20 August 2012

New RCGP Headquarters to Open in October 2012

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has announced that its landmark headquarters in Euston, London, will now be fully open to members in October 2012, due to slight delays caused by the unseasonal downpours.

Staff will move as planned on 24 September and all membership support services will be fully functional. The Clinical Skills Assessment Centre – where trainees take the MRCGP examination – will also be ready from that date, with its first intake of GP candidates due in November.

Over the following two to three weeks, the remaining space, including the 300-seater auditorium, 41 study bedrooms and fifth floor “state rooms”, will be phased in to use.

The September Council meeting that had been scheduled to take place at Euston will now be held at Skinners' Hall, the venue that the College has been using for Council meetings during its time in temporary accommodation in Bow Churchyard.

Dr Colin Hunter, RCGP Honorary Treasurer, said: “The refurbishment work on the building has been a huge undertaking and, given the exceptional downpours in April and June, a two to three week delay is not unreasonable.

“The majority of the work is now complete and the main areas of the building are safe to move into. We will be working hard to ensure that it is business as usual for our members and that they experience no disruption to the services that the College provides for them.

“We look forward to welcoming our members to 30 Euston Square. Creating world-class facilities through the provision of our new headquarters will help the College to further improve general practice, develop its support for GP education and professional development, and thereby raise standards of patient care.”

Ends

FURTHER INFORMATION

RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7574/7575/7576
Out of hours: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

NOTES:

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 44,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.