F2 Stand-alone 2026 – What happens next?

This guidance has been archived.

Local Foundation schools assume responsibility for applicants who are due to commence foundation training once offers have been accepted.

After accepting an offer, your details will be passed to your new Foundation school, who will be your primary point of contact for all queries going forward. Contact information for Foundation Schools can be found via the Contact us webpage.

Pre-employment checks include Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG), and occupational health checks. Applicants must ensure that their reference is provided, as employers will not be able to offer a contract of employment without it.

If any of your references have not been collected on Oriel within the main reference submission window, your employer will contact you about providing the outstanding reference offline and will let you know if further information is required.

All applicants are expected to commence in post on the first Wednesday in August.

It is not possible for applicants to defer their foundation programme start date unless it is for statutory reasons. It is important to note that owing to the fixed-term nature of F2 stand-alone appointments, there is no entitlement to an extension of the fixed-term period of training. F2 stand-alone appointees will need to undertake the full year of training in order to achieve the requirements of the curriculum, which therefore may not be possible if a start date is deferred.

Requests for a deferred start date need to be discussed with your foundation school and employer at the earliest possible opportunity.

Those appointed to F2 stand-alone posts may apply for LTFT training and must complete the process in the usual way (please contact your foundation school for more information). However, a placement may not be immediately available.

Owing to the fixed-term nature of such appointments, if the F2 stand-alone post is undertaken less than full time, there is no automatic entitlement to an extension of the fixed-term period of training on a pro rata basis. This may mean that not all curriculum outcomes can be achieved, under which circumstance an FPCC would not be issued.

Your employer will provide details of your induction, and some foundation schools and employers offer additional shadowing opportunities for doctors new to the NHS. Contact your foundation school for more information.

Individual employer-organised shadowing and induction period may start earlier than 05 August 2026. Exact start dates will be confirmed by the employing organisation.

If anything should happen which would prevent you from commencing training on the expected date (such as illness, change of circumstances or final exams failure), it is vital that you let your foundation school and employer know as soon as possible to allow them to recruit to the vacancy.