New Law Gives UK Medical Graduates Priority for Training Places – But Questions Remain Over Implementation

On 5 March 2026, the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act received Royal Assent and came into force, marking a significant policy shift in how medical training posts are allocated across the United Kingdom. The new law prioritises graduates from UK, Irish and European Economic Area medical schools for foundation and specialty training positions, in response to escalating competition for posts that has left thousands of UK-trained doctors struggling to secure positions despite years of public investment in their education.

The legislation addresses a mounting crisis in medical workforce planning. According to NHS Employers, applications for specialty training have surged dramatically from 12,000 in 2019 to nearly 40,000 for 2026. Similarly, applications for foundation training – the first year of postgraduate medical training – have exceeded available places, forcing applicants into temporary ‘placeholder’ positions where they may not know their training location until the last minute. This practice has long frustrated medical students and early-career doctors planning their futures.

Jack Fletcher, chair of the British Medical Association’s resident doctors committee, welcomed the legislation as “an important step toward fixing the jobs crisis for doctors.” He acknowledged that the act “recognises, at last, the scale of the bottlenecks that have left too many UK-trained doctors struggling to find posts despite years of public investment in their education and training.” He also highlighted that the law should reduce the regrettable practice of offering placeholder positions to medical students beginning their foundation year.

Under the new framework, medical graduates from UK medical schools, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are now prioritised for foundation programme places starting in 2026. For specialty training in core and higher level posts, this same group receives priority, along with international medical graduates (IMGs) who have completed foundation or core training in the UK and hold either indefinite leave to remain, EU settled status or British citizenship.

Notably, international medical graduates already working in the NHS with appropriate immigration status will not be frozen out entirely – they simply will not receive priority for posts, meaning they can still apply but face increased competition from prioritised candidates.

Practical implementation begins immediately for the 2026 recruitment cycle. Foundation programme prioritisation takes effect at point of allocation from the 2026 round. For specialty training, shortlisting is already underway for this year’s posts, but prioritisation will be applied at the offer stage, with training commencing from 2027 onwards to allow both shortlisting and offer stage prioritisation from that point.

However, whilst the BMA and medical students’ committees have welcomed the legislation, doctors’ leaders have raised important questions about ambiguities in the law. The definition of doctors with “significant NHS experience” – a phrase central to prioritisation provisions for international medical graduates – remains unclear and will likely require further guidance from regulators and NHS England.

A particular concern centres on refugee doctors. The legislation contains no standalone provisions for refugees to access training prioritisation. Currently, refugee doctors with specialist status are treated as international medical graduates and will only receive prioritisation if they separately qualify under other priority categories – such as holding indefinite leave to remain or having completed UK foundation training. This gap prompted the British Medical Association to highlight that “refugee status is not a standalone priority group.”

Additionally, the BMA has warned that whilst the legislation represents an important step, it is not a complete solution to the jobs crisis. The organisation has called for an urgent expansion of the total number of training places available, rather than simply redistributing existing posts through prioritisation. The underlying issue remains a chronic under-provision of training places relative to the number of UK medical graduates produced by British universities each year.

The act addresses years of poor planning within medical workforce development. Medical students and early-career doctors have long complained that they cannot plan their careers with certainty, leading to retention problems and concerns about the sustainability of the NHS workforce. By guaranteeing that UK-trained graduates receive priority access to posts they have been educated and trained to fill, the legislation sends a clearer message about career pathways for those investing in UK medical education.

The BMA noted that the legislation should reduce the “spectacle” of placeholder offers – a practice that has caused considerable frustration amongst medical students who have invested years in their training, only to face uncertainty about their first professional post until days before they begin work.

Key Takeaways

• The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 5 March and came into force on 6 March, prioritising UK medical graduates for foundation and specialty training places from 2026 onwards
• Specialty training applications have risen from 12,000 in 2019 to nearly 40,000 for 2026, creating intense competition for posts
• The law covers graduates from UK, Irish and four European countries with which the UK holds trade agreements, plus certain international medical graduates already based in the NHS with permanent settlement status
• Medical leaders warn the legislation does not address the underlying shortage of training places and raises questions about how “significant NHS experience” will be defined for international medical graduates
• Refugee doctors currently lack standalone priority provisions under the legislation

What This Means for Kent Residents

For patients across Kent and Medway, this legislation should contribute to greater stability within the local NHS workforce. The policy aims to reduce uncertainty for UK-trained doctors pursuing careers within the health service, potentially improving retention rates and workforce morale. However, the sustainable delivery of healthcare services depends not just on prioritisation of training places but on expanding their total number. NHS trusts across Kent and Medway, including Kent and Medway NHS Trust, rely on both UK-trained and internationally trained medical professionals to deliver patient care. If you have concerns about accessing medical training or workforce issues affecting your local NHS services, you can contact NHS England or your local integrated care board for further information.