November 2024

The Board met in the RACP Wellington Office for a meeting with the Māori Health Committee and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Committee on 21 November 2024, and a Board meeting on 22 November 2024.

The Māori Health Committee, in partnership with the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Committee, presented to the Board a call for Indigenous inclusion on the RACP Board, providing historical context and emphasising the strategic importance of incorporating lived Indigenous perspectives to reflect the views and traditions of Indigenous peoples.

The discussion highlighted the benefits of such inclusion, including enhanced decision-making, cultural safety and competency, and alignment with the aspirations of the Indigenous Object.

The Māori Health Committee and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Committee urges the RACP to lead the transition towards inclusive governance, addressing the diverse needs and values of Indigenous communities. The Board resolved to consider this as part of a Board skills matrix, with further discussion to be tabled.

The Review Report into the 2021 Aotearoa New Zealand Paediatric Clinical Examination was discussed with the Chair of the investigation Barrister Maria Dew KC. Significant findings of harm caused by the College in its examination processes were noted. The Review Report will be issued to key stakeholders and then published on the College website in early 2025. The Board acknowledged this harm and is working with the management team to implement actions in a culturally safe and appropriate way, ensuring support systems are in place as we carry out the significant changes needed to protect safety in our exam process and volunteer wellbeing.

The RACP 2025 Budget & Capital Management, which includes the strategic projects around the digital transformation, commercial efficiencies and implementation of the regional, rural and remote physician (RRR) plan in Australia, and the 2025 Operating Plan were discussed and noted. The Board thanked the RRR Working Party for completing this significant piece of work and acknowledged that this Working Party has now been dissolved as its work has now been completed.

A proposal to consider the changing landscape for accreditation of non-hospital-based training across the Faculties and, increasingly, in the Divisions and Chapters was delegated to the ELA team via the CEO and the College Education Committee.

The Future of the Faculties project, which commenced in 2018, was closed. A proposal for changed delegation of budgets to Faculties was rejected, maintaining the current budget delegation of the Board to the CEO.

It was noted that there has been significant governance change around the reporting across our whole College. This is already increasing transparency and streamlining processes across the RACP.

We received a written update on our Indigenous Strategic Framework and discussed the annual progress report to the AMC/MCNZ, which is very positive. The College has achieved reaccreditation for a further four years through until 31 March 2029.

Our CEO’s Report outlined the main focus and significant achievements across the College over the last month.

Of significant interest to the Board is the work on psychological safety in the RACP being led by our People and Culture team with full Board support.

As well as working through our Member Wellbeing and People and Culture committees around implementation of some of the work, the Board noted the importance of civility throughout the College. It also approved a Civility Statement to be read out at the start of each RACP committee meeting across the RACP, and the development of a civility protocol which manages accountability of this work.

The Board has just met on 25 November 2024 for a half-day to finesse the options that will go out for member consultation on the proposed constitutional reform work. The Board will have a full-day meeting in Sydney on 13 December 2024.

Kind regards,

Professor Jennifer Martin
Chair of the RACP Board and RACP President