UK Foundation Programme

UK Foundation Programme

Here you will find information about how to apply to the 2-year Foundation Programme and Stand-alone programmes.


News and Updates

UKFPO Fellowship – Recruitment for August 2024 is now closed 

The UKFPO have received 100 applications and no new applications will be accepted. To find out more about what the UKFPO Fellowship involves, please visit the UKFPO Fellows webpage


2024 Foundation Programme Allocation

The UKFPO can confirm that this morning all 9702 eligible applicants for the 2024 Foundation Programme were allocated to a Foundation School, with 75% of those applicants getting their first preference. 

This is an improvement on last year when 8655 applicants were placed and 71% got their first preference.

The allocation process this year was changed to a Preference Informed Allocation (PIA) method.  This new process saw applicants being given a computer-generated rank and the removal of the requirement to sit the Situational Judgement Test (SJT).

This document displays a comparison of allocation data for FP2024 and previous years.


IMPORTANT – Foundation Programme 2024 Allocation Release Time 

The UKFPO can confirm that the national allocation information will be released to applicants on Thursday 7 March from 07:30 GMT onwards.   

We understand that some of you may be anxious to see the outcome of your application, however please note that due to the volume of information being released, not all results will be available straight away and your individual allocation may take some time to appear on the Oriel site, so we ask you to be patient when you log on to Oriel. 

We are expecting the Oriel website to have a high volume of traffic on Thursday morning, so if possible, please log into your Oriel account later than the advertised time to view your allocation. The time you log in will not affect your allocation in any way

Applicants will be able to view their allocated foundation school on their front screen/ dashboard on Oriel, when they log in. 

You will also be sent an email from Oriel with your allocation details, so please look out for that. We suggest you also check your junk inbox if you can’t immediately find it as the email may have inadvertently gone there. 


Important notice on Eligibility Criteria for 2025

Information on changes to the Eligibility application process for UK Foundation Programme for 2025 is now available to view here. Some of the changes include the removal of the Dean’s Statement and a change to English Language Proficiency requirements.

This information is being published early for applicants who are planning to apply via the eligibility route to help their preparation for application and to help answer any questions they may have on the changes that are being made.

We would encourage applicants to read this information very carefully as the changes will be implemented for the eligibility application process which takes place in July 2024.

For more detail on the changes visit the Eligibility Application webpage.


Recruitment to Specialised Foundation Programmes is changing for 2025

NHS England, NHS Education for Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency have announced today that all applications to their respective Specialised Foundation Programmes (SFP) will be incorporated into the main Foundation Programme allocation process for 2025. The move will mean there is a more consistent approach to recruitment and aligns England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This process is already in place in Wales.

For full detail on this this change visit:
NIMDTA – https://www.nimdta.gov.uk/latest-news/recruitment-to-specialised-foundation-programmes-from-2025/
NES – scotlanddeanery.nhs.scot/news-events/specialised-foundation-programme-sfp-in-scotland-an-update/
NHS England – https://www.hee.nhs.uk/news-blogs-events/news/recruitment-specialised-foundation-programmes-changing-2025


UKFPO update on industrial action for doctors in England

Heath Education England have published information on how this affects the training of postgraduate doctors in England.


Allocation to Foundation School (UoA)

On 01 September 2023 the UKFPO confirmed that all eligible applicants for the 2024 Foundation Programme would be allocated a place on a 2-year programme.

Allocation to Foundation School (Unit of Application (UoA)) will take place this year on 07 March 2024. The process will be the same as last year and all applicants will be allocated to a Foundation School on this date. Dates for the group/programme preferencing and matching process can be found in the updated  UKFP 2024 application timeline.


UKFPO Webinars

The UKFPO will be hosting a range of webinars this year. All our webinars are recorded and posted on our webinars page.

Announcement: Please check our events page for the link to join on the day.


UKFPO Bulletin

Read the latest UKFPO bulletin (March 2024)


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