There are two steps to submitting an eligibility application:
Step 1: Register with an account on the online application portal Oriel and fill in an online eligibility application form.
The Oriel application system is compatible with Safari v12+, Google Chrome v77+, Edge and Firefox v68+. Applicants are advised to use one of these browsers when using the website and preferably the most up to date version of that browser. Applicants are advised to only login via one browser at a time (that is, do not have Oriel open in more than one window/tab). Applicants are recommended not to use a mobile device. Further information about accessing Oriel is available in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on the UKFPO website.
To set up a new account and register:
- go to www.oriel.nhs.uk.
- choose the ‘UK Foundation Programme’ tile under the Applicants section on the left hand side of the screen
- when you get to the ‘welcome to oriel page’ click ‘register’ on the top right of the screen
- from the account registration options choose ‘register to apply for the eligibility application process’
Once registered applicants can complete the Eligibility application form. To find the eligibility application form, select “Vacancies” and then select the Eligibility vacancy for the 2024 Foundation Programme.
A document which provides screenshots of Oriel system (registration and vacancy search) can be downloaded here.
Step 2: Upload supporting evidence on Oriel and submit your application form.
The online eligibility application form asks for your personal details, information about your primary medical qualification and about what you have been doing since you completed your medical degree (if applicable), for example, your clinical experience and employment history. You will also be asked about your English language skills.
Supporting documents/information MUST be provided/uploaded on Oriel
Do not upload evidence to Oriel in zip file format.
Applicant communications on Oriel
Applicants are recommended to check their e-mail and Oriel accounts regularly throughout the application process. You will be prompted by e-mail to check your account for information at relevant times. However, we cannot guarantee delivery and therefore it is important that you check the site on a regular basis and especially at key times in the timeline. The onus is on applicants to be familiar with key dates and deadlines.
E-mails sent via Oriel are also stored in Oriel accounts. Email addresses can be amended through ‘Update Contact Details’.
UKFPO recommends that applicants regularly check their junk mail folders in case emails are incorrectly filtered as archive/junk/spam. Please contact the technical helpdesk on oriel@hicom.co.uk if you have any technical difficulties making your application.
Non-urgent advice: Advice to applicants
Applicants are advised to begin their application at the earliest possible convenience and to familiarise themselves with the requirements for providing supporting evidence.
Applicants MUST complete steps 1 and 2 as detailed above between 04 July 2023 (09:00 BST) and 25 July 2023 (12:00 noon BST). If an applicant does not submit the online application form and provide the necessary supporting evidence required, their eligibility application will be incomplete and they will be deemed ineligible to apply for UKFP 2024.
The UKFPO does not provide a pre-checking service to applicants and will not review the content or supporting evidence of applications prior to submission.
The UKFPO will not contact applicants if the information they have provided on Oriel is incomplete.
Applicants MUST upload required documents onto Oriel before submitting their application form on Oriel.
Applicants should ensure that they have checked their application and supporting documents thoroughly before submitting their application.
Applicants will not be able to upload additional documents or make changes to their application once it has been submitted. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the information that they are submitting as part of the application and to ensure it meets the requirements specified. Failure to upload the required documents will result in the applicant being deemed ineligible.
Each year some eligibility applicants are deemed ineligible due to small errors and omissions on their application form. Applicants are reminded to carefully read the guidance available on the UKFPO website to ensure that they fully understand the information and supporting evidence required within the application process.
Applicants should note that if they have submitted their application in error or there is a mistake on their submitted application this cannot be undone on Oriel and the submitted application cannot be edited.
Applicants in this situation will need to re-register for a new account on Oriel and submit a new application within the application window, using a different email address. (Please inform the UKFPO via email to helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk if you have submitted a new application as soon as possible and advise the team which application should be withdrawn. Please note, this is not the preferred process and applicants are encouraged to complete the application correctly in the first instance).
Applicants who experience any technical issues with the application form are advised to open a new browser, clear their internet browser history or delete the cache in the first instance. If this does not help, applicants can contact the technical helpdesk at oriel@hicom.co.uk for support.
The UKFPO reserves the right to remove any applicant from the application process if new information becomes available which affects their eligibility status. Information supplied by an applicant and the resulting status may be shared with other organisations involved in the application process.
Applicants who deemed “eligible” or “eligible with conditions” must also complete the separate application on Oriel for the two-year Foundation Programme for 2024. Applicants must refer to the main Foundation Programme application timeline for application dates.