President election
Nominations for President open on 23 January 2026 and close at noon on 13 February.
This page contains everything you need to know about elections for the College's President and how you can get involved by standing for election.
The term of office for the post of President is three years. A role description will be available shortly.
President election FAQs
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. The route you choose won't be made known on the College website or the ballot paper.
Route 1 - Supported by Council
The nominating meeting of Council is on 23 January 2026. At this meeting, the Council will agree on a maximum of three candidates to nominate for the position of President. Candidates need to be proposed and seconded prior to the meeting and will have to provide their written consent to stand for election. Nomination forms for Council must be sent to elections@rcpsych.ac.uk by 5pm on 22 January 2026.
Information you'll need to provide
If you're being supported by Council, you'll need to submit the following through the nomination platform by noon on Friday 13 February:
- 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 election address 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 - Supported by other members
The second route to stand for President is to submit a nomination that's 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 noon on Friday 13 February:
- the names and email addresses of your 12 supporters (they must all be Members or Specialist Associates who aren't 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 election address 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 |
| 23 January 2026 | Nominations open |
| 13 February 2026 (noon) | Closing date for submission of nominations |
| TBC February | Candidates filmed for website at Prescot Street |
| TBC February/March | Announcement of candidates standing for election |
| Late March | Article in RCPsych Insight profiling candidates |
| TBC March | Online Q&As |
| TBC March | Hustings |
| 18 March | Voting opens |
| 15 April (noon) | Voting closes |
| 16 April | Results declared |
| TBC 16-18 June | Term of office begins at AGM |
Please see our canvassing code for the rules on what canvassing is allowed.
If you have any concerns about canvassing, please contact elections@rcpsych.ac.uk.
All Members, Fellows and Specialist Associates are able to vote in Presidential elections.
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.
2023
Candidates: Dr Kate Lovett, Professor Russell Razzaque, Dr Lade Smith
Dr Lade Smith elected President
Total number of votes cast: 6,361
Voter turnout: 39.4%
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 Sabyasachi 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%
2002
Candidates: Dr Jeremy Holmes, Dr Anton Obholzer, Dr Mike Shooter
Dr Mike Shooter elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,308
Voter turnout: 37.2%
1999
Candidates: Professor John Cox, Professor Sir David Goldberg, Professor John Gunn
Professor John Cox elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,309
Voter turnout: 38.0%
1996
Candidates: Professor Abdol-Hamid Ghodse, Professor John Gunn, Professor Robert Kendell
Professor Robert Kendell elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2963
Voter turnout: 37.0%
1993
Candidates: Dame Fiona Caldicott, Professor Arthur Crisp, Professor James Watson
Dame Fiona Caldicott elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3036
Voter turnout: 44.27%
1990
Candidates: Professor Arthur Crisp and Professor Andrew Sims
Professor Andrew Sims elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2763
Voter turnout: 43.5%
1987
Candidates: Dr Jim Birley, Dr Morgan Enoch, Professor Michael Gelder, Professor Eugene Paykel, Professor Robert Priest
Dr Jim Birley elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2593
Voter turnout: 45.0%
1984
Candidates: Dr Thomas Bewley, Professor Robert Bluglass, Dr Philip Connell, Professor Michael Gelder
Dr Thomas Bewley elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2305
1981
Candidates: Professor Kenneth Rawnsley, Dr Thomas Bewley, Dr John Pollitt, Dr Philip Connell
Professor Kenneth Rawnsley elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2064
Voter turnout: 43.09%
1978
Candidates: Dr William Heaton-Ward, Professor Sir Desmond Pond, Professor Kenneth Rawnsley
Professor Sir Desmond Pond elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2067
1975
Candidates: Professor Max Hamilton, Dr Thomas Main, Professor Sir Desmond Pond, Dr Felix Post, Professor Linford Rees, Professor Sir William Trethowan
Professor Linford Rees elected President
Total number of votes cast: 2081
1971
Candidates: Dr John Howells, Dr Alan Monro, Professor Sir Martin Roth, Dr William Sargant
Professor Sir Martin Roth elected President
Further questions
If you have any questions about elections that aren't answered on the website, please contact the Elections team on elections@rcpsych.ac.uk.