Prof Mumtaz PatelClinician

Biography

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

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.

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• NHS workforce and medical training
• Social care reform
• Medical education and postgraduate training
• Health inequalities
• Women in healthcare leadership
• NHS modernisation

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 they’ve said

• “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 ↗

Source references

1. Health experts criticise NHS chief’s remarks that people with flu symptoms ‘must wear face masks’theguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. One person diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds in UK, report revealstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
3. Black doctors in England four times less likely to get training places than white counterpartstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

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.