About the College
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the
academic organisation in the UK for general practitioners. Its aim
is to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general
medical practice and act as the ‘voice’ of general practitioners on
education, training and standards issues. Founded in
1952,
the RCGP is a relatively young organisation with an outstanding
record of achievement. Milestones in its history include the
establishment of vocational training in general practice, the
setting up of clinical guidelines for doctors, the expansion of
research into general medical practice and the promotion of primary
care.
The word ‘College’ is a little misleading because the RCGP
doesn’t have students or lectures in the normal sense of the word.
Traditionally, medical organisations concerned with professional
studies have been known as ‘colleges’ - hence the use of the word.
In practice, the Royal College of General Practitioners is a
network of doctors who are committed to improving patient care,
developing their own skills and developing general practice. RCGP
Membership is currently just over 34,000.
The RCGP is an
International
organisation with members all over the world. Its headquarters are
at Princes Gate, London, but it also has an extensive network of
local groups called 'faculties' which provide a local focus for
doctors throughout the UK - please use map on right to
navigate to your local faculty.