Mortgages for doctors

Doctors are among the borrowers lenders like most, but rotations, fixed-term training contracts and pay made of several parts can still trip up an application.

Last checked 13 September 2026. Editor: Kris · editorial standards

Sources checked 15 October 2026. Pay figures are for England.

1. Training contracts count as permanent at many lenders

Doctors in training move between employers on fixed-term contracts, which some lenders treat as temporary work. Many don't: Nationwide's criteria, for example, tell brokers to "treat Trainee/Junior NHS staff as permanent employees", including "foundation/training doctors" (Nationwide intermediary criteria). If a lender asks for a minimum time in the current job, a rotation can look like a job change, so say early that it is part of the same training programme.

2. What your pay is made of

The 2026/27 award raised doctors' pay by 3.5% from 1 April 2026 and restructured resident doctors' pay into ten pay points aligned with stages of training (NHS Employers, Pay and Conditions Circular (M&D) 1/2026). Basic pay for resident doctors starts at £41,226 for FY1 and £47,610 for FY2, and reaches £77,348 at ST7–ST8 (BMA pay scales, updated 8 September 2026). Consultants start at £113,565 and reach £150,569 after 14 years (BMA; same circular).

Basic pay is counted in full. Extra-hours pay, weekend allowances and on-call supplements are variable, so lenders usually want several months of payslips and may count only part of them. Bring the last three to six payslips and your contract or rotation letter.

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3. Locum and private work

Income from locum shifts or private practice through your own company or as self-employed is assessed like other self-employed income: usually one or two years of tax calculations (SA302s) and tax year overviews from HMRC (GOV.UK). Some lenders will count recent locum work on a shorter history; others ignore it until it appears on a tax return. A broker can find the lenders that combine your salaried and locum income.

Professional mortgages: what lenders actually publish

A handful of lenders have a "professional" range that lends more than the usual 4 to 4.5 times income to people in named professions. Criteria as published on 15 October 2026:

Lender	Up to	Main conditions
Metro Bank, professional range	6 × income	Qualified in the last ten years; registered with the UK professional body and practising; subject to affordability
Kensington, professionals	6 × income, up to 90% LTV	Fully qualified, registered and practising; minimum income £35,000 single or £50,000 joint

Both are offered through mortgage brokers, and both say the multiple is subject to affordability, so the full 6 × is a ceiling rather than a promise. Lenders change these ranges often; a broker will know the current list. Separately, from 28 October 2026 lenders no longer each have to keep loans at 4.5 × income or more under 15% of their own lending, only the market as a whole (PRA and FCA, PS19/26), which may make higher multiples easier to find.

4. What it means in numbers

Doctor	Basic pay	4.5 ×	6 × (professional range)
FY1	£41,226	£185,517	Usually not eligible until fully qualified
CT3/ST3	£67,325	£302,962	£403,950
New consultant	£113,565	£511,042	£681,390

These are ceilings on basic pay alone. The affordability assessment, your commitments and the deposit decide the real figure; try the borrowing calculator.

5. What to tell a broker

Your grade, training programme and rotation dates, and when your next contract starts.
Basic pay and any regular extra-hours pay, with payslips.
Locum or private income and how it's paid (PAYE, self-employed or your own company).
Your GMC registration status; professional ranges ask for full registration (GMC registers).
Student loan and any other commitments: they reduce what you can borrow.

NHS colleagues in other roles may also find the NHS staff mortgages guide useful.

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General information, not advice. Mortgage Brokers List is a directory and a set of free tools. Only an FCA-authorised adviser can recommend a mortgage for your circumstances. See our editorial standards.