This week, psychiatrists, trainees, affiliates, mental health leaders, researchers, educators, people with lived and living experience, families, carers, whānau, partners and colleagues from across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world gather in Melbourne for our annual Congress.

Melbourne is an inclusive, diverse and vibrant city, a place shaped by many cultures, faiths, identities and communities. It is a fitting place for us to come together as a College at an important moment in our shared journey.

This week we will also launch the RANZCP Strategic Plan 2026–2030. At the heart of that plan are our College values of Collaboration, Equity, Integrity and Respect, and Impact.

These values define who we are, how we lead, and how we make decisions. They set the standard for how we work with our members, and how we serve the communities who place their trust in psychiatry.

As your elected Board, we hold ultimate responsibility for the College’s governance, standards, reputation and sustainability. That responsibility includes supporting our members, upholding the integrity of Fellowship, and acting carefully and proportionately when serious matters arise.

These responsibilities are not abstract.

Many members will be familiar with the profound harms that occurred at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit in Aotearoa New Zealand. The College has formally apologised to survivors, their whānau and all those affected by the abuses that occurred under the care of Dr Selwyn Leeks and others. That history remains a painful and enduring reminder of the consequences of professional failure, not only for individuals, but for communities, for trust in psychiatry, and for the standing of our profession.

Lake Alice sits at the extreme end of that spectrum. But it reminds us of something fundamental: that trust in psychiatry is hard earned and easily lost, and that professional bodies must be prepared to act when serious concerns arise.

The College is not a regulator. In Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia are responsible for regulating medical registration, investigating notifications, and imposing conditions or restrictions where required. In Aotearoa New Zealand, that role sits with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

The College does not duplicate these processes, nor does it make regulatory findings. However, it does have distinct responsibilities as the peak body for psychiatry and as the custodian of Fellowship standards.

Under the RANZCP Constitution, the Board may cease or suspend membership where a member has conditions or restrictions placed on their right to practise by a regulatory authority. The Constitution also provides separate pathways for matters relating to conduct, which are managed through established processes, including the Member Conduct Committee.

Where a regulator places significant restrictions on a member’s clinical practice, the Board has a responsibility to consider the implications for College membership, governance roles, Fellowship standards and community confidence. Suspension of membership is a serious step. It is not taken lightly, and it is not a substitute for regulatory processes. 

The Board has, on previous occasions, taken similar actions where required under the Constitution. These decisions are made carefully, based on the information available at the time, and reflect a consistent approach to governance rather than a response to any single circumstance.

At the same time, these are sensitive matters. Members affected by such processes should be treated with fairness, dignity and care. They should be supported to access appropriate wellbeing, professional and legal supports. The College recognises the personal and professional impact these situations can have and approaches them with appropriate seriousness.

The College is also taking steps to strengthen its processes to ensure that it is made aware, in a timely and structured way, when significant restrictions are placed on a member’s registration. At present, the College is not routinely notified of such regulatory actions. We will be working with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia to explore mechanisms for appropriate information sharing, so that the College can meet its governance responsibilities in a consistent and timely manner.

This is part of the ongoing maturation of the College’s governance ensuring that we are responsive and responsible in how we uphold standards, support members, and maintain public trust.

High expectations of the profession are integral to maintaining public trust.

Our work brings us into contact with people at moments of vulnerability, distress and complexity. The trust placed in us is profound. Fellowship of the College carries with it not only professional recognition, but responsibility to patients, to communities, to each other, and to the standing of our profession.

That is the work of a profession and everyone's responsibility.

Hope you have a good start to your week wherever you might be. 

Dr Astha Tomar
President