- The UK government has introduced the Medical Training (Priority) Bill.
- The bill aims to prioritize UK medical school graduates for professional training positions within the National Health Service (NHS).
- Health Minister Wes Streeting introduced the bill to the House of Commons.
The UK government has proposed new legislation, the Medical Training (Priority) Bill, which aims to prioritize graduates of UK medical schools for professional training positions within the National Health Service (NHS).
The bill was introduced to the House of Commons on Tuesday by Health Minister Wes Streeting, who said it was necessary to correct serious failings in the management of medical training by the previous Conservative government.
Streeting said the proposed laws aimed to ease fierce competition for specialist training places by separating UK-trained doctors from those qualified abroad, while ensuring public funds invested in medical education delivered long-term benefits to the NHS.
If passed, the legislation would prevent UK medical graduates from competing directly with internationally trained doctors for specialist training posts leading to advanced professional qualifications.
Streeting explained that the policy focuses on protecting taxpayer investment and building a stable, future-proof healthcare workforce.
“British taxpayers spend around £4 billion every year training doctors,” he said. “There’s no point for those graduates struggling to get professional training places and facing career uncertainty.”
He added that mismanagement by the previous government had forced doctors trained in the UK to compete directly with doctors from around the world. “To protect this investment and ensure our graduates can become the next generation of NHS doctors, we are taking steps, including this bill, to prioritize graduates of UK medical schools for specialist training roles.” Streeting said.
Impact on international doctors
The policy is expected to have a significant impact on international doctors, who make up a large proportion of the NHS workforce. By June 2025, around 325,000 of the NHS’s 1.5 million staff were trained outside the UK.
Streeting said the changes, which are likely to be implemented within the year, would reduce competition for each professional training position, reducing the average number of applicants per position from four to two.
“Our NHS will always value international expertise,” he said. “Overseas doctors who have long served the NHS will continue to be recognised. However, these changes will restore equity to home-trained doctors and help ensure a sustainable workforce for the future.”
professional response
The British Medical Association (BMA) has expressed cautious support for the bill, noting that it includes protections for international medical graduates (IMG) who have completed basic or core training in the UK, hold indefinite leave to remain, have EU settled status or hold dual British citizenship.
Under the proposal, IMGs outside these categories could still apply for professional training but would not receive priority consideration.
Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s residency committee, expressed concern about the potential impact on overseas-trained doctors with extensive NHS experience.
“We remain concerned about how this will affect doctors who are trained abroad but make a significant contribution to the NHS.” Fletcher said, adding that their experience was not fully recognized in current legislation.
However, the BMA welcomed the planned safeguards to ensure long-serving international doctors are not disadvantaged. The association also stressed that the UK’s reputation for high-quality medical training should continue to attract top talent from around the world, while providing better value for taxpayers.
main facts
As of June 2025, Nigerian doctors currently constitute the fourth largest group of internationally trained professionals in the NHS, with 40,575 Nigerian nationals working in various roles.
Overall, non-UK staff make up around 21% of the NHS workforce in England, with 325,000 staff employed, up from 305,000 the previous year.
These international employees come from more than 200 countries, with India having the largest number at 79,406, followed by the Philippines with 35,543.
