His Majesty King Charles III remains patron of the BGS

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is delighted to announce His Majesty King Charles III will retain his Patronage of the Society. This decision follows a comprehensive review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages conducted by the Royal Household after the King’s accession in September 2022.  

The King has been Patron of the BGS for more than 30 years, having taken up the role in July 1993 when he was Prince of Wales. During this time the Society’s membership and influence have grown considerably. The BGS now has over 5,000 members, including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals across the four nations of the UK. In September 2023, the Society was the only specialist society to be invited alongside the Royal Colleges to a No 10 summit to discuss winter planning, attended by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

As Prince of Wales, our Patron demonstrated public support for the BGS when he attended a special reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the Society in 2017. During this visit to St Thomas’ Hospital, he thanked members for their unwavering commitment to improving healthcare for older people. He also met with older patients to discuss their personal experiences and priorities when receiving care.

Professor Adam Gordon, President of the British Geriatrics Society, commented:

On behalf of the Society’s Board of Trustees and wider membership, I wish to extend our sincere thanks to His Majesty the King for retaining his Patronage of the BGS. Older people use NHS and social care services more than any other population group, many of them living with frailty and long-term conditions. Wherever they live in the UK, it is vital they have access to joined-up, high-quality services. We know His Majesty understands the importance of ensuring the health and care workforce is equipped to care for older people, now and into the future.  We are grateful for his ongoing support for our members and mission.”

Sarah Mistry, CEO of the BGS, commented:

We are delighted that the King has chosen to continue his long association with the BGS and its crucial mission of improving healthcare for older people. This prestigious Patronage helps raise public awareness of the doctors, nurses and allied health professionals working tirelessly across the UK to improve healthcare for older people."