Sharp decrease in international doctor training places after UK prioritisation

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By Daniel Pye

New legislation prioritising UK graduates for NHS specialty training places has led to a dramatic drop in the number of international medical graduates receiving posts.

Analysis of NHS data by the Nuffield Trust found training posts going to “non-prioritised doctors”, the group which includes most IMGs, fell from more than one in four (28%) last year to less than one in 50 (1.8%) this year.

The thinktank found the change in the law in March has “largely achieved” its aim of prioritising home-grown doctors for NHS training posts.

The changes were introduced by former health secretary Wes Streeting, in response to growing concerns from many resident doctors about rapidly increasing competition ratios for training posts.

In the decade to 2025, the total number of specialty training applications increased more than five-fold from about 16,500 to almost 85,000 a year, mainly driven by applications from overseas.

Prioritising homegrown doctors

The new data shows that 28% of doctors accepting a specialty training place in 2025 were from what is now defined as the “non-priority” group.