PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(16 July 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to implement the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026; and what timeline he has set for that implementation.

Asked by:
Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat)

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 to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act came into force on 6 March 2026 and applies to offers made for foundation and specialty training from 2026 onwards.

The Department has not issued any guidance to NHS trusts or training bodies on their obligations under the Act. Responsibility for delivering postgraduate medical recruitment, including applying prioritisation in accordance with the act, sits with NHS England and the statutory education bodies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Answered by:
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