Following agreement by our Fellows and Members at the Annual General Meeting in November 2024, His Majesty King Charles III has granted the College a Supplementary Charter and approved our revised Laws. This achievement marks a new chapter for the College.
Key changes, which came into effect on 2 September 2025, include:
- The establishment of a new Board of Trustees, which now holds overall governance responsibility.
- The Board, chaired by the President, includes the Office Bearers, up to two Council members (Member Trustees), and four or five lay trustees (Appointed Trustees) who will bring additional skills and expertise to the College.
- The roles of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer will be discontinued at the AGM and replaced by two additional Vice Presidents, with their previous responsibilities shared across the Board.
- An expanded Council, increasing the number of elected College Fellows from November 2025 from 15 to 17.
The Council remains central to our College and will be further strengthened with additional representatives from the Trainees’, Younger Fellows, and Specialty Doctor, Associate Specialist, Specialist Grade & Locally Employed Surgeons (SASL) Committees, as well as our Deans of Education, Examinations, Quality Assurance and the International Postgraduate Deanery.
This broader representation ensures that a wider range of voices, experiences, and expertise can inform decision-making, enabling the Council to better reflect and serve our diverse membership, while enhancing the quality, inclusivity and global reach of our work.
From November 2025, Council terms will change from a maximum of two five-year terms to three three-year terms, creating more opportunities for members to participate and progress into senior roles.
These reforms bring us into line with modern charity practice and enable us to strengthen our regulations, faculties, committees and networks, giving our members even greater opportunities to contribute to the life and work of the College.
Freed from the legal responsibilities of trusteeship, Council will focus on professional and membership matters, including education, training, assessment, maintenance of standards and the preservation of our heritage.
Professor Rowan Parks
President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh