December 2024

The Board met face-to-face in Sydney on 13 December 2024 for our last meeting of the year. The two big items for resolution were governance reform and preparation for the proposed constitutional changes which will be first provided to members for consultation ahead of any membership vote. We also discussed the proposed way forward to establish a 2026 strategy to allow the right focus on growth foundations and execution for the College to ensure its long-term sustainability. These were noted to be increasingly affected by significant external changes and challenges outside the control of the RACP. 

At its meeting on 25 November 2024, the Board approved a proposal for Board/Council composition and a proposal for separation of Chair/President roles and setting up of a nomination committee. We have now requested the CEO to bring a plan and timeframe for consultation and engagement with members by no later than March.

We met the new external auditors PKF and discussed the audit plan. We also noted how the benefits (quantitative and qualitative) of projects once delivered will be captured within the RACP Project Management Framework – a framework now used for all major projects at the College.

The Board shared morning tea with the excellent TMP and Curricular Renewal teams, the Technology Committee members, Chief Information Officer, David Bough and Executive General Manager for Education, Learning and Assessment, Inam Haq, to thank them for the incredible work which is being undertaken to lift the digital transformation for the benefit of members.

The Board noted the Indigenous Strategic Framework Annual Report update, the Specialist Training Program Update, Investment Policy and Membership Data, and the progress in planning for Congress 2026, approving funding for the venue to be contracted and engaging a professional conference organiser. It accepted the Management reports for YTD October 2024, a net surplus of $2.7m, a net asset position of $105.6m and that the College has sufficient cash and other assets to pay its debts as and when they fall due.

Outside of the Board meeting, I would like to recognise some of the achievements we’ve had this year. These achievements are made possible through a strong working partnership between the Board and the College management team.

We have obtained our AMC reaccreditation for our specialist medicine training and our CPD programs until 2029, and the implementation of our curricula renewal is well underway. The new Training Management Platform has been delivered on time and on budget for the stages planned for delivery this year with the final stage to be delivered in 2025. We completed a review of the structure of the College Council which has led to strategic changes that will better equip the Council in their work. We have also made significant reform in education governance. We finalised two important initiatives – the Rural, Regional and Remote Physician Strategy and the Bullying, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Action Plan with implementation under way – and we have reviewed our policy and advocacy priorities to focus on workplace and health reform.

There is so much more.

Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy festive season.

Kind regards

Professor Jennifer Martin
Chair of the RACP Board and RACP President