Hundreds of doctors urge rethink of training‑priority legislation

Hundreds of doctors, including many GPs, are calling on ministers to amend legislation that would give automatic priority to UK medical graduates applying for NHS training posts. Their petition argues that international medical graduates with substantial NHS experience should be considered alongside UK graduates rather than placed behind them under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill.

The bill, now moving through Parliament, would introduce a new system from 2026 that prioritises UK‑trained doctors for both foundation and specialty training places, with Irish‑trained doctors forming a secondary priority group. The government says the reforms are needed to address a “choked recruitment system” that has left some UK graduates struggling to secure training posts amid sharply rising competition. Applications for specialty training have increased from around 12,000 in 2019 to nearly 40,000 in 2025, while available posts have remained at roughly 10,000.

The legislation is being fast‑tracked, with all Commons stages scheduled in a single day before it proceeds to the House of Lords. It applies across all four UK nations, following agreement between the UK, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments.

Doctors backing the petition warn that the bill risks sidelining experienced international clinicians who have supported the NHS through sustained workforce pressures. They argue that excluding IMGs from equal consideration could deepen staffing gaps, undermine retention and create a two‑tier system that fails to recognise the contribution of those already working in UK healthcare.

The reforms also sit within a wider political context. The government previously linked the legislation to negotiations with the British Medical Association during efforts to avert industrial action, presenting it as part of a package intended to resolve disputes with resident doctors.

The growing backlash highlights a central tension in NHS workforce planning: balancing the need to protect opportunities for UK graduates with the reality that the health service has long relied on international doctors to maintain safe staffing levels. Whether ministers will amend the bill in response to the petition remains uncertain, but the debate underscores the complexity of reshaping medical training pathways at a time of sustained workforce strain.

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