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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 10 February 2026 [Draft]

10 Feb 2026 · S6 · Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Item of business

Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill

Gray, Neil SNP Airdrie and Shotts Watch on SPTV

Convener, colleagues, thank you for inviting me to speak with you today. The committee will be aware that the bill passed through the House of Commons unamended on 27 January. Across the UK and here in Scotland, the dedication of our NHS staff continues to be remarkable, but we must be honest about the challenges that are facing our medical workforce. I thank those doctors who took part in phase 1 of the future medical workforce project and who shared their views on those challenges candidly.We cannot ignore the increasing pressures within the UK medical training pipeline that are affecting our resident doctors. Demand for the foundation programme and specialty training posts has grown sharply. In 2025, 12,000 UK-trained and 21,000 internationally trained doctors competed for 9,500 specialty training places. That bottleneck threatens the progression and retention of doctors who have trained in the UK and who are most likely to stay and build their careers here.To match the increase in the number of undergraduate places, the Scottish Government has created 252 foundation-year places since 2021 and will add a further 72 in 2026. Furthermore, in line with anticipated future workforce needs, approximately 850 additional specialty training posts across multiple specialties have been added since 2014. To address concerns about training bottlenecks this year, the draft Scottish budget provides an additional £14 million for specialty training posts. That will increase the number of available posts in 2026 by approximately 10 per cent.Although the Scottish Government can take action in Scotland, the impact of that on the UK-wide pool of posts and, ultimately, the experience of resident doctors in Scotland is influenced by the actions of other Governments in the UK. It is against that backdrop that the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill is being enacted. It is right that training posts are determined by future workforce needs, but we cannot risk losing those whom we have trained in our world-class universities. Although Scotland experiences those pressures to a lesser extent than other parts of the UK, the reality is that we operate within a UK-wide recruitment system, so moving together on a four-nations basis is the only way to ensure that Scotland is not negatively impacted. If prioritisation were to apply without Scotland, we would experience displacement effects.The bill provides a lawful and proportionate mechanism to prioritise UK medical graduates alongside other priority groups where limits are required. It also ensures that, from 2027 onwards, we can recognise and value internationally trained doctors who have made significant contributions within the NHS by enabling them to be prioritised through future regulations. The concurrent regulation-making powers with safeguards around Scottish ministers’ consent provide the necessary assurances that our devolved responsibilities are fully respected.I stress that the bill will not prevent international recruitment. Indeed, international students will always be welcome in Scotland for their positive contribution to our campuses, our economy, our NHS and our local communities. The bill will support a sustainable and reliable future supply of doctors and ensure that those who have trained here have the opportunity to progress their careers. On that basis, and having considered the legal, financial and operational implications, the Scottish Government recommends that the Scottish Parliament grants legislative consent to the bill.11:00

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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 10 February 2026 [Draft]

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