Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill 2024-26


Make provision about the prioritisation of graduates from medical schools in the United Kingdom and certain other persons for places on medical training programmes.

What is this Bill?

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)

14 Amendments have been proposed for this Bill
View Amendments

Bill Progession through Parliament

Commons Completed
Lords - 40%

Latest Key documents

Timeline of Bill Documents and Stages

4th February 2026
2nd reading (Lords)
3rd February 2026
Impact Assessments
Impact Statement from the Department of Health and Social Care
30th January 2026
Briefing papers
Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill: HL Bill 165 of 2024–26
29th January 2026
Delegated Powers Memorandum
Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill: Delegated Powers Memorandum
28th January 2026
Bill
HL Bill 165 (as brought from the Commons)
28th January 2026
1st reading (Lords)
28th January 2026
Explanatory Notes
HL Bill 165 Explanatory Notes
27th January 2026
3rd reading (Commons)
27th January 2026
Committee of the whole House (Commons)
27th January 2026
2nd reading (Commons)
27th January 2026
Allocation of time motionAllocation of Time (Motion)
27th January 2026
Selection of amendments: Commons
Draft Provisional grouping of clauses and selection of Amendments by the Chairman of Ways and Means 27 January 2026
27th January 2026
Bill proceedings: Commons
Committee of the whole House Proceedings as at 27 January 2026
27th January 2026
Amendment Paper
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026

1

Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Caroline Johnson (Con) - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Luke Evans (Con) - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
Neil Shastri-Hurst (Con)
Gregory Stafford (Con) - Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons)
Tabled: 27 Jan 2026
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026
This amendment was Negatived On Division
View the speech made in the House

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”


Explanatory Text

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

26th January 2026
Amendment Paper
Notices of Amendments as at 26 January 2026
23rd January 2026
Amendment Paper
Notices of Amendments as at 23 January 2026

7

Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Helen Maguire (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Primary Care and Cancer)
Danny Chambers (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
Alison Bennett (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Care and Carers)
Tabled: 23 Jan 2026
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026
This amendment was Not Called
View the speech made in the House

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.”

NC2

Ben Spencer (Con) - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Tabled: 23 Jan 2026
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026
This amendment was Not Called
View the speech made in the House

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 Care
Caroline Johnson (Con) - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Luke Evans (Con) - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
Neil Shastri-Hurst (Con)
Gregory Stafford (Con) - Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons)
Tabled: 23 Jan 2026
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026
This amendment was Not Called
View the speech made in the House

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."

22nd January 2026
Amendment Paper
Notices of Amendments as at 22 January 2026

5

Helen Morgan (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Stuart Andrew (Con) - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Caroline Johnson (Con) - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Luke Evans (Con) - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Health and Social Care)
Neil Shastri-Hurst (Con)
Gregory Stafford (Con) - Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons)
Helen Maguire (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Primary Care and Cancer)
Danny Chambers (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
Alison Bennett (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Care and Carers)
Tabled: 22 Jan 2026
Notices of Amendments as at 26 January 2026
This amendment was Not Called
View the speech made in the House

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)
Helen Maguire (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Primary Care and Cancer)
Danny Chambers (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
Alison Bennett (LD) - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Care and Carers)
Tabled: 22 Jan 2026
Committee of the whole House Amendments as at 27 January 2026
This amendment was Not Called
View the speech made in the House

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.”

22nd January 2026
Briefing papers
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill 2024-2026
16th January 2026
Amendment Paper
Notices of Amendments as at 16 January 2026
13th January 2026
Bill
Bill 360 2024-26 (as introduced) - xml download
13th January 2026
Bill
Bill 360 2024-26 (as introduced)
13th January 2026
1st reading (Commons)
13th January 2026
Delegated Powers Memorandum
Memorandum from the Department of Health and Social Care
13th January 2026
Explanatory Notes
Bill 360 EN 2024-26