Committee
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
The competitive nature of the process is totally understandable. It is right that it is so competitive. From a completely selfish point of view, we want people who emerge from that competitive process to choose to be here. How are you ensuring, in a four-nations context, that Scotland sits at the forefront in that regard and that access to specialty training is such that it makes it easy for people to make the choice to stay here?
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
The next item is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and supporting officials on the Medical Training (Prioritisation) ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Neil Gray)
SNP
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 unamen...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you, cabinet secretary. We will move to questions.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
I declare an interest as a practising NHS GP.On 14 June 2025, at the Scottish Conservative conference, I announced that we would introduce pretty much the sa...
Neil Gray
SNP
I recognise that there has been an expedited timetable, particularly in the House of Commons—as the convener set out, that was needed in order to meet this y...
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
As I said, I very much support the bill and think that it is key. Graduates in Australia, for example, get the training places that they need, and then the p...
Neil Gray
SNP
No.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
GPs have to go through specialty training programmes, so does the bill cover GP training?
Neil Gray
SNP
Yes, it covers GPs.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
Does the way in which the bill has been constructed mean that a number of people from, say, England will want to come up to Scotland to practise?
Neil Gray
SNP
That opportunity will remain, and there might be expanded opportunities as a result of the prioritisation being on a four-nations basis. There will be reduce...
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
It is important to state that, under the system, an international student who has come to study at, say, the University of Glasgow will be given the same pri...
Neil Gray
SNP
That is correct. Anyone who has started their medical education at a UK university will be treated as a UK-domiciled graduate. Anyone who has carried out the...
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
Given that this is a UK-wide recruitment that prioritises people who have graduated in the UK over those who have graduated internationally, if a graduate of...
Neil Gray
SNP
That is correct.
Emma Harper
SNP
Will what the bill proposes affect the allocation of graduates on the Scottish graduate entry medicine programme to foundation year 1 and 2 posts? As you kno...
Neil Gray
SNP
I recognise Emma Harper’s long-standing interest in and advocacy for ScotGEM, so I understand her desire to ensure that ScotGEM is not impacted by the proces...
Brian Whittle
Con
Good morning, cabinet secretary. We all agree on the positive impact that international graduates, GPs and medical staff have on our NHS. At the moment in Sc...
Neil Gray
SNP
Are you asking about specialty training places?
Brian Whittle
Con
Yes.
Neil Gray
SNP
As I said in my opening statement, we have provided additional specialty training places, in recognition of the fact that it is a competitive landscape. I pu...
Brian Whittle
Con
You said that you are increasing the number of specialty training posts in Scotland. How will you ensure that that increase reflects the demand that will be ...
Neil Gray
SNP
That will be part of the discussions about recruitment that we have on a four-nations basis. NHS Education for Scotland has representatives in those discussi...
Brian Whittle
Con
The competitive nature of the process is totally understandable. It is right that it is so competitive. From a completely selfish point of view, we want peop...
Neil Gray
SNP
A number of factors determine the attractiveness of Scotland, or any other part of the UK, as a place for people to live and work. There are a number of reas...
David Torrance
SNP
Good morning. What impact could the bill have on vacancy gaps in areas such as rural Scotland, where places are hard to fill?
Neil Gray
SNP
We are taking a number of measures to try to improve recruitment in rural and island areas. Emma Harper mentioned ScotGEM, which is an example of that. We ha...
David Torrance
SNP
What evaluation has been undertaken of the impact that the bill might have on specialist programmes that have historically had higher levels of non-UK gradua...
Neil Gray
SNP
That relates partly to Dr Gulhane’s questioning. There will still be a need for international medical graduates for some specialties, where there is not the ...
Emma Harper
SNP
We talked about ScotGEM. Specialty training means that a GP could spend part of their time in a GP practice and part as a diabetes or rheumatoid specialist o...