Prof Mumtaz Patel

Who Prof Mumtaz Patel is

Professor Mumtaz Patel is the 123rd President of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), elected in April 2025, and the first fellow of South Asian heritage to lead the college in its 500-year history. She is a consultant nephrologist at Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and holds honorary professorships at the University of Liverpool and the University of Manchester. She studied medicine at the University of Manchester, qualifying in 1996, completed a PhD in the genetics of lupus nephritis in 2006, and a master's in medical education in 2014. She previously served as RCP Senior Censor and Vice President for Education and Training, RCP Global Vice President, and postgraduate associate dean for NHS England (North-west). She is known for calling for urgent action on the social care crisis, NHS workforce planning, and health inequalities, and for championing the modernisation of RCP governance, including securing the historic extension of voting rights to collegiate members.

References for this biography

1. 1.Dr Mumtaz Patel elected president of the Royal College of Physicians | RCP — Confirms election as 123rd RCP President in April 2025, role as consultant nephrologist in Manchester, prior senior RCP roles, and election vote count.
2. 2.April welcome: Professor Mumtaz Patel | RCP — Confirms role title, employing trust (Manchester University Hospitals NHS FT), honorary professorships, educational background, PhD, and launch of RCP Global Women Leaders Programme.
3. 3.Our people | RCP — Official RCP staff page confirming Patel as President, her range of prior senior roles, and development of the RCP education strategy.
4. 4.RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel highlights modernisation, inclusivity and member voice ahead of new strategy launch | RCP — Confirms the historic extension of RCP collegiate member voting rights as a defining achievement of her presidency.
5. 5.RCP welcomes UK government's commitment to social care reform | RCP — Evidences Patel's public advocacy on social care reform, calling for action on the social care crisis and its impact on the NHS (July 2026).
6. 6.RCP responds to the King's Speech 2026 | RCP — Evidences Patel's press role calling for clinical leadership to be protected in NHS reform and for a single patient record.
7. 7.THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON – Charity Commission contact information — Confirms RCP head office address: 11 St Andrews Place, London NW1 4LE.

Notable achievements

• Elected 123rd President of the Royal College of Physicians in April 2025, the first fellow of South Asian heritage to hold the role in the RCP's 500-year history. Source ↗
• Secured the historic extension of RCP voting rights to collegiate members for the first time in the college's history, delivering on a manifesto commitment made during her presidential election campaign. Source ↗
• Launched the RCP Global Women Leaders Programme during her tenure as Global Vice President, delivering workshops in Pakistan, India, Jordan, Hong Kong, Iraq, and Sri Lanka to support female physicians into leadership roles. Source ↗
• As Vice President for Education and Training, led the development of a new RCP education strategy. Source ↗

What Prof Mumtaz Patel has said

• “Recently, an older patient was left on a chair in a corridor for more than 12 hours after a fall, despite being in pain and having multiple long-term conditions. During that time, their condition deteriorated – developing sepsis and dehydration – before eventually being moved to a high-dependency unit. They sadly died a few days later. No patient should ever be put through an experience like this.”

  President of the RCP · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 30 Sept 2026 · RCP presses government for timeline on corridor care data ↗

• “The GMC national training survey is a crucial source of insight into the realities of postgraduate medical training across the UK. It gives doctors in training and their educators a vital opportunity to share honestly how supported they feel, where learning is being squeezed and where workplace culture is undermining both education and patient safety.”

  RCP president · Medical ethics & regulation · 30 Sept 2026 · ‘The voice of doctors in training has never been more important’: RCP responds to the launch of the GMC national training survey 2026 ↗

• “Physicians are working tirelessly to deliver safe, compassionate care in an NHS that is under extreme pressure. But we cannot continue to ask doctors to perform the impossible. Corridor care is unsafe and unsustainable – it must never become normalised.”

  RCP president · NHS & care workforce/staffing · 30 Sept 2026 · NHS ‘cannot continue to ask doctors to perform the impossible’ amid staff shortages ↗

• “A CCT should only be awarded to a registered medical practitioner after completion of an approved UK postgraduate training programme. The integrity of the CCT as the gold standard for specialty qualification must be preserved.”

  Professor (Royal College of Physicians) · Medical ethics & regulation · 30 Sept 2026 · RCP responds to DHSC consultation on reforming the GMC legislative framework ↗

• “While this year's GMC national training survey offers some small green shoots of encouragement, ultimately the changes do not represent the material improvement that doctors in training programmes deserve to see in their everyday working lives. More than three in five remain at moderate or high risk of burnout - a level that is simply unsustainable for individuals, the future workforce and for patient care.”

  RCP president · Medical ethics & regulation · 30 Sept 2026 · RCP responds to GMC national training survey ↗

• “I've heard of patients who say they'd rather die at home than come into hospital and be waiting.”

  president of the Royal College of Physicians · A&E & ambulance response · 30 Sept 2026 · Study reveals that 13,000 patients waited over three days in England's emergency departments last year ↗

• “What I really fear is that people are making, sometimes, these choices because of the lack of provision around good palliative care. Going back to the inequity of services, it feels really wrong and a lot of our members and fellows talk about that.”

  President of the Royal College of Physicians · Assisted dying · 30 Sept 2026 · Canada: Woman euthanised against her will after requesting palliative care ↗

• “I've heard of patients who say they'd rather die at home than come into hospital and be waiting.”

  President of the Royal College of Physicians · A&E & ambulance response · 30 Sept 2026 · The BMJ reveals 13,000 patients waited over three days in England’s A&E departments last year ↗

• “people would certainly choose to end their lives "because of the lack of provision around good palliative care"”

  President of the Royal College of Physicians · Assisted dying · 30 Sept 2026 · The House Opinion Article | We can't have assisted dying in a care crisis ↗

• “The Royal College of Physicians takes a neutral stance. However, we continue to have concerns around the practical elements of the Bill. What is good about the Bill, as you asked, is that patient choice is always wonderful, and we want to support patient autonomy around end-of-life care is really, really important.”

  President at the Royal College of Physicians · Assisted dying · 30 Sept 2026 · Lords Assisted Dying Select Committee told: ‘patient autonomy is essential’ ↗

• “'Palliative care is not about giving up. It is about making life as good as possible, for as long as possible.'”

  president of the Royal College of Physicians · Palliative & end of life care · 30 Sept 2026 · ‘Palliative care is not about giving up’: New FHJ issue explores how to improve conversations about dying and end-of-life care ↗

• “The RCP is disappointed that the regulations will continue to use immigration status, rather than significant NHS experience, as the basis for prioritisation in specialty training recruitment from 2027.”

  RCP president · NHS & care workforce/staffing · 29 Sept 2026 · RCP responds to regulations for 2027 specialty training recruitment ↗

• “Workforce is very much a key priority area for the college”

  RCP president · NHS & care workforce/staffing · 29 Sept 2026 · RCP hosts Meet your president session for members ↗

• “The Health Foundation is right to recognise that NHS productivity depends on a sustainable and supported workforce. Long-term workforce planning, better retention and investment in training are essential if the NHS is to meet rising demand from an ageing population with increasingly complex health needs.”

  RCP president · NHS & care workforce/staffing · 29 Sept 2026 · RCP welcomes Health Foundation call for long-term workforce planning ↗

• “Our members and others in the health and care community sounded the alarm on the growing corridor care crisis because we see the realities of patients being cared for in unsuitable and unsafe clinical spaces.”

  President of the Royal College of Physicians · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 8 Sept 2026 · Welcome steps towards eliminating ‘unacceptable’ corridor care in NHS ↗

• “urged people, including NHS staff, to get vaccinated against flu.”

  president of the Royal College of Physicians · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Health experts criticise NHS chief’s remarks that people with flu symptoms ‘must wear face masks’ ↗

• “I've heard of patients who say they'd rather die at home than come into hospital and be waiting.”

  President of the Royal College of Physicians · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · One person diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds in UK, report reveals ↗

• “It is deeply concerning to see this evidence collated which shows such significant disparities in access to postgraduate medical training. The NHS relies on a diverse medical workforce, and every doctor should have confidence that recruitment and selection processes are fair and transparent.”

  president of the Royal College of Physicians · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Black doctors in England four times less likely to get training places than white counterparts ↗

Where Prof Mumtaz Patel has been quoted

1. The future of the NHS depends on creating health, not just treating illnessrcp.ac.uk · 5 Oct 2026
2. RCP presses government for timeline on corridor care datanationalhealthexecutive.com · 30 Sept 2026
3. ‘The voice of doctors in training has never been more important’: RCP responds to the launch of the GMC national training survey 2026rcp.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
4. NHS ‘cannot continue to ask doctors to perform the impossible’ amid staff shortagesindependent.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
5. RCP responds to DHSC consultation on reforming the GMC legislative frameworkrcp.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
6. RCP responds to GMC national training surveyrcp.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
7. Study reveals that 13,000 patients waited over three days in England's emergency departments last yearmedicalxpress.com · 30 Sept 2026
8. Canada: Woman euthanised against her will after requesting palliative carerighttolife.org.uk · 30 Sept 2026
9. The BMJ reveals 13,000 patients waited over three days in England’s A&E departments last yearbmjgroup.com · 30 Sept 2026
10. The House Opinion Article | We can't have assisted dying in a care crisispoliticshome.com · 30 Sept 2026
11. Lords Assisted Dying Select Committee told: ‘patient autonomy is essential’humanists.uk · 30 Sept 2026
12. ‘Palliative care is not about giving up’: New FHJ issue explores how to improve conversations about dying and end-of-life carercp.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
13. RCP responds to regulations for 2027 specialty training recruitmenteinnews.com · 29 Sept 2026
14. RCP hosts Meet your president session for membersrcp.ac.uk · 29 Sept 2026
15. RCP welcomes Health Foundation call for long-term workforce planningeinpresswire.com · 29 Sept 2026
16. Welcome steps towards eliminating ‘unacceptable’ corridor care in NHSnursingtimes.net · 8 Sept 2026
17. Health experts criticise NHS chief’s remarks that people with flu symptoms ‘must wear face masks’theguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
18. One person diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds in UK, report revealstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
19. Black doctors in England four times less likely to get training places than white counterpartstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Leaders in Care Awards 2026 | Lifetime Achievement: Care Homes winner revealedHome Care Insight
• GP architect of neighbourhood health reforms to leave NHS EnglandPulse Today
• An important step forward in ending corridor care - Colin Poolman | Blog | RCN ScotlandRoyal College of Nursing

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.rcp.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/
• Websitehttps://www.rcp.ac.uk/news-and-media/news-and-opinion/dr-mumtaz-patel-elected-president-of-the-royal-college-of-physicians/
• Press office emailenquiries@rcp.ac.ukpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.