NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme

A national two-year NHS leadership programme in England that trains graduates to become healthcare managers.

About NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme

The NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS) is a leadership programme that trains graduates to become managers in NHS organisations in England. Trainees work in different placements while studying towards a postgraduate diploma.

The scheme's hub says it offers graduates a route to "tackle real-world challenges, lead meaningful change and accelerate their careers in healthcare leadership", improving services for patients and communities across England.

Placements are across the seven regions of England. We did not find which body runs the scheme on the pages we read, so check graduates.nhs.uk (we could not open it).

A Graduates First guide (June 2026) says the scheme is competitive, with around a 3% acceptance rate, which is a third-party figure. Gradcracker says it is recruiting around 250 trainees. Trainees get support from a Trainee Support Manager, a placement manager and a buddy from a previous cohort.

The scheme takes graduates with a 2:2 or above in any discipline (the listing says all STEM disciplines too). It lasts two years, or about 2.5 for finance trainees, and has focus areas including general management, finance, people, digital and estates engineering. The Gradcracker General Management listing shows a salary of £31,276 and a closing date of 28 October 2026. It is a graduate route, so school leavers should look at NHS apprenticeships instead.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Placements as operational, project and strategy managers.', 'title': 'General management'}
• {'desc': 'Finance route, about 2.5 years.', 'title': 'Finance'}
• {'desc': 'Digital, data and engineering infrastructure focus.', 'title': 'Digital and estates'}

Key facts

• Two-year scheme; finance about 2.5 years
• Around 250 trainees recruited (Gradcracker)
• Salary £31,276 on the 2026 General Management listing
• Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Birmingham

Website: graduates.nhs.uk