Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill passes House of Commons stages
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill – which is aimed at ensuring UK medical graduates are prioritised for training places – was introduced in UK Parliament on 13 January 2026, and progressed rapidly through Parliament as emergency legislation.
All House of Commons stages – Second Reading, Committee Stage, and Third Reading – were completed on Tuesday (27 January).
Although the Bill attracted broad cross‑party support, opposition MPs raised a number of issues during debates, including the position of British citizens who have trained overseas, the potential impact on international medical graduates already working in the NHS, and questions around the timing and implementation of the Bill.
Concerns were also expressed about whether prioritisation alone would address underlying shortages in training capacity. Despite these issues, proposed opposition amendments were defeated and the Bill passed unamended.
The Bill will now move to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.