Dr Mumtaz Patel, acting as PRCP and senior censor said: “This week the RCP attended the Conservatives’ party conference in Birmingham, the final UK political party conference of 2024.  We met with shadow ministers, key parliamentary stakeholders, and participated in roundtable discussions.

“The party conference was largely focused on the Conservative party leadership contest and it was disappointing not to hear from candidates about how they would tackle the key challenges facing the NHS.

“Our engagement with current shadow ministers was fruitful and we discussed the importance of tackling health inequalities, particularly related to tobacco and obesity. We will seek to continue to engage with these stakeholders and we are keen to work constructively with the successful leadership candidate (and their health team) to ensure that the new UK government delivers its commitments on workforce, health inequality, research and sustainability.”