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Doctors: Recruitment

Asked by Andrew RosindellReform UKDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 17 October 2025UIN 78034

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of UK medical graduates over international applicants.

Answered by Karin Smyth

British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.

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