New RCOG President elected
Dr Alison Wright has been announced as the RCOG President-Elect.
The new President was elected by a ballot of Fellows and Members in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Voting took place between Monday 19 May - Tuesday 17 June.
Dr Wright will take office in December of this year and will serve a three-year term as President.
Election information
In February 2025, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) launched the process to elect its new President.
The President is the chair of the RCOG’s Council, an ambassador for the global community of obstetricians and gynaecologists, and a professional leader for the specialty.
Through the office of President, clinicians of outstanding calibre have supported the RCOG’s work from a unique vantage, contributing their own expertise to help maintain the College’s standards of clinical excellence.
The President acts as a representative of the RCOG’s UK and international membership, which numbers around 18,000 members worldwide. As a public ambassador and spokesperson for the RCOG, the President plays a vital role in strengthening the organisation’s influence on the global stage.
Over a three-year term, commencing in December 2025, the new President will support the RCOG to achieve its ambitious five-year strategy, working with beneficiaries in the UK and globally.
Questions or concerns about the RCOG President election can be submitted via email to RCOGelections@rcog.org.uk.
Election process
Presidential candidates were nominated by RCOG Members and Fellows in February-March of this year.
All candidates took part in a live Q&A session on Monday 12 May, which was broadcast to the wider electorate.
The President was elected by eligible Fellows and Members in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Voting took place in May-June and was carried out via an online ballot, using the Single Transferable Voting system.
Further information about the College’s electoral system is available in the RCOG Regulations.
Who is eligible to stand for President?
In line with the RCOG Regulations, candidates for the role of President must meet the following criteria to be eligible to stand for election:
- To be a Fellow of the RCOG in active practice* throughout the entire election period, who has been, or is currently, a voting member of RCOG Council
- To be up to date with their membership subscription
- To have been nominated by three Fellows or Members (all of whom must be in good standing and also be up to date with their membership subscription at the time of nomination)
As an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees, the President must meet additional criteria for Trustees, which are outlined in the Declaration of Interests and Good Standing in the candidate pack.
*For an explanation of the term ‘active practice’, please see the FAQs below.
Who was eligible to stand for President?
In line with the RCOG Regulations, candidates for the role of President had to meet the following criteria to be eligible to stand for election:
- To be a Fellow of the RCOG in active practice* throughout the entire election period, who has been, or is currently, a voting member of RCOG Council
- To be up to date with their membership subscription
- To have been nominated by three Fellows or Members (all of whom must be in good standing and also be up to date with their membership subscription at the time of nomination)
As an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees, the President had to also meet additional criteria for Trustees, which were outlined in the Declaration of Interests and Good Standing in the candidate pack.
*For an explanation of the term ‘active practice’, please see the FAQs below.
Who was able to vote in the election?
Voting for the College President is now closed.
The RCOG President is elected by a ballot of Fellows and Members in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
According to RCOG Regulations, the Presidential electorate constitutes Fellows and Members (including retired) who:
- Hold or have held in the UK or the Republic of Ireland their main or principal university or hospital appointment OR
- (In default of holding any such appointment) practise as a medical practitioner in the UK or the Republic of Ireland in obstetrics and/or gynaecology OR
- (If they have retired) reside in the UK or the Republic of Ireland; AND
- (Unless retired) are not in arrears with their subscriptions to the RCOG.
This excludes Trainees who are not yet members, Affiliates, Associates and Honorary Fellows (including Fellows ad eundem and Fellows honoris causa), who are not eligible to vote in the election.
Frequently asked questions
Voting for the College President has now closed.
Instructions on voting were circulated to all UK/ROI Members and Fellows via email or post, and information on all candidates was made available to voters via the election website.
All RCOG Fellows and Members (including those retired) who practice mainly in the UK or the Republic of Ireland were eligible to vote in the RCOG’s Presidential election, providing they were up to date with their membership subscription.
Please note that RCOG Trainees, Affiliates, Associates and Honorary Fellows (including Fellows ad eundem and Fellows honoris causa) were not eligible to vote.
College Regulations state that a person will only be eligible to be elected as President if she or he is in Active Practice throughout the election period. Regulation 1.1 defines “Active Practice”, in respect of a Fellow or Member, by the following criteria:
- Has a valid licence to practise as a medical practitioner from the UK General Medical Council or the Medical Council of Ireland (or any statutory successor to such bodies); and
- Is engaged as a medical practitioner in the UK or the Republic of Ireland in the practice of obstetrics and/or gynaecology for which a licence to practice is required in terms of (i) above; and
- Is not in arrears with her or his subscription to the College.
In addition, a person will only be eligible to be elected as the President if she or he is a Fellow who has been a voting member of the Council at any time prior to the date of her or his nomination.
Please ensure all your documents and form entries are typewritten, and scanned files are of high quality and clearly legible. Please also note that where page or word limits are exceeded any additional text will be deleted. The nomination form must be signed by all parties, and all sections must be complete. No substitutes for this form will be accepted (e.g. emails from nominators), so you are encouraged to collect your nominators’ signatures and populate the form in good time to ensure you do not miss the submission deadline.
Yes. The College will accept either scanned signatures or a digital signature in place of a hand-signed document. The College will not accept a simple typed signature.
Please click this link for an explanation of Single Transferable Voting.
The newly elected President will assume office at a meeting of Council held on Friday 12 December 2025.
The President will hold office for a term of three years (as defined in Regulation 10.24), at the end of which she or he shall retire.
Council members are entitled to stand for re-election to Council and election as President in the same year, providing that a) they fulfil the Presidential nominee criteria detailed in the candidate pack, and b) they are within the scope of the following Regulations 8.1 and 8.2, at the time of nomination for Council:
8.1 Each Elected member, who is a Member, shall hold office for a term of four years from the date she or he takes office, at the end of which she or he shall retire and shall only be eligible for re-election as an Elected member if she or he becomes a Fellow.
8.2 Each Elected member, who is a Fellow, shall hold office for a term of three years, from the date she or he takes office, at the end of which she or he shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election as an Elected member for one further term of three years.
However, if an Elected member of Council is elected to any Officer post, her or his place as an Elected member of Council will be deemed to be vacant in line with College Regulations.