Choosing GP as your career is now easier than ever. New initiatives have been introduced to the recruitment process to give you greater flexibility and will streamline the process to becoming a GP. Initiatives include a direct pathway from the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) to offers for high scoring applicants; specifying more detailed geographical preferences and redefined deferment options.

1. Immigration changes for International Medical Graduates

From 6 October 2019, all medical practitioners have been added to the Shortage Occupation List in the UK. This means that from Round 1 2020, all applicants to GP training are exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) and can apply for GP training in any recruitment round, subject to eligibility; there will be no restriction on their appointment.

It is strongly suggested that applicants read the 2020 Medical Specialty Recruitment Applicant Handbook to familiarise yourself with the immigration information contained within, esp. the guidance relating to Home Office requirements.

2. Direct Pathway to Offers

High scoring applicants at the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) will be able to move directly to the “offer” stage, without needing to Selection Centre.

From Round 1 2020, all applicants receiving an overall score of 550 in the MSRA will qualify for this streamlined route. Detailed modelling work and analysis of previous recruitment rounds that 100% of applicants who would have qualified for this streamlined route would have been deemed successful at Selection Centre. Applicants who score 550 or higher in the MSRA will be ranked first, before those who were deemed appointable via the Selection Centre, thus increasing the chances of applicants receiving an offer of a training position in a preferred location.

• IMPORTANT: Due to changes in the recruitment processes in response to the COVID-19 national emergency, direct pathway to offers will not be applicable in Round 1 Re-advert and Round 2 Re-advert 2020

3. Foundation Competency

Applicants will have increased time to prove foundation competency for the 2020 recruitment round. The revised deadline can be found in the GP Applicant Guide. Applicants who fail to submit the correct paperwork by the new deadline will have their offer for ST1 training retracted.

• IMPORTANT: Due to the introduction of changes in the Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST) process for Recruitment 2020-21, only the 2020 version of the CREST will be accepted; forms from previous recruitment years will not be accepted.

4. Deferment

From Round 2 Re-advert 2020, successful applicants appointed to GP training can no longer apply to defer their start date on non-statutory grounds.

5. Transferable score

The score applicants receive via the recruitment process will now be a UK rank rather than specific to the HEE Local Office/Deanery the applicant undertook the selection centre. This will allow applicants to preference locations in a joining HEE Local Office/Deaneries and will mean applicants will not need to go into clearing.

6. Geographical Preferences

Since 2016, GP applicants have been able to preference at a more detailed geographical level at time of application and has allowed applicants to preference at GP Programme level e.g. Coventry and Warwickshire or Birmingham rather than the West Midlands.

7. Twice Yearly Recruitment

Since 2016, there have been two planned rounds of GP recruitment, for programmes to commence in August and February each year.