Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill 2024-26

Clause 4, page 3, line 2, at end insert “, unless they hold a primary UK medical qualification issued by a UK registered institution, operating on the date of 1 January 2026, which is identical in character to a qualification undertaken in the British Islands and recognised as such by the UK General Medical Council.”

Clause 1, page 1, line 4, leave out from “places” to end of line 7 and insert “first to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (2), then to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (3), and then to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (4). (2) This category is UK medical graduates who are British citizens. (3) This category is persons in the priority group. (4) This category is UK medical graduates who are not British citizens.”

LORD PATEL

Clause 2, page 1, line 16, at end insert— “(e) persons of a description set out in regulations made by the appropriate authority,”

LORD PATEL

Clause 2, page 2, line 6, at end insert - "(3) Regulations under subsection (1)(e) may only describe persons who– (a) in the opinion of the appropriate authority, meet criteria set out in the regulations which indicate that they are likely to have significant experience of working as a doctor in the National Health Service in England, Wales or Scotland or in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, or (b) are persons within any of paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (2) or are otherwise described by reference to their immigration status.”

Clause 4, page 3, line 4, leave out “(3) or (4)” and insert “(2A), (3) or (4). (2A) A person is within this subsection if they hold a primary UK medical qualification issued by a UK-registered institution, operating on 1 January 2026, which is identical in character to a qualification undertaken in the British Islands and recognised as such by the UK General Medical Council. In this subsection, a UK-registered institution means an institution that meets the requirements of – (a) section 3 of the Higher Education Research Act 2017 (the register), (b) Schedule 6 of the Education Reform Act 1988 (courses of higher education), (c) section 38 of the Further and Higher Education of Scotland Act 1992 (meaning of higher education), or (d) Schedule 1(2) of the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (higher education: professional examinations).”

Clause 4, page 3, line 4, leave out “(3) or (4)” and insert “(2A), (3) or (4). (2A) A person is within this subsection if - (a) they hold a primary medical qualification awarded by a United Kingdom medical school, (b) the qualification was awarded following study at an overseas campus of that medical school that is extant on the day on which this Act is passed, and (c) the qualification and course of study are approved by the General Medical Council as equivalent to a primary United Kingdom qualification.”

Clause 4, page 3, line 8, leave out paragraph (b) and insert— "(b) they spent at least 60% of their time training for that qualification in Ireland."

Clause 4, page 3, line 13, at end insert— "(ba) Malta,”

Clause 7, page 4, line 39, leave out subsections (1) to (4) and insert— “(1) Regulations under this Act are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.”

LORD PATEL

Clause 7, page 4, line 39, at end insert — "(za) section 2 (specialty training programmes: offers made in 2026),"

LORD PATEL

Clause 7, page 5, line 24, after “under” insert “section 2,”

Clause 8, page 6, line 23, leave out from “force” to the end of line 24 and insert “one month after the day on which it is passed."

Clause 1, page 1, line 4, leave out from “places” to end of line 7 and insert “first to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (2), then to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (3), and then to eligible applicants in the category set out in subsection (4). (2) This category is UK medical graduates who are British citizens. (3) This category is persons in the priority group. (4) This category is UK medical graduates who are not British citizens.”

Clause 4, page 3, line 2, at end insert “, unless they hold a primary UK medical qualification issued by a UK registered institution, operating on the date of 1 January 2026, which is identical in character to a qualification undertaken in the British Islands and recognised as such by the UK General Medical Council."

Clause 4, page 3, line 4, leave out “(3) or (4)” and insert “(2A), (3) or (4). (2A) A person is within this subsection if they hold a primary UK medical qualification issued by a UK-registered institution, operating on 1 January 2026, which is identical in character to a qualification undertaken in the British Islands and recognised as such by the UK General Medical Council. In this subsection, a UK-registered institution means an institution that meets the requirements of - (a) section 3 of the Higher Education Research Act 2017 (the register), (b) Schedule 6 of the Education Reform Act 1988 (courses of higher education), (c) section 38 of the Further and Higher Education of Scotland Act 1992 (meaning of higher education), or (d) Schedule 1(2) of the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (higher education: professional examinations).”

Clause 4, page 3, line 4, leave out “(3) or (4)” and insert “(2A), (3) or (4). (2A) A person is within this subsection if - (a) they hold a primary medical qualification awarded by a United Kingdom medical school, (b) the qualification was awarded following study at an overseas campus of that medical school that is extant on the day on which this Act is passed, and (c) the qualification and course of study are approved by the General Medical Council as equivalent to a primary United Kingdom qualification."

Clause 4, page 3, line 13, at end insert- "(ba) Malta,”

Clause 7, page 4, line 39, leave out subsections (1) to (4) and insert— "(1) Regulations under this Act are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure."

Clause 8, page 6, line 23, leave out from “force” to the end of line 24 and insert “one month after the day on which it is passed”

1

Clause 8, page 6, line 23, leave out from “on” to the end of line 24 and insert “the day on which it is passed”

This amendment would bring the Act into force on the day on which it receives Royal Assent.

6

Clause 2, page 1, line 16, at end insert- "(e) persons within subsection (3),”

7

Clause 2, page 2, line 6, at end insert- "(3) A person is within this subsection if they- (a) were actively employed as a doctor in the NHS or Health and Social Care Northern Ireland on 13 January 2026; and (b) had submitted a valid application for a UK specialty training programme for a start date in 2026 before the day on which this section comes into force. (4) For the purposes of subsection (3), “actively employed” includes, but is not limited to, persons on fixed-term Trust Grade, Clinical Fellow or Staff, Associate Specialist and Specialty Doctor contracts.”

10

Clause 4, page 3, line 2, at end insert "unless that time was spent outside the British Islands as part of a posting with the UK armed forces."

9

Clause 4, page 3, line 3, after “are” insert “a British citizen or are”

8

Clause 5, page 3, line 30, at end insert “, provided that the majority of training for the programme takes place in the United Kingdom."

NC2

To move the following Clause— "Allocation of individual places on merit (1) This section applies to the allocation of individual candidates to specific places on a UK Foundation Programme or a UK specialty training programme, whether that allocation takes place in the course of deciding offers of places or otherwise. (2) A person who has a function of allocating places on a UK Foundation Programme or a UK specialty training programme must ensure that, once the prioritisation requirements set out in sections 1 to 3 of this Act have been applied, those allocations are based on an assessment of the applicants' merits. (3) For the purposes of the assessment of the applicants' merits, a person may take into account- (a) the candidates' educational achievements, (b) the candidates' clinical performance, (c) structured assessments of relevant skills and knowledge, (d) the candidates' research, leadership, management, quality improvement, and teaching skills, and (e) the candidates' knowledge relating to the place being allocated."

NC3

To move the following Clause— "International students (1) The Secretary of State must report annually to Parliament on the impact of the provisions of this Act on the numbers of international students at UK medical schools. (2) This report must include an assessment of the financial impact on medical schools."

2

Clause 7, page 5, line 1, leave out paragraph (a)

3

Clause 7, page 5, line 24, leave out "section 3 or"

4

Clause 7, page 5, line 40, after "under” insert "section 3 (regulations describing persons who may be prioritised for specialty training programmes from 2027 onwards)"

5

Clause 7, page 6, line 19, at end insert— "(6) Before laying before Parliament a draft statutory instrument containing regulations under section 3 the Secretary of State must obtain the consent of- (a) the Welsh Ministers, if the draft regulations contain provision which would be within the legislative competence of Senedd Cymru if it were contained in an Act of the Senedd; (b) the Scottish Ministers, if the draft regulations contain provision which would be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament if it were contained in an Act of the Scottish Parliament; (c) the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, if the draft regulations contain provision which- (i) would be within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly if it were contained in an Act of that Assembly, and (ii) would not, if it were contained in a Bill for an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly, result in the Bill requiring the consent of the Secretary of State."

NC1

To move the following Clause— "Report on impact (1) The Secretary of State must lay before Parliament an annual report on the impact of the provisions of this Act. (2) A report under this section must include- (a) an assessment of the impact of the provisions of this Act on the number of applications for places on— (i) UK Foundation Programmes, and (ii) UK speciality training programmes, and (b) if the assessment under paragraph (a) concludes that there has been a decrease in the total number of applications attributable to the provisions of this Act, an analysis of the potential impact of that decrease on the number of fully qualified doctors working in the NHS and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, including specific analysis of the impact on the number of general practitioners and on each medical specialism. (3) The first report under this section must be laid before 31 December 2029.”

Clause 8, page 6, line 23, leave out from “on” to the end of line 24 and insert “the day on which it is passed"