Bill prioritising UK medical graduates 'unfair' to international doctors already in NHS, say DAUK

Credit: Getty Images/SolStock

By Claudia Tanner

Emergency legislation introduced to Parliament to prioritise UK-trained doctors for NHS training places has prompted concerns about the impact on international medical graduates who have already built lives and careers in Britain.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill, published on Thursday, will give UK medical graduates priority for foundation and specialty training posts starting in August 2026.

The government has said it will prioritise non-UK doctors with “significant NHS experience” for specialty training places.

In addition, the government had further pledged to this year create an additional 1,000 specialty training posts in England, which will be open to applications from April 2026.

Whilst medical bodies have broadly welcomed measures to address a growing jobs crisis for British-trained doctors, many have warned the government must do more to protect international colleagues already working in the NHS.

Doctors Association UK (DAUK) has delivered the strongest criticism, calling the Bill "unfair and unethical" for changing eligibility criteria when international medical graduates entered the workforce under existing rules.