Membership FAQs

Complete the 'Become a member' questionnaire and fill out the online form presented to you.

Your submission will be reviewed by the Membership Engagement team to confirm eligibility for the category applied for. We aim to inform individuals of the result of their application within 5 working days of it being received.

If you have any queries when completing the form, please contact the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1700 (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00).

To view a full list of College membership categories, please click here.

We are aware that some scenarios and circumstances do not fit the existing criteria of our membership categories, which are set by the College's Regulations.

If you have any questions when going through the questionnaire, please contact the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1700 (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00). We will advise on your options for membership.

If you are starting Core/ ACCS training, you will need to complete the Anaesthetist in training registration form and select Core/ ACCS training in the first data field. Even if you are already a member of the College, we require you to complete this form to ensure we have all the information required for your training record. Your existing membership record will be updated accordingly so you retain the same College Reference Number (CRN).

When you start, or if you have started, ST3 you will need to re-register with the College. This is a requirement of the GMC to confirm that you are in an ST3 post having passed all of the requirements at CT1 and CT2. Please complete the Anaesthetist in training registration form again but select Specialty Registrar training in the first data field.

If you have any questions regarding training, please contact the Training team on 020 7092 1550 or via training@rcoa.ac.uk.

Membership of the College is a requirement to be eligible to sit the FRCA examinations.

Complete the 'Become a member' questionnaire and fill out the online form presented to you.

Your submission will be reviewed by the Membership Engagement team to confirm eligibility for the category applied for. We aim to inform individuals of the result of their application within 5 working days of it being received.

If you are unable to answer the questions due to your circumstances you can check to see if Temporary Examination Eligibility (TEE) is an option for you. Please be aware TEE is not a membership category and you would not be classed as a member of the College. The Examination team manage and support the TEE process, if you have any questions relating to this, please contact them via exams@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1520.

For full details on exam eligibility please see the examination webpages here.

Lanyards are now available to order via the online College Shop

We issue a membership certificate to individuals who become members of the following categories:

• Honorary Fellow
• Fellow ad Eundem (FRCA)
• Associate Fellow
• Member (MRCA)
• Associate Member

We are currently developing and changing membership certificates, introducing digital certificates in the near future and designing ones for Anaesthetist in Training and International Affiliates.

A membership certificate is only valid to reflect membership of the College at time of issue and up to the point that your membership stops. If your membership stops being active the certificate becomes invalid, you can no longer use any post-nominal related to your membership category and your benefits/ services from the College will cease.

If you re-join the College in the same membership category your membership certificate becomes valid to use once again, until the point your membership stops again.

The College does not produce examination certificates. Examination results are confirmed and communicated by letter and/ or email.

If you have an active membership of the College and pass all of your examinations you will receive a certificate to reflect that you have become a Fellow of the College. Your membership category will also be updated to Fellow by Examination. For full details about this membership category please click here.

A Fellowship certificate is only valid to reflect membership of the College at time of issue and up to the point that your membership stops. If your membership stops being active the certificate becomes invalid, you can no longer use any post-nominal related to your membership category and your benefits/ services from the College will cease.

If you re-join the College in the same membership category your membership certificate becomes valid to use once again, until the point your membership stops again.

We do not produce Fellowship certificates for individuals who have passed the examinations but are not members of the College, this includes FICM only members and TEE candidates.

For full details on exam eligibility please see the examination webpages here.

Yes, you can request a replacement certificate by emailing the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk. The team will provide you with the details of the process.

Please note, there is a £35.00 fee for replacements and these certificates will look different to the original.

For new trainee members, this will be automatically created for you approximately 24 hours after your anaesthetist in training registration form has been approved by the Membership Engagement team.

You will receive an email informing you when the account is ready and how to access it.

For non-trainee members please email the Lifelong Learning team via lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk with the following information:

Email Subject Line = New LLP Account Request
Type of access required (e.g., Consultant, MTI Doctor, SAS Doctor, Trainee)
Your College Reference Number (CRN)
Your current Hospital

For non-members access will only be granted if you are an assessor or supervisor. Please complete and submit the access request form here.
 

No.

For a short period of time, you will be able to access your account to download your portfolio, but all data associated to your record will not be editable and access to the CPD and Logbook functionality will be removed. Once that download period has passed your account will not be accessible.

If you have any questions or issues, please contact the Lifelong Learning team via lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1556, Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00.

Yes, but only the functionality to enable you to fulfil your role as a supervisor/ assessor.

If you have any questions or issues, please contact the Lifelong Learning team via lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1556, Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00.

Please contact the Lifelong Learning team via lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk or call 020 7092 1556, Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00.

My RCoA accounts are not automatically created when membership is approved. You need to activate your account directly.

On the main College website and click the Login button. Below the login fields you will see Register Now as an option. Click on that link, follow the instructions and use the email address that is associated with your membership record. This is required to enable our system to reflect your details on your My RCoA dashboard.

For the step by step Join instructions click here.

If your password is not working, please use the ‘Forgotten password’ button on the My RCoA login page to reset your password.

If it is not your password, check you are using the email address associated with your membership record. This email address is the one we use for all College communications.

If you need further assistance or need to update your login details, please contact the Membership Engagement team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk and provide a screen shot of any error messages you have received.

To access the most recent issue of the BJA and BJA Education you can log into your My RCoA account.

To access previous issues of both journals you will need to create an online profile with both publications by visiting either http://bjanaesthesia.org or http://bjaed.org.

If you have questions about creating your Elsevier online access, or need help to do so, please telephone the Elsevier Customer Support on:

Europe Telephone: +44 (0) 1865-843434 / +44 (0) 1865-843177 (opening hours 9:00am to 5:00pm)
US and Canada Telephone: 800-654-2452
emeasocieties@elsevier.com

Yes, if you are a Medical Student, Foundation Years Doctor or Trainee member of the College (Anaesthetist in Training or Fellow in Training (UK), please email us via membership@rcoa.ac.uk to request a unique application link.

If you are moving within the UK, the quickest way to update your address is to log into your My RCoA account to edit your contacts details.

If you are moving abroad, please email the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk as we will advise on any changes to your membership rate.

Please email the Membership Engagement team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk if you wish to change the email address associated with your membership record. If you have activated your My RCoA account we will need to inform you of how to re-access your account.

Please note, your Lifelong Learning Platform log in is not connected to your membership record or My RCoA account so if you need to update the log in details for that system either follow the online instructions or contact the Lifelong Learning team via lifelong@rcoa.ac.uk.

If you are registered with the GMC, please go through their change of name procedure first. Once this has been completed, notify us of your change in name and we will update your membership record immediately without requiring any documentation.

If you are working overseas and you are unable to change your name on the GMC Register because you do not currently have an active GMC registration, please send us a copy of your marriage certificate including a certified English translation if the marriage certificate is in a foreign language.

Please email us on membership@rcoa.ac.uk the Membership Engagement team to advise us of your change of name.

You can request a letter confirming the details of your membership by emailing us via membership@rcoa.ac.uk.

The letter will confirm your name, membership category and if applicable the date your fellowship or membership was awarded. This service is free of charge.

The College receives verification requests from various agencies employed to check credentials. If we receive a request concerning your record, we will contact you by email to check that we have your permission to divulge information to the relevant organisation before proceeding with the request. This service is provided free of charge to active members of the College.

For non-members, there is a charge of £40 (inc. VAT) payable for each verification request received. The College will send the individual a secure payment link to make payment online before we action the verification request.

If you join the College between March and August, your membership fee will be due for payment 1st October. 

If you join the College between September and February, your membership fee will be due for payment 1st April.

Your membership renewal payment will then always be due on either 1st October or 1st April.

Please note, these ranges may vary dependent on when the Membership Engagement team action the generating of membership payment invoices. Your membership payment communications will confirm the date and amount your membership fee is due for payment by.

You can pay by:

Direct debit (UK bank accounts only)

Please click here to complete the online direct debit form. It is important you input the same email address that is on your membership record.

If you wish to set up a monthly payment plan please email the membership engagement team, via membership@rcoa.ac.uk, to confirm this once you have processed your online direct debit form.

Online by credit/ debit card

Log into your My RCoA account to make payment securely and quickly. If you have a membership invoice due for payment this will appear towards the top of your dashboard with a 'pay now' button.

The College accepts payment from all providers, including American Express.

If you have not activated your My RCoA account, you need to that first before attempting to make payment. Follow the activation process found here, it is important you use the same email address that is on your membership record.

Bank transfer

You can carry out a bank transfer in £GBP to the following bank details:

From a UK Bank account (please quote your College Reference Number (CRN) as the payment reference):

The Royal Bank of Scotland, 1st Floor Houblon House, 62-63 Threadneedle Street, City of London, London, EC2R 8HP.

Sort Code: 16-00-15
Account Number: 11039467

From a non-UK bank account (please quote your College Reference Number (CRN) as the payment reference):

IBAN: GB57 RBOS1600 1511 0394 67
IBAN BIC: RBOS GB 2L
 

Telephone by credit/ debit card

Call the Membership Engagement team to make payment securely over the phone on 020 7092 1700, (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.00) .

If your membership is to be paid by a third party, eg. your employer, we will send you the advance payment notice, and it is your responsibility to share this information with the relevant third party. It is preferable for them to pay using credit/ debit card or bank transfer. 

Membership fees are due for payment on either 1st October or 1st April depending on your payment notice communication and it is important that your fees are paid as promptly as possible. We recognise and accept that payments may take some time to arrange, particularly for those members based overseas. 

Nevertheless, members who are in arrears for a three-month period or more will have their membership closed and benefits removed. We will attempt to communicate with you using the contact details on your membership record if your membership is in arrears and notify you if your membership is closed.

If that occurs, you can contact the Membership Engagement team to request reinstatement via membership@rcoa.ac.uk.

Yes, the college is listed in HMRC’s approved list of professional organisations, allowing our members to reclaim the tax they pay on their professional subscription. If you are not already claiming, you can find guidance on HMRC’s website.

Yes, for the payment of your current membership year log into your My RCoA account to request the receipt. This will be generated and sent as an attachment to an email from the College’s CRM system. Sometimes these emails go into junk/ spam folders, so do check those.

If you require receipts for previous membership years or if you are a monthly direct debit schedule payer, please send us an email confirming which years you require a receipt for, within the last seven, to membership@rcoa.ac.uk.

If you join the College between March and August, your membership fee will be collected by direct debit on, or shortly after, 1st October. If you join the College between September and February, your membership fee will be collected by direct debit on, or shortly after, 1st April.

If you have set up a monthly payment schedule, we attempt to collect each month’s payment on, or shortly after, the 1st of each month. The detail of this will be confirmed in your advance direct debit payment notice.

Yes, if you set up or have a direct debit instruction to pay your membership fee. Please contact the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk if you would like to set up a monthly payment schedule.

If you pay by card or bank transfer, we are unable to offer a monthly payment schedule.

Yes, if you have a monthly payment schedule set up but wish to move to an annual (single) payment schedule please contact the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk and they will advise if there is any outstanding fee to be paid and how to make payment for this.

If you do not pay by direct debit, you are automatically set up with an annual (single) payment schedule.

Yes, but we advise you to notify us of this action by email via membership@rcoa.ac.uk. 

If you wish to continue your membership you will be required to pay the outstanding balance.

If you wish to cancel your membership the team can action this for you. No refund will be due as you would have paid for the months of membership you have received your benefits and services for.

Please contact the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk to request this. We will then advise how this affects any membership payments.

We endeavour to contact our members whose direct debit payments, whether annual or monthly, fail to ascertain why. If possible, and agreed by the member, we will reinstate the direct debit instruction. However, if this fails after several attempts, we will request payment is made by other means.

We endeavour to contact our members whose had a problem with their direct debit to ascertain what happened. If possible, and agreed by the member, we will reinstate the direct debit instruction. However, if this fails after several attempts, we will request payment is made by other means.

Your membership will remain active while we attempt to resolve the issue.

If you notify us of your request within 6 months of being invoiced for your membership fee, we will review your record and confirm if a refund (partial or full) is due. We check each request on a case-by-case basis. 

If you notify us of your request after 6 months of being invoiced for your membership fee, in accordance with the Colleges Subscription Collection Policy, a refund will not be issued. You can continue your membership until your renewal date, so to continue receiving the benefits and access to services. Please notify the Membership Engagement team if you wish to cancel your membership on that date.

If you are a monthly direct debit payer, we will stop your payments and no refund will be due as you would have paid for the months of membership you have received your benefits and services for.

You can apply for a discount if you meet the following criteria:

• Your membership category is Fellow by Examination, Fellow ad Eundem, Associate Fellow, Fellow in Training, Member, Associate Member or Anaesthetist in Training

And

• You work fewer than 8 programmed activities (including supporting professional activities) per week
• Or work less than 0.80 or 79% and below, whole time equivalent

Discount available:

• Application received before or within 3 months of membership fee payment date = 25%
• Application received after 3 months of membership fee payment date but within 6 months =18%
• Application received after 6 months of membership fee payment date will be applied to your next membership renewal and no refund issued.

Please note, we are unable to back date requests.

If you would like to apply for this discount please complete the self-declaration form found here, which will be emailed to the Membership Engagement team. We require a new, completed self-declaration form each membership year for the less than full time discount to be applied.

If you are retiring, or have recently retired please contact us and we can advise on your membership options.

If you are on, or due to be on, maternity leave or extended parental leave or adoption leave (this leave has to be longer than the statutory amount), you can apply to have your membership without a fee for twelve months.

Let us know about your leave as soon as you can so we can support you. For us to provide you with this discount we do require notice before or during your leave. If you notify us after your leave, we are unable to back date the discount.

Please complete the self-declaration form found here, which will be emailed to the Membership Engagement team.

Your membership will remain active while you take your leave so that you continue to receive your benefits and services.

Yes, the College provides supported subscriptions to our members who are on, or have been on, sick leave for a period of 6 months or more. 

Please complete the self-declaration form found here, which will be emailed to the Membership Engagement team.

• Requests received before or within 1 month of your membership fee payment due date will receive a full refund of the difference between the current membership rate and supported subs rate.
• Requests received after 1 month but within 3 months will receive a 75% refund of the difference between the current membership rate and supported subs rate.
• Requests received after 3 months but within 6 months will receive a 50% refund of the difference between the current membership rate and supported subs rate.

Please note, we are unable to back date requests.

We require a new, completed self-declaration form each membership year for the discount to be applied if you continue to be on long term sick leave.

Please let us know by email via membership@rcoa.ac.uk when/ if you have moved overseas and provide us with an overseas address, which can be either residential or place of work.

We will then update your membership record to reflect an overseas rate if your membership category has one. The overseas rate amount will be dependent on the World Bank definition of the countries income (High, Middle (including both lower-middle and upper-middle) and Low).

• Requests received before or within 1 month of your membership fee payment due date will receive a full refund of the difference between the UK and Overseas rate.
• Requests received after 1 month but within 3 months will receive a 75% refund of the difference between the UK and Overseas rate.
• Requests received after 3 months but within 6 months will receive a 50% refund of the difference between the UK and Overseas rate.
• Requests received after 6 months will be applied to your next membership renewal and no refund issued.

Please note, we are unable to back date requests.

If you have retired from full-time practice you are eligible to join our Senior Fellows and Members Club (SFMC).

For full details about the SFMC please click here.

To request a change in your membership please email the team via membership@rcoa.ac.uk .

Upon receiving your request, we will check to see if any refund in membership fee is due.

• Requests received before or within 1 month of your membership fee payment due date will receive a full refund of the difference between your previous membership rate and your new SFMC rate.
• Requests received after 1 month but within 3 months will receive a 75% refund of the difference between your previous membership rate and your new SFMC rate.
• Requests received after 3 months but within 6 months will receive a 50% refund of the difference between your previous membership rate and your new SFMC rate.
• Requests received after 6 months will be applied to your next membership renewal and no refund issued.

Please note, we are unable to back date requests.

The College has three overseas discounted rates:

• Lower income countries
• Middle income countries
• High income countries

This is slightly different to the World Bank who have four definition categories:

• Low income
• Lower-middle income
• Upper-middle income
• High income

The College groups the Lower-middle and Upper-middle categories together under its Middle income discounted rate.