New Starters | Recruitment
Recruitment to foundation programmes in the UK is a national online process. This includes recruitment to Specialised Foundation Programmes and F2 Stand-Alone posts. Information on the application process is available on the UK Foundation Programme (UKFPO) website. Online applications are made via Oriel.
We recommend that applicants read the UKFPO applicants handbook which can be accessed on the UKFPO website. Applicants can also find important information on applying for pre-allocation, linked applications, right to work, visas, supporting transition and entering practice (STEP) and inter-foundation school transfers (IFST) on the UKFPO website.
GMC Provisional Registration
To start a UK approved F1 training programme all incoming F1 doctors are required to hold GMC provisional registration with a licence to practice and without it they are unable to start work.
Applicants need to apply three months before their F1 start date. This gives the GMC time to process the application.
Applicants who are not ready to start by the first Wednesday in August will be given 20 working days to resolve the issues. If they are not ready to start by the end of this period, applicants will have their offer of a 2-year Foundation Programme withdrawn. Applicants will need to declare any missed working days on the Form R at their Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP).
When the GMC have completed the process for provisional registration, F1 doctors will have 1,125 days to complete their F1 training. This means it’s important that you are ready to start the first year of the Foundation Programme (F1) when you apply for your provisional registration.
More details can be found on the GMC Website2-Year Foundation Programme Recruitment
For more information about the Foundation programmes available in the Thames Valley Foundation School, see our Foundation Programme Recruitment page
Specialised Foundation Programme Recruitment
For information about Specialised Foundation Programme recruitment visit the UKFPO website.
For more information about the Specialised Foundation programmes available in the Thames Valley Foundation School, see our Foundation Programme Recruitment page.
Internal F2 Specialised Foundation Programme Standalone Recruitment
Each year we seek to appoint three suitable candidates to these innovative one year integrated research-based Specialised Foundation Programmes. The posts will be at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. These rotations are exclusively available to trainees currently undertaking their F1 Foundation training within the Oxford Foundation School. The rotations are aimed at trainees who would like the opportunity to work in an academic environment or who are already committed to an academic career path. These posts will deliver the core competencies of Foundation training and will be enhanced by an academic curriculum.
More information will be published March 2027.
F2 Stand-Alone Foundation Programme Vacancies
Following the decision of the UK Foundation Programme Office to stop their support in administrating F2 stand alone recruitment we are expecting an update from NHS England to confirm how the process will be managed. This page will be updated as soon as the details are known.
Information on F2 Stand Alone can be accessed on the UKFPO Website
Applicants must hold full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) to work in recognised F2 Stand-alone training programmes as part of the UK Foundation Programme. Applicants are invited to apply for F2 level posts across the four nations of the UK.
F2 Stand-alone doctors will have the opportunity to gain experience in a series of placements in a variety of specialties and healthcare settings and will be offered the same educational resources and teaching opportunities as F2 doctors on two-year programmes.
Locum Appointments for Service (LAS)
F1 and F2 Locum Appointment for Service posts (LAS) will be advertised and filled by local hospital employers. Enquiries should be directed to their Medical HR departments. Posts are typically advertised on NHS Jobs. These posts require full GMC registration and do not count towards training.