Placeholder positions given to almost 700 graduating doctors by the NHS

Almost 700 medical students across the UK have no idea where they will have their first job as a doctor this summer, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).

Even though thousands of final year students do know which hospital they will be going to, almost 700 have instead been given what are known as ‘placeholder’ positions.

This means that although they have a job as a foundation doctor, they will not know the exact location until a short time before their start date in August.

They have been told which medical deanery – the local medical education and training boards – they will be in but they often span huge geographical areas, or even entire devolved nations, in the case of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

When assigned a placeholder job, the BMA warned that students are left in limbo for months – leaving them unable to make plans for where they will live.

For those with caring responsibilities and families it can be an incredibly stressful time as they’re unable to plan for childcare and make the necessary arrangements to start their careers in medicine said BMA.

Chair of BMA council Prof Phil Banfield and officers from the Medical Students Committee (MSC) wrote to Wes Streeting asking him to take action.

Callum Williams and Elgan Manton-Roseblade, deputy co-chairs for education for the BMA’s medical students committee, said: “This happens year on year: final year medical students facing months of uncertainty and stress, for some during their final medical exams, it is unacceptable.