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The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is a charity and a membership body for paediatricians. By the time you have read this article, you will hopefully know more about what the RCPCH does for members and what members can do for the RCPCH.
About the college
When people talk about ‘the College’ they might be referring to a building or a group of individuals, but the RCPCH is the sum of its members, staff and trustees. The RCPCH has over 20 000 members (including 8000 International members), employs 180 staff and has 12 trustees. The RCPCH was established in 1996 (with roots in the British Paediatric Association going back further) and its charitable aims, which remain highly relevant 26 years later, are as follows:
To advance the art and science of paediatrics
To raise the standard of medical care provided to children
To educate and examine those concerns with the health of children
To advance the education of the public in child health
But how does it achieve these aims? The short answer is that RCPCH uses the resources of its members, its staff, its Board of Trustees plus the voice of children (the latter through the &Us network) to develop and execute its strategy. The 2021 Annual Review1 details recent actions and impact of the RCPCH. RCPCH’s current strategy was published in 20212 and focuses on supporting members, application of knowledge, data, training and assessment, and having a children and young person’s voice.
How the college supports its members
The 2021 annual member survey3 found that members are generally satisfied with their college (mean score 3.6 out of 5), believe that their college speaks up effectively for paediatrics and child health and is improving its support for members. Archives of Disease in Childhood was ranked highest of all RCPCH services by members in …
Footnotes
Contributors SWT conceived and wrote the initial and final draft of this body of work, with input from many colleagues who are acknowledged. SWT is the guarantor of this work.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.