Foundation Programme (FY1 and FY2)

The Foundation Programme is the first stage of postgraduate medical training in the UK. It lasts two years. In Foundation Year 1 (FY1) a new doctor works under provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC); completing FY1 leads to full registration. Foundation Year 2 (FY2) is then done with full registration. Each year is made up of rotating placements in different specialties, and every new foundation doctor completes a mandatory shadowing and induction period at the end of July before starting.

Recruitment is run nationally by the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) through the Oriel system. Applicants are allocated to a foundation school and then matched to a programme and employer, usually an NHS trust. Successful completion leads on to specialty training.

The two-year programme is designed for doctors who are eligible for provisional GMC registration. The UKFPO states that applicants who already hold full registration are not eligible and should look at other employment routes. Most doctors who qualified abroad and have completed an internship will therefore not enter FY1; they usually join the NHS through PLAB and full registration, then take a locally employed doctor post.

Non-UK graduates who are eligible apply through the UKFPO eligibility application. For UKFP 2027 the eligibility window ran from 1 to 22 July 2026 on Oriel. Anyone who qualified from medical school on or before 3 August 2025 must pass the UKFPO Clinical Assessment, which costs £1,000. Applicants whose medical school appears on certain GMC lists must also upload current evidence from the GMC that their qualification is acceptable.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 5 March 2026. According to NHS Employers, it prioritises applicants with a primary medical qualification from the UK or the Republic of Ireland, and from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, for Foundation Programme places. The UKFPO says the change applies to all foundation programmes starting from August 2026. International graduates outside those groups can still apply, but are considered after prioritised applicants.

In England, foundation doctors are paid under the 2016 resident doctors' contract. From 1 April 2026, NHS Employers Pay and Conditions Circular (M&D) 1/2026 R2 sets basic pay at:

• FY1: £41,226
• FY2: £47,610

These are basic salaries for 2026/27 before additional hours, nights, weekend and on-call allowances. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own scales. For the wider picture of doctors' pay, see our doctors in the UK guide.

• Holding full registration already. If you have full GMC registration, the two-year programme is closed to you.
• Confusing FY2 level with an FY2 job. PLAB is set at the level of a doctor starting FY2, but passing it does not give you a foundation training post.
• Missing the eligibility window. The eligibility application is a short, fixed window each July; late applications are not accepted.
• Expecting the same chances as UK graduates. Under the 2026 Act, prioritised groups are allocated first.