Recognise UK citizenship in NHS training prioritisation — We are British medical students abroad, funded entirely by our families, and we want to come home to serve the NHS — don’t shut us out.

Thousands of British students — over 2,500 in Bulgaria alone and many thousands more across Eastern Europe — chose to study medicine abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were unable to secure UK medical school places due to a scarcity of places, cancelled exams, and disrupted admissions, including interviews. Families paid the full cost of this training from their post-tax savings, with one goal: that their children return home to serve in the NHS.

Now, new Government proposals will prioritise only UK medical graduates — both British and non-British students who studied in UK medical schools — over international medical graduates (IMGs), including British citizens trained abroad. This leaves British students abroad at a significant disadvantage, treated the same as applicants with no ties to the UK, despite their clear intention to return and serve the NHS.

Under these proposals, only UK graduates and those GMC registered before March 2025 with NHS experience will be prioritised for specialty training. Worryingly, this cut-off even excludes us — British citizens still studying abroad, despite their commitment to the NHS. According to BMA guidance, anyone registering after March 2025 will fall outside the “grandfathering” provisions.

Before 2020, British and EU citizens had priority in Round 1 of NHS specialty training. In 2020, the system changed, allowing all IMGs to compete directly in Round 1 and removing any recognition of UK citizenship. The new policy claims to reverse this change but in reality prioritises all UK graduates (including non-British students) while continuing to disadvantage British citizens trained abroad, lumping them in with applicants from the rest of the world.

We call on the Government to explicitly recognise UK citizenship in the prioritisation system so that British citizens trained abroad — regardless of graduation date — are included. This will guarantee fairness and give the NHS thousands of ready, willing doctors whose training cost the UK nothing.

Please sign and share this petition — let’s make sure British medical students abroad are treated fairly and allowed to serve the NHS.