F2 Stand-alone programmes are one-year fixed term Foundation year 2 level vacant posts that arise within Foundation Schools outside of the national 2-year Foundation Programme application process. F2 vacancies can occur for several reasons, for example a 2-year foundation programme has become vacant after the national FP application process, or the second year of a 2-year foundation programme is not taken up by the incumbent F1. The available number of F2 Stand-alone programmes therefore fluctuates and will vary each year. Not all Foundation Schools and regions will have vacant F2 stand-alone programmes available for the F2SA recruitment process.
F2 Stand-alone programmes are suitable for doctors who have one or two years of postgraduate experience or have completed an internship/F1 equivalent but are seeking further experience before pursuing GP or specialty training.
The UK Foundation Programme Office annually recruits doctors who hold or are eligible for full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) to work in these recognised F2 Stand-alone training programmes as part of the UK Foundation Programme.
F2 Stand-alone programmes are one-year fixed-term appointments. This means that Stand-alone F2 programmes are unlikely to be extended if the foundation doctor does not meet the requirements for satisfactory completion of the foundation programme within the 12-month fixed-term appointment.
Applicants who are currently working as part of the two-year or F2 stand-alone programme or have successfully completed the F2 year and received a Foundation Achievement of Competency Document (FACD)/Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC) are not eligible to apply for F2 Stand-alone posts.
Non-urgent advice: F2 Stand-alone 2026
The below applicant guidance relates to F2 Stand-alone 2026.
This guidance is subject to change due to external dependencies. The UKFPO will provide updates as necessary on the UKFPO website. Please ensure that you are checking the UKFPO website on a regular basis so that you do not miss any updates.
We do not offer exceptions or exemptions to the essential criteria detailed within the F2 person specification. Refer to the guidance relevant to the recruitment year you are applying to for full details of what can be accepted.
Non-urgent advice: Prioritisation for F2 Stand-alone 2026
The Government’s Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act has now been passed by Parliament and become law. The Act brings in new rules which prioritise UK medical graduates for Foundation training and give preference to UK graduates and doctors with significant NHS experience for Specialty training.
The Government has confirmed that these changes will take immediate effect. This includes recruitment to all Foundation and Specialty training programmes commencing from August 2026.
For F2 Stand-alone 2026, prioritisation will be implemented at the offer stage. Priority will go to those with a primary medical qualification from medical schools in the UK or Republic of Ireland and those with a primary medical qualification from medical schools in Iceland, Principality of Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.
Prioritised applicants will be offered ahead of non-prioritised applicants. Non-prioritised applicants will only be offered a training programme if there are no prioritised applicants remaining. An applicant’s prioritisation status will be determined based on information recorded in their application form at time of submission.
Notification of indicative programme numbers
Please see our announcement on indicative programme numbers for F2 Stand-alone 2026.
Foundation Year 2
In Foundation Year 2 (F2) doctors remain under clinical supervision (as do all doctors in training) but take on increasing responsibility for patient care. In particular, they begin to make management decisions as part of their progress towards independent practice. F2 doctors further develop their core generic skills and contribute more to the education and training of the wider healthcare workforce, for example nurses, medical students and less experienced doctors. At the end of F2, they will have begun to demonstrate clinical effectiveness, leadership and the decision-making responsibilities that are essential for hospital and general practice speciality training.
Satisfactory completion of F2 will lead to the award of a Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC), which indicates that the foundation doctor is ready to enter a core, specialty or general practice training programme.