Priority Will Be Given to UK Medical Graduates for NHS Speciality Training Positions.According to emergency legislation that the government unveiled yesterday, UK medical graduates would have priority access to speciality training positions in the NHS.
Beginning in 2026, UK medical graduates would be legally required to be given preference for admission to core and higher speciality training under the proposed Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill.
In addition to the law, the government has promised to fill 1,000 more specialised training positions in England this year; applications will be accepted starting in April 2026.
The action takes place in the midst of intense rivalry for training spots, which has resulted in an increasing number of doctors losing their jobs. 59,698 applications were filed for just 12,743 speciality training positions in 2024, according to an analysis released by The Doctor magazine last year. This is a 39.5% increase from 2023.
The introduction of emergency legislation indicated that the government was “finally waking up to the urgency of the situation” regarding training capacity, according to Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, who cautiously welcomed the decision.
He cautioned, though, that the plans are far from sufficient to address the scope of the problem. According to him, the Government’s 10-year workforce strategy, which calls for the creation of 1,000 new jobs in England, would not be enough on its own.
“Today is a positive step, but we have a long way to go before we can give resident physicians confidence that the government can address the employment crisis,” Dr. Fletcher stated.
“This new policy, which will apply to all four countries and prioritise UK medical graduates for NHS jobs, will somewhat reduce the number of doctors who are unemployed despite the state having made significant investments in their training.”
He went on to say that patients shouldn’t anticipate that the news will result in a large rise in the number of doctors on wards.
“There are still no truly new positions available, and this won’t close the enormous gap between applicants and spots—nearly 30,000 in England this year. Thousands more training positions are still required to address the employment issue. For this reason, doctors in England decided to continue their strike action over the NHS jobs crisis in December.
Global influence
In accordance with current trade agreements with the UK, medical graduates from the Republic of Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein would also be given preference for speciality training and the foundation program.
Prioritisation would also apply to international medical graduates (IMGs) who are currently in the UK and have finished foundation or core training, as well as those who have EU settled status, British dual citizenship, or indefinite permission to remain.
Although their applications would not be given priority, other IMGs might still apply for positions requiring specialised training.
Dr. Fletcher pointed out that the government’s strategy deviates from BMA guidelines, which stipulate that all IMGs who are GMC-registered, working in the NHS by March 5, 2025, and have at least two years of NHS experience should be given preference.
He stated, “We are worried about the impact on doctors who have substantial NHS experience but received their training overseas.” “This legislation does not go far enough to properly recognise and protect these doctors, and any changes must do so.”
Modifications to the Foundation program
Additionally, the law would give UK graduates preference when it comes to admission to the UK Foundation Programme. Due to shortages, roughly 700 graduates were given “placeholder” positions instead of confirmed positions last year, leaving many recently certified doctors unsure about their future employment.
Prioritisation, according to the government, should expedite the resolution of placeholder allocations and drastically lower the number of graduates without solid foundation postings.
The law would implement prioritising at the offer stage for speciality training positions starting in 2026, subject to parliamentary review. Prioritisation for the foundation program would occur during the allocation process to foundation schools.