Medical colleges in England are working on a successor to a training scheme for overseas doctors that was closed to new applicants earlier this year, according to a report published by The BMJ on 4 August 2026.
The move comes after the NHS ended the scheme on 31 March 2026 following a review that found inconsistency in how it was implemented, possible use by some to bypass visa restrictions, and concerns about wage exploitation by employers. The closure has now prompted efforts to design an alternative model that could preserve international training links while addressing those concerns. Read the BMJ report
A gap in training after the closure
The BMJ said the health service closed the programme to new applicants after the review, leaving medical colleges to explore what might replace it. The issue matters because the NHS has also said it is considering ways to use its training capacity to support healthcare in low- and middle-income countries, while at the same time prioritising the needs of UK-trained graduates.
That balance between domestic workforce planning and international medical education is now at the centre of the debate. The closure has highlighted questions about how England should structure routes into training for doctors from abroad without creating loopholes or unfair labour practices.
Why the issue matters for NHS workforce planning
The discussion is unfolding against a wider backdrop of pressure on specialty training posts and ongoing scrutiny of how the NHS allocates opportunities to doctors at different stages of their careers. The BMJ has recently reported on calls for clearer planning around specialty training, reflecting continuing concern about the pipeline of doctors entering the system. Related BMJ analysis
For now, the colleges’ work on a replacement scheme suggests that the issue is not simply administrative. It goes to the heart of how the NHS manages recruitment, training quality and fairness, both for doctors already in England and for those hoping to gain experience through NHS pathways.
What happens next
No final replacement model has been announced yet, but the development of a successor programme indicates that medical bodies see value in retaining an international training route if it can be redesigned with stronger safeguards. The coming months are likely to determine whether that can be achieved without repeating the shortcomings identified in the closed scheme.
For NHS leaders and medical colleges, the challenge will be to create a system that supports workforce needs, maintains training standards and avoids the concerns that led to the original scheme’s shutdown.
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