Linked Applicants Policy
From entry to Foundation F1 2026 the Peninsula Foundation school will be using Groups for the first time. We have taken this decision due to the rapid expansion in the number of posts available in the Peninsula in recent years. This has made the task of ranking all of our programmes more onerous.
The Peninsula Foundation School however remains committed to maintain links between applicants from the national linked application process to school through to matching to F1 location.
All applicants will be matched to a 2-year fixed programme. In the Peninsula Foundation School linked applicants can decide whether they want to maintain their link to Group Allocation. Where changes are needed to the post allocation to accommodate linking, the lower of the two individuals’ final Preferenced Informed Allocation (PIA) rank is fixed and the higher PIA ranked applicant will secure one of their lesser preferred Groups.
We have split all our programmes into 5 Groups one for each of our trust locations. From F1 2026 we will only continue to honour the link to the Group allocation stage only.
The Five Groups will be as follows in alphabetical order:
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust - Cornwall
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust- EAST - Exeter
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust- WEST- North Devon
Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust - Torbay
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust - Plymouth
By opting to maintain your link to the Group allocation stage you will be able to opt to be in the same F1 location (unless the link is broken under certain circumstances referred to in this guidance below**).
- PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE A SMALL NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES (Approximately 21 programmes out of 310) THAT HAVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FROM THE F1 YEAR FOR THE F2 YEAR therefore we cannot guarantee you will be in the same trust locations for both F1 and F2
** Links will be broken in the following circumstances:
1. Specialised Foundation Programmes (SFP)
Following the introduction of SFP Groups in 2025 to facilitate recruitment to Specialised Foundation Programmes (SFP), we understand that there will again be an additional SFP Group in 2026 (TBC). In view of the small number of SFP programmes in this Group we are unable to honour linked applicants if they are allocated to the SFP Group.
Both linked applicants can rank this Group and both may be allocated through PIA to a SFP programme but to be fair to other applicants we will not move linked applicants to the same trust location. Therefore, in this instance the LINK WILL BE BROKEN.
If one linked applicant is allocated to the SFP Group and another to one of the main FP groups the LINK WILL BE BROKEN.
2. National Oversubscription of the Foundation programme
In the event of national oversubscription of the Foundation programme if one linked applicant is allocated to a Placeholder Group by the PIA Algorithm the LINK WILL BE BROKEN and we will not be able to guarantee both applicants will be in the same location for F1 or F2. All Placeholder applicants will be treated the same and no priority will be given to any linked applicants.
Full Linked Applicant Policy.
1. As for all applicants, linked applicants need to be prepared to take a post based in any provider/location within the South West Peninsula (Exeter, Barnstaple, Torbay, Plymouth, and Truro).
2. Linked applications will normally mean that applicants will be in the same F1 location as their linked partner unless link is broken**.
3. Prior to matching to Group, linked applicants need to confirm whether they wish their link to be maintained through to the match to Group.
4. Linked applicants are required to complete and submit a Linked Application Preference Form online (one form needs to be completed by each applicant in the link). The submitted online forms of both applicants that wish to be linked MUST match in terms of preferences - that you both want to remain linked or that you both want to break the link to the Group Match stage.
5. The match to Group will initially be run as if there are no linked applicants to consider.
6. The results of the match will then be reviewed to consider whether each linked applicant pair (starting with the pair with the highest combined PIA rank) have been allocated to the same Group. If the result matches both applicants to the same group, the match to post will be left unaltered.
7. If the result does not match both linked applicants to the same Group, the match for the lower PIA ranked applicant will be fixed and the higher PIA ranked applicant will be moved down their list of preferred Groups to the lower PIA ranked applicants allocated Group. This will then be fixed.
8. While the process will confirm a 2-year programme for each person it will not guarantee they will be in the same F2 location. Once allocated to a Group both linked applicants will be allocated through PIA to a programme within that Group based on their individual PIA ranking. PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE A SMALL NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES (Approximately 21 programmes out of 310) THAT HAVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR THE F2 YEAR, this may mean that linked applicants will be in 2 different locations for the F2 year, this cannot be changed once allocated except through the F2 Swaps process (see Swaps policy). However, an F2 swaps cannot be guaranteed.
9. Applicants who have applied to the school as linked applicants will not be able to remain linked should they want to apply to swap rotations or jobs during the swaps process offered later in the year to all F1 Doctors.
10. THERE IS NO F1 PROGRAMME SWAPS PROCESS
11. No special circumstances can be considered during this process and there is no appeals process.
12. **In the event of national oversubscription of the Foundation programme if one linked applicant is allocated to a Placeholder Group by the PIA Algorithm the LINK WILL BE BROKEN and we will not be able to guarantee both applicants will be in the same location for F1 or F2. All Placeholder applicants will be treated the same and no priority will be given to any linked applicants.
13. ** Following the introduction of SFP Groups in 2025 to facilitate recruitment to Specialised Foundation Programmes (SFP), we understand that there will again be an additional SFP Group in 2026 (TBC). In view of the small number of SFP programmes in this Group we are unable to honour linked applicants if they are allocated to the SFP Group. Both linked applicants can rank this Group and both may be allocated through PIA to a SFP programme but to be fair to other applicants we will not move linked applicants to the same trust location. Therefore, in this instance the LINK WILL BE BROKEN.
If one linked applicant is allocated to the SFP Group and another to one of the main FP groups the LINK WILL BE BROKEN.