Local Connections GP Training Pilot
About the pilot
The Local Connections GP Training Pilot is for eligible Foundation Doctors who are interested in a career in General Practice and would like to continue training in an area of the East of England where they have strong local connections.
The pilot is planned for the August 2027 GP Specialty Training intake. It aims to give successful applicants earlier certainty about their training location, reduce disruption caused by relocation and support doctors to develop longer-term careers in communities they already know.
The pilot is not a separate route into GP training. All applicants must apply through Oriel, meet the national eligibility and longlisting requirements, sit the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) and complete the required employment checks.
Eligibility and participating programmes
The pilot is intended for doctors who are undertaking FY2 training within the East of England Foundation School and intend to apply for GP Specialty Training in the forthcoming recruitment round.
Applicants should have a meaningful connection to one or more participating areas. This may include currently training, studying or living in the area, having done so previously, or having family links, a partner, caring responsibilities or another significant connection to the local community. Evidence may be requested.
Up to 40 places are proposed across the following programmes:
- Basildon: up to 4 places
- Chelmsford: up to 6 places
- Colchester: up to 6 places
- Great Yarmouth: up to 6 places
- Ipswich: up to 6 places
- King’s Lynn: up to 6 places
- Southend: up to 6 places
The proposed numbers remain subject to final confirmation.
How to apply and what happens next
Applicants will need to complete an application form which will ask for personal and Foundation Programme details, programme preferences and information about the applicant’s connections to the selected areas.
Applicants may choose as many or as few participating programmes as they wish and will be asked to rank them in order of preference. Applicants should only select programmes they would genuinely be willing to accept, as they will only be considered for the locations they have chosen.
Applications will be checked against the eligibility criteria. If there are more eligible applicants than available places, applications will be prioritised according to the strength of each applicant’s connection to the relevant area. This will include current training, education, residence, family links and caring responsibilities.
Successful applicants may receive a provisional allocation to one of their selected programmes. A place will only be confirmed when the applicant has met all national recruitment requirements and achieved the required MSRA score.
Important information before accepting an offer
Submitting an application does not guarantee a GP training post or commit an applicant to accepting an offer. Applicants who receive a provisional offer may decline it without affecting their participation in the standard national GP recruitment process.
Accepting a pilot offer represents a commitment to that GP training programme and location. Applicants who accept will not be eligible to upgrade to another GP programme through national recruitment. They may, however, continue to apply for and accept offers from other medical specialties.
All applicants must sit the MSRA and achieve a score at least equal to the minimum appointed score from the previous GP recruitment round. They must also complete Foundation Training successfully and meet all national recruitment and employment requirements.
Key dates and further information
The final application timetable is being confirmed.
- Application form opens: 29th September 2026
- Application deadline: 19th November 2026
- Applicants notified of the outcome: To be confirmed
- Final pilot group confirmed: Planned for January 2027
- GP Specialty Training begins: August 2027
National GP recruitment will continue according to the standard Oriel timetable.
Application form: Application - Local Connections GP Training Pilot
Late applications will not normally be considered. Applicants may also be asked to provide feedback to help evaluate and improve the pilot.
Confirmed dates, application guidance and any changes to the pilot arrangements will be published on this webpage when available.
Yes. Participation in the pilot does not remove the requirement to take the MSRA.
Applicants selected for the Local Connections GP Training Pilot will need to achieve an MSRA score that is at least equal to the minimum appointed score from the previous year's GP recruitment round. This is the score achieved by the lowest-ranked applicant who received an offer in the previous recruitment cycle.
No. Applicants must still achieve a strong MSRA score and satisfy all national recruitment requirements. However, once selected for the Local Connections GP Training Pilot, and provided the required MSRA threshold is achieved, applicants may benefit from earlier certainty regarding their future training programme and location than would normally be available through the standard programme allocation process.
No. Applicants must still successfully complete Foundation Training, satisfy national recruitment requirements, and achieve the required MSRA score.
No. As part of your application, you will be asked to indicate which participating GP training programmes you would be willing to accept. If you are offered a place through the Local Connections GP Training Pilot, it will only be within one of the programmes you have selected.
For example, if you express an interest in Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn only, you would not be allocated to Chelmsford, Colchester or another participating programme without your agreement.
The pilot focuses on programmes serving a range of communities across the East of England, including coastal, rural and growing population centres. Some programmes are also linked to areas already participating in local allocation initiatives during undergraduate and Foundation training. The pilot seeks to understand whether creating a more continuous local training pathway can encourage more doctors to establish their careers within communities they already know and value.
Yes. Participation in the Local Connections GP Training Pilot does not prevent you from applying for other specialties through national recruitment.
However, applicants should carefully consider their career intentions before accepting a locally allocated GP training place.
No. Applicants who accept a place through the Local Connections GP Training Pilot will not be eligible for GP programme upgrades during the recruitment process.
The principal benefit of the pilot is the opportunity to secure an agreed training location earlier than would otherwise be possible. Accepting a place through the pilot therefore represents a commitment to that programme and location.
If applications exceed available places, a prioritisation process will be used.
The pilot is intended to support doctors with genuine connections to particular communities within the East of England. Priority is therefore likely to be given to applicants who can demonstrate meaningful local links, for example:
- Current Foundation placements in the area.
- Previous education or training within the locality.
- Family commitments or caring responsibilities.
- Other significant personal ties to the area.