Sign outside the Royal College of Psychiatrists building in London
Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 21, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Royal College of Psychiatrists, also known as RCPSYCH, is the professional medical body regulating psychiatry services and training in the United Kingdom.
  • The organization holds itself responsible for training and supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers, from the first day of training until retirement.
  • The organization has been setting and raising standards of psychiatric care in the country for decades.
Reading time: 7 min

Royal College of Psychiatrists, also known as RCPSYCH, is the professional medical body regulating psychiatry services and training in the United Kingdom. The organization holds itself responsible for training and supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers, from the first day of training until retirement.

The organization has been setting and raising standards of psychiatric care in the country for decades. It works to secure the best outcomes for individuals fighting mental health issues, developmental disorders, and learning difficulties. To make this possible, RCPSYCH focuses on promoting excellent mental health services, promoting research and quality, training brilliant psychiatrists, and setting high benchmarks and standards.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists aims to not only support their doctors in their training and careers but also help people i.e., the target population suffering from various mental health issues, through the promotion of quality services. As the educational and professional body for psychiatrists across the United Kingdom, the RCPSYCH:

  • Leads supports, and represents psychiatrists
  • Promotes excellence and sets standards in mental and psychiatric healthcare
  • Work closely with patients, their carers, and relevant organizations

Let’s explore the top three missions of the RCPSYCH in detail:

Promotes excellence and sets standards in mental and psychiatric healthcare

The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, is committed to improving the general understanding of mental health and psychiatry. The committee running this college wishes people to understand the interaction between physical and mental health and their link with the cultural and social context in which individuals live.

The college also remains at the forefront in setting and delivering high standards of services through constant training, research, and education. It leads the way in acquiring excellence and promoting best practices relevant to mental health services. Moreover, the college strongly advocates ongoing research and proudly presents its results in its world-rated psychiatric journals.

Leads, Supports and Represents psychiatrists.

The RCPSYCH is very active in promoting psychiatry as a career in the UK. Its structure is robust and delivers dedicated support to all associated members. The college also plays a key role in the representation of psychiatric expertise to government and non-government agencies nationally and internationally.

Work closely with patients, their carers, and relevant organizations.

The college routinely collaborates with all key players in the mental health and psychiatry fields and calls itself the champion for improving the quality of mental healthcare throughout various societal actors. All activities the college advocates for have public education at heart, and it also remains an essential component of its carefully-designed and well-integrated website.

In addition to running regular membership exams, known as MRCPsych, the organization also arranges many clinical and scientific lectures and conferences, giving professionals a chance for continuous professional development. Moreover, it also publishes reports, educational material, and books for professionals and the general public. Some other distinguished publications of the Royal College of Psychiatrists include the following:

  • British Journal of Psychiatrist
  • BJPsych International
  • PJPsych Advances
  • PJPsych Bulletin
  • BJPsych Open

With more than 20,000 members, the RCPSYCH has various governing bodies to ensure that the college runs smoothly, fulfils its duties, and delivers on its promises. These governing bodies are explained below, along with their organisational responsibilities and roles.

Honorary Officers

The honorary officers in the RCPSYCH are chosen through elections held by the members. These officers hold leadership roles and are one of the most senior members of the institute. All honorary officers are also a part of the Council and the Trustee Board.

Council

The RCPSYCH council has a key president who helps with various matters related to policy, education, professional standards, professional practice, quality and research, psychiatry training, and public engagement. Some of its responsibilities include electing new members and approving applications for other membership categories. The Council also provides recommendations regarding the nature, extent, and scope of membership privileges to the Board of Trustees.

Some members of the RCPSYCH include Honorary Officers, Division Chairs, Committee Chair Reps, elected and co-opted members, and Faculty Chairs.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees at the RCPSYCH  is led by an elected President, who acts as the College’s primary governing body. It owns the legal responsibility for running and managing the institute effectively, ensuring that it complies with good practice and all applicable laws and delivers on its promises and purpose.

Staff and Operations

The Royal College has a team of more than 230 staff members. These staff members have been categorised and distributed among nine different departments. The offices run by RCPSYCH are spread across the UK under the supervision of their own directors. The Senior management team at RCPSYCH meets every week to make decisions and plan on how to work on them in addition to reviewing progress on previous plans.

Special Interest Groups

The Royal College of Psychiatrists currently has 15 special interest groups or SIGs, each representing a key issue within mental health and psychiatry. Some of these issues may include marginalised groups, sustainability, and diversity. These special interest groups have a dedicated Executive Committee and a Chair.

Faculties

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has 13 faculties, each representing various major specialities and other subspecialties within the scope of psychiatry. The purpose of building faculties is to represent the existing expertise, body of knowledge, and experience in each specific speciality. Each of the RCPSYCH’s faculty has its own Chair and Committee for optimised operations

Devolved Councils

Many Devolved Councils (DCs) run under the RCPSYCH in Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland to support the college and take forward its objectives and aims. It reflects and resolves the differences in each devolved nation’s laws and services. Every DC comes with its own Chair and Executive.

Divisions

The RCPSYCH has eight divisions, each representing the college locally, tending to its local needs, and providing professional advice as needed. Each division is run by an Executive Committee and a Chair who collaborate and work closely to ensure coordination of all standards in addition to their easy accessibility to all members. Moreover, each division serves the purpose of providing high-quality training to all doctors and ensuring that they have sufficient opportunities to engage in continuous professional improvement.

In addition to local divisions, the Royal College of Psychiatrists also has six international decisions, which include the following:

  • European
  • African
  • Western Pacific
  • South Asian
  • Pan-American
  • Middle Eastern

FAQs

What awards has the Royal College of Psychiatrists won?
The RCPsyh has been embellished with numerous awards and distinctions, some of which include:
Best Conference Development in 2019
A silver award in Best Associations Website in 2019
Charity of the Year Award in 2019
Best Integrated Marketing or Membership Campaign Award in 2020
Public Affairs Campaign of the Year Award in 2021
Award for the Best Equality, Diversity or Inclusion Campaign in 2022
Award for the Best Member Support During Covid-19 during the last 12-18 months in 2022
Stonewall Gold Award in 2023 
What are RCPYSCH’s values on excellence?
RCPsych strives to maintain the following values when it comes to excellence:
 
Deliver high-class services to patients, carers, members, and other stakeholders
Provide accountability in everything the association does
Always strive to improve the organization’s performance
Promote excellent employee and membership experience
Uphold the core values for psychiatrists as determined by the College
Strongly promote professionalism by behaving responsibly and with integrity
What vision does the Royal College of Psychiatrists hold?
RCPsych aims to become a progressive and strong college that helps its members provide top-quality, person-centred care to patients belonging to all age groups and areas of the world while opposing all types of discrimination.

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