog.org.uk to request a nomination form, making sure to quote your membership number. Your details will first be checked to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria, and (if you are eligible) you will then be sent a nomination form and candidate application pack.
2) Secure your nominations and complete your application pack
You will first need to obtain nominations from three RCOG Members or Fellows (all of whom are in good standing and up to date with their membership subscription) in order to stand for President. These must be recorded on your nomination form, along with the signatures and membership details of all three of your nominators (“proposers”) and yourself.
You will be asked to provide a short CV (no more than 4 pages) and a statement of intent (up to 500 words), outlining your manifesto and vision for the RCOG Presidency.
You must also review and sign the RCOG’s Election Guidance and complete and sign a declaration of interests and good standing, both of which are included in the candidate pack.
All documents and form entries must be typewritten, signed and scanned, and returned to the Chief Executive (acting as the Returning Officer) at RCOGElections@rcog.org.uk.
All candidate applications must be received by Monday 24 March 2025 at 5pm.
Following this deadline, all candidate applications will be subject to further checks to ensure they comply with the stated criteria and application guidelines.
Confirmed nominees will then be notified and the final list of electoral candidates will be published in alphabetical order on the RCOG website on Wednesday 9 April.
Frequently asked questions
Instructions on voting will be circulated to all UK and Republic of Ireland Fellows and Members via email or post, and further information will be made available to members via the RCOG website, prior to the voting period.
All RCOG Fellows and Members (including those retired) who practice mainly in the UK or the Republic of Ireland are eligible to vote in the RCOG’s Presidential election, providing they are up to date with their membership subscription.
Please note that RCOG Trainees, Affiliates, Associates and Honorary Fellows (including Fellows ad eundem and Fellows honoris causa) are not eligible to vote.
College Regulations state that a person will only be eligible to be elected as President if she or he is in Active Practice throughout the election period. Regulation 1.1 defines “Active Practice”, in respect of a Fellow or Member, by the following criteria:
- Has a valid licence to practise as a medical practitioner from the UK General Medical Council or the Medical Council of Ireland (or any statutory successor to such bodies); and
- Is engaged as a medical practitioner in the UK or the Republic of Ireland in the practice of obstetrics and/or gynaecology for which a licence to practice is required in terms of (i) above; and
- Is not in arrears with her or his subscription to the College.
In addition, a person will only be eligible to be elected as the President if she or he is a Fellow who has been a voting member of the Council at any time prior to the date of her or his nomination.
Please ensure all your documents and form entries are typewritten, and scanned files are of high quality and clearly legible. Please also note that where page or word limits are exceeded any additional text will be deleted. The nomination form must be signed by all parties, and all sections must be complete. No substitutes for this form will be accepted (e.g. emails from nominators), so you are encouraged to collect your nominators’ signatures and populate the form in good time to ensure you do not miss the submission deadline.
Yes. The College will accept either scanned signatures or a digital signature in place of a hand-signed document. The College will not accept a simple typed signature.
Please click this link for an explanation of Single Transferable Voting.
The newly elected President will assume office at a meeting of Council held on Friday 12 December 2025.
The President will hold office for a term of three years (as defined in Regulation 10.24), at the end of which she or he shall retire.
Council members are entitled to stand for re-election to Council and election as President in the same year, providing that a) they fulfil the Presidential nominee criteria detailed in the candidate pack, and b) they are within the scope of the following Regulations 8.1 and 8.2, at the time of nomination for Council:
8.1 Each Elected member, who is a Member, shall hold office for a term of four years from the date she or he takes office, at the end of which she or he shall retire and shall only be eligible for re-election as an Elected member if she or he becomes a Fellow.
8.2 Each Elected member, who is a Fellow, shall hold office for a term of three years, from the date she or he takes office, at the end of which she or he shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election as an Elected member for one further term of three years.
However, if an Elected member of Council is elected to any Officer post, her or his place as an Elected member of Council will be deemed to be vacant in line with College Regulations.