In August 2026, NHS England will launch 19 pilot programmes to test new ways of organising rotational training. Approximately 210 resident doctors across England are taking part in these pilots.

The aim is to make training more stable, predictable and manageable for resident doctors.

What could change for resident doctors?

The pilots are testing whether resident doctors can:

• travel less and stay closer to home
• move between placements less often
• have more certainty about where they will be training
• have more choice and control over their rotations

Different pilots are testing different approaches, including:

• smaller geographical areas, so doctors are not required to travel as far or relocate
• single-provider core rotations, where training takes place within a single organisation
• 2-centre specialty programmes, where doctors move between only 2 sites

These pilots will help us understand whether the frequency of rotations, geography, predictability and the extent of choice for resident doctors can improve their training experience without reducing the quality of their training content.

Who is involved?

Resident doctors in postgraduate medical training are taking part across all 7 NHS regions in England.

Postgraduate deans, regional NHS England teams and local NHS trusts are working together to deliver the pilots. Royal colleges and specialty training leads are helping to design and support them, so they meet the needs of specific specialties.

NHS England, the BMA and other partners have agreed how the pilots will be evaluated so we can understand what works well for resident doctors and where further improvements are needed.

Example pilot: Paediatrics training in Kent, Surrey and Sussex

This pilot allows resident doctors on the Kent, Surrey and Sussex paediatric core training programme to stay within the same hospital trust throughout their core training.

Instead of moving between trusts, doctors can remain in 1 organisation for 2 years.

The pilot is testing whether that stability will:

• reduce the cost and disruption of moving between placements
• cut travel time
• help doctors build stronger working relationships with colleagues
• reduce stress
• improve the continuity of care for patients

What happens next

These pilots are testing specific changes to rotational training. They are not a wider redesign of medical education and training.

The pilots will be evaluated throughout their delivery, with findings feeding directly into phase 2 of the Medical Education and Training Review. What we learn will help shape future options for improving rotations across the NHS.

The pilots are part of a wider effort to improve how doctors are trained, supported, and retained, alongside the 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives and the Medical Education and Training Review.

The changes being tested are based on feedback from resident doctors and aimed at making a lasting difference to their training experience.

Find out more

• Medical Education and Training Review
• 10 Point Plan to improve resident doctors’ working lives: reducing the impact of rotations on resident doctors’ lives (point 9)