Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts and training bodies on their obligations under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026.

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.