The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is currently finalising the timeline for its review of the Preference Informed Allocation process. The UKFPO anticipates that the review will commence in Autumn 2026 and continue throughout 2027. The abolition of NHS England and the associated timelines are subject to legislation and the will of Parliament.

The allocation of reserve list applicants to foundation schools is still on-going. The UK Foundation Programme Office published an update on 3 July detailing two further reserve-list allocation rounds which will take place on 15 July and 29 July respectively. The update on the reserve-list allocations is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/ukfp-2026-reserve-allocation-update/

The Department funds health and care research via its research operational arm the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) across England. The Department is committed to ensuring that research is inclusive and representative of the population geographically and demographically. Inclusion is one of the top four priorities for the NIHR, reported against publicly in the NIHR Annual Report.

From November 2024, the Department made inclusion a condition of NIHR funding for all domestic research awards. All applicants must demonstrate how their research will address existing inequalities, including place-based inequalities, in health and social care, and researchers will be held to account for delivering on their plans.

The NIHR’s funding committees prioritise research that addresses the most important health and care evidence gaps, with strong potential for impact, and also consider scientific excellence and value for money. The Department has not considered using geographical location of host institutions as a tie-breaker in research competitions, but through the NIHR it is taking a number of other steps to secure equitable allocation of health research funding. These include targeted programme design, place‑based research partnerships, and long‑term capacity building in under‑served regions, such as the regional Commercial Research Delivery Centres across England, including in Yorkshire and across the north of England. More information about the services and support for the life sciences industry that the NIHR offers is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/support-and-services/industry/explore

For the NIHR personal career development awards, applications covering certain themes such as topic, setting, or profession, are prioritised where more applications are considered fundable than there is budget available, and in this way a recent round of senior investigator awards prioritised applicants hosted by organisations based outside of the Greater South East.

In addition, in April this year the NIHR’s Research Delivery Network, which supports all National Health Service trusts in England to deliver research, implemented a new national funding allocation model for NHS support costs and research delivery which will reduce regional variations in health research delivery investment. More information on the new funding allocation model is available at the following link:

https://rdn.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/rdn-funding-model

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Government has no plans to introduce pathways for British nationals who obtained medical degrees overseas when applying for National Health Service roles.

NHS employers work at a local level to ensure they have the workforce they need, which includes making decisions about recruiting doctors who have qualified overseas and determining the support they may require.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty training places. It is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands. Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated.