Doctors: Training
(asked on 10th October 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doctors who completed foundation training (a) successfully secured a specialty training post immediately after completion, (b) remained without a specialty training post one year after completing foundation training and (c) have taken up medical employment abroad in each of the last five years.
Data published by the General Medical Council shows it is becoming more common for doctors to not progress from completion of the second year of the foundation programme directly into specialty training. The following table shows the proportion of foundation year two (F2) doctors who had progressed into speciality training within 12 months of completion of foundation training and the proportion who had not progressed into speciality training within 12 and 24 months of completing F2 for each of the last five years where data is available. Doctors not progressing are not necessarily leaving employment but more likely to enter periods of employment under locally employed doctor contracts or to undertake planned periods working in other settings or countries.
Foundation Two Year | In speciality training within a year | Not in speciality training after a year | Not in speciality training after two years |
2018 | 37.5% | 62.5% | 33.1% |
2019 | 33.6% | 66.4% | 36.5% |
2020 | 30.7% | 69.3% | 40.5% |
2021 | 29.6% | 70.4% | 43.7% |
2022 | 24.9% | 75.1% | 47.7% |
2023 | 22.4% | 77.6% |
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Source: General Medical Council, Education Data Tool Progression Reports
https://edt.gmc-uk.org/progression-reports/recruitment-from-f2
The United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office, the body which operates and develops the UK medical foundation training programme has in some years run a Career Destination Survey for those completing F2.
In 2024, 13.4% of respondents to the F2 Career Destinations Survey went abroad after completing their foundation programme (into training, service posts, or still seeking a post outside of UK), which is a higher proportion compared to 2019 (9.3%).
It is important to note though when comparing these results that the F2 Career Destinations Survey was mandatory to the completion of the foundation year programme in the year 2019 leading a response-rate of 93.1%. In 2024, the F2 Career Destinations survey was not mandatory leading to a response rate of 18%.
The Department is unable to provide information on the number of doctors who completed their training taking up medical employment abroad in the years 2020-2023 as the UK Foundation Programme’s F2 Career Destinations Survey was not run during this period.
The 2024 F2 Career Destinations Survey report is available at the following link:
The 2019 F2 Career Destinations Survey report is available at the following link:
https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/F2%20CDS_2019.pdf
As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will work across Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.