Round 1 Vacancies/Rotations – How to Apply – 2027

The following are the vacancies available across the South West, for commencement of training from August 2027 (Please note the numbers below are TBC and likely to change).

Programme	ST1 Posts
Bath	33
Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire	61
Gloucestershire	41
Somerset	42
Swindon	40
Severn*	0
Cornwall	41
Exeter & East Devon	35
North Devon	15
Plymouth	33
Torbay	21
Peninsula*	0

*Severn Programme

Severn School of Primary Care covers five geographical patches (Bath,  Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Swindon).

A number of rotations from each geographical patch will be advertised under the preferencing option of ‘Severn’.

Candidates who accept an offer of ‘Severn’ will be randomly allocated to one of the five geographical patches. Candidates will then be informed of the patch they have been allocated to and be given the opportunity to rank from the rotations allocated to ‘Severn’ for that patch. These posts will then be allocated based on preferencing and recruitment score. You cannot request a patch within the Severn programme and you will not be allowed to swap patches once you have been allocated. 

 Please note, there are no posts in the Severn programme for round 1 2027.

*Peninsula Programme

The Peninsula School of Primary Care covers five geographical patches (Cornwall, Exeter and East Devon, North Devon, Plymouth and Torbay).

A number of rotations from each geographical patch will be advertised under the preferencing option of ‘Peninsula’.

Candidates who accept an offer of ‘Peninsula’ will be randomly allocated to one of the five geographical patches. Candidates will then be informed of the patch they have been allocated to and be given the opportunity to rank from the rotations allocated to ‘Peninsula’ for that patch. These posts will then be allocated based on preferencing and recruitment score. You cannot request a patch within the Peninsula programme and you will not be allowed to swap patches once you have been allocated. 

Please note, there are no posts in the Peninsula programme for round 1 2027. 

Rotations

Once the upgrade deadline has passed you will be emailed a link to the available rotations in the location you have been offered and accepted along with a form to preference these rotations. Rotations will be allocated based on rank and preference.

The form will also ask if you intend to apply for Less than full time (LTFT), Combined Training and a deferred entry. Once the preferencing deadline has passed the recruitment team will confirm the rotation you have been allocated and pass your details to the GP Team and Patch team who will then be in touch with further details and formal applications for LTFT and Combined Training. 

Please note if you apply for LTFT and it is approved, your rotation may need to change in order to accommodate a different pattern of working. 

If you submit a successful Combined Training application, you will be able to omit six months of rotations. The posts omitted will be one of those AFTER your first ARCP which is held at 6 months. It will usually be the last post in ST2, unless this is GP, in which case it will be earlier posts in ST2. Please bear this in mind when considering your rotation choices as rotations cannot be changed at a later date without statutory reasons.  

Placements cover a wide range of locations and there is a rudimentary public transport system. A valid driving license is therefore highly recommended in order to commute between placements and explore the local area.

During the general practice component of your training you will be working in the community. As well as seeing patients in the surgery you will also visit patients in their own homes, in community hospitals and in nursing homes. You are also likely to attend meetings and teaching sessions in places different from your own surgery. Similarly hospital rotations may involve work at different sites within the trust. It is essential that you are able to get to these places. If you do not have a driving licence, please ensure that you have appropriate alternative transport arrangements in place.

Rotation details are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed.

Health Equity Focussed Training (HEFT)

The Severn and Peninsula Schools of Primary Care are excited to be offering HEFT placements for the 2026/27 intake. These innovative posts have proved popular in other regions of the country and will provide trainees/DiTs with the opportunity to train with inspirational GPs serving our region’s most socioeconomically deprived communities. By undertaking one of these posts you will gain the knowledge & skills to offer great primary care to struggling communities and vulnerable groups, and develop your own areas of interest.

For more information please click here

How to Apply and Recruitment Timeline

Applications should be made via Oriel.

Below is the confirmed timeline for recruitment to General Practice for August 2027 entry.

Combined Training

The combined training pathways provide the opportunity for you to combine previous relevant experience with your GP training programme. 

There are two combined training pathways: 

• Accreditation of Transferable Capabilities (ATC) for applicants who are transferring to general practice training from another GMC approved specialty training programme 
• Certificate of Completion of Training: Combined Programme (CCT CP) for applicants who have relevant experience from outside a GMC approved specialty training programme. This might include substantive clinical roles or overseas training and experience. 

For more information on Combined Training please see here.

Deferrals

Non-statutory deferral

Successful applicants appointed to England, Scotland or Wales recruitment can no longer apply to defer entry to GP training on non-statutory grounds; non-statutory deferment has never been permitted in Northern Ireland.

Statutory deferral

Candidates who defer their start date due to statutory reasons will be guaranteed a place on the training programme originally offered, but rotations may be subject to change.

If you are applying for a statutory deferral you will need to supply evidence as to why you are unable to start your training programme. 

Transferring Recruitment Scores

With the introduction of new functionality in Oriel, successful applicants to GP Training from August 2021 onwards who may not wish for whatever reason to take up the offer of a training place in the current recruitment round will be able to transfer their final recruitment score from one recruitment round to another recruitment round. This option will only be valid within a 12-month recruitment cycle and is conditional upon the recruitment and selection process being unchanged in subsequent recruitment rounds. For further information about transferring recruitment scores, please refer to the separate guidance which is available from the GPNRO Website. 

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on our recruitment processes, please see our FAQs.