Make provision about the prioritisation of graduates from medical schools in the United Kingdom and certain other persons for places on medical training programmes.
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill is a Government Bill tabled by a Minister of the Crown.
Is this Bill currently before Parliament?Yes. This Bill was introduced on 13 January 2026 and is currently before Parliament.
Whose idea is this Bill?Government Bills implement the legislative agenda of the Government. This agenda, and the Bills that will implement it, are outlined in the Queen's Speech at the Session's State Opening of Parliament.
What type of Bill is this?Government Bills are technically Presentation Bills, but the Government can use its legislative time to ensure the schedule of debates to scrutinise the Bill.
So is this going to become a law?Though the Bill can be amended from its original form, the Bill will almost certainly be enacted in law before the end of the Session, or will be carried over to the subsequent Session.
How can I find out exactly what this Bill does?The most straightforward information is contained in the initial Explanatory Notes for the Bill.
Would you like to know more?See these Glossary articles for more information: Government Bills, Process of a Bill
Official Bill Page Initial Explanatory Notes Initial Briefing papers Ministerial Extracts from Debates All Bill Debates
Next Event: Wednesday 4th February 2026 - 2nd reading
Last Event: Wednesday 28th January 2026 - 1st reading (Lords)
Bill Progession through Parliament
1
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareClause 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
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)Clause 2, page 1, line 16, at end insert- "(e) persons within subsection (3),”
7
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)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
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareClause 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
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareClause 4, page 3, line 3, after “are” insert “a British citizen or are”
8
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareClause 5, page 3, line 30, at end insert “, provided that the majority of training for the programme takes place in the United Kingdom."
NC2
Ben Spencer (Con) - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)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
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareTo 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
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)Clause 7, page 5, line 1, leave out paragraph (a)
3
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)Clause 7, page 5, line 24, leave out "section 3 or"
4
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)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
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)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
Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)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"