The government has announced that UK medical graduates will be prioritised for training places from 2026 as part of efforts to end resident doctor strikes.
The government has put an offer to the BMA which would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training.
If the BMA accepts, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics.
The government has also offered 4000 more specialty training places, 1000 of which will be brought forward to this year.
Also on offer are cost-related measures, like reimbursement for exam fees, and an increase to the less than full time allowance by 50 per cent to £1,500.
The government has offered to extend the BMA’s strike mandate in exchange for cancelling their Christmas strikes.
It is estimated that each round of strikes costs the NHS £250 million.
Competition ratios for postgraduate places have increased by 150 per cent since 2019 - from 1.4 applicants per place in 2019, to 3.5 per place in 2025. There were around 12,000 applicants for 9,000 places in 2019, which has risen to over 30,000 applicants for near 10,000 places in 2025.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting said: "Doctors asked me to deliver on jobs, especially unfair competition from overseas, and this comprehensive offer will deliver - providing resident doctors currently applying with more jobs, prioritising UK-trained graduates, and putting money back in the pockets of resident doctors. It builds on a 28.9% pay rise which has already been delivered.
"We have been working around the clock to prepare emergency legislation to prioritise our homegrown talent and halve the competition for jobs that resident doctors currently face - that is now on the table. But it can only happen if resident doctors vote to accept the deal and end these strikes.
"This offer will now go to BMA members, but the BMA have chosen to continue holding the spectre of strikes over the NHS next week. This was entirely avoidable as I offered to give the BMA the chance to reschedule strikes in January after the vote has taken place so that they could cancel the Christmas strikes, which are timed for the most damaging period of the year."
