Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) levels of demand for Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board tests and (b) impact of that demand on the availability of places to take that test; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) enabling people to be accepted onto that test two years after graduation and (b) providing flexibility in the acceptance criteria for that test to take into account exceptional circumstances.

To register with the General Medical Council (GMC), doctors who have qualified outside of the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area or Switzerland must pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test to demonstrate they have the right knowledge and skills to practise medicine. PLAB tests are available to candidates irrespective of when they graduate provided they have an acceptable primary medical qualification and meet the GMC’s English language requirements.

The GMC makes PLAB spaces available to all candidates on a first come first served basis, rather than operating a waiting list, aside from a small number of places reserved for those with exceptional circumstances. Applications for these places are considered by the GMC on a case-by-case basis and if they are not filled, are made available to all candidates applying in the usual way. The eligibility criteria for the Foundation Programme are separate and a matter for the UK Foundation Programme Office.

The GMC is independent of Government and is responsible for operational matters, including those relating to the PLAB tests. Therefore, the Department has not undertaken an assessment of the levels of demand for PLAB tests. However, the Government works closely with the GMC and recognises the extremely high level of demand for PLAB 1 places. The GMC has invested in new facilities and additional resources to double the number of PLAB exams it can offer. The GMC plans to release more seats later in spring at UK and overseas venues. There are currently PLAB 2 places available later in 2022.