Doctors’ College moves to drop ‘Royal’ from name

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has begun steps toward potentially dropping the ‘Royal’ from its name.

Christchurch GP Dermot Coffey proposed cancelling the royal nomenclature, which he said was a relic of colonialism that could alienate patients and the community, and did not reflect the organisation’s stance.

His proposal was supported when it was put forward as a motion during the college’s annual meeting last weekend.

College president Dr Samantha Murton said the organisation would now carry out broader consultation and look at alternative names, costs, and a possible timeline for the change.

The findings would be presented at the organisation’s next annual general meeting, when members would be asked what they want to do.

The college is the professional body for general practitioners, and provides ongoing education after they qualify as medical doctors.