Medicine: British Students Abroad

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.