Obstetricians and gynaecologists are the latest specialties to confront a debate on whether being a fellow of a ‘royal’ college is outdated and offensive.

Professor James Nicklin and Dr Greg Robertson — based in Brisbane and Sydney, respectively — have been campaigning for RANZCOG to drop the Royal prefix and become ANZCOG but claim the college’s board is resisting change.

However, the two doctors’ arguments have now been accepted for publication in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

In their article, they say neither RANZCOG nor the UK’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists automatically recognise the fellowship of the other college, so a specific relationship between the two is tenuous.