BMJ (Latest)

Re: Medical Training Prioritisation Bill Passes but Clarification Still Needed on IMGs, Leaders Say

The UK Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill 2026 passed, aiming to give preference to doctors trained within the country. Critics argue the bill’s wording unintentionally excludes refugee and asylum‑seeking physicians who have completed NHS‑funded training. Leaders of the UK National Refugee and Asylum Seeking Healthcare Professionals Programmes Network warn that this exclusion wastes public investment and narrows the talent pool. They are calling on the government to amend the legislation to explicitly include these clinicians in the prioritisation groups.