What to do if your offer is withdrawn or expires

What this article is about
This article explains what to do if your offer is withdrawn, expires or is no longer available.

Who this is for
Applicants whose offer has expired, been withdrawn, been declined by mistake or is no longer showing in the recruitment system.

What you need to know

• Offers expire if you do not respond within the deadline.
• An expired or declined offer may be offered to another applicant.
• An offer may be withdrawn if eligibility, evidence, qualification, right to work, professional registration or other required checks are not met.
• Conditional offers depend on successful completion of required checks.
• You should act quickly if you believe an offer has expired or been withdrawn in error.
• Although applications can be reinstated if an offer expires, there is no guarantee an offer will be remade.
• Offers actively declined, even in error or by making a decision on a separate application, cannot usually be reinstated.

What to do

1. Check the offer communication and applicant guidance.
2. Confirm whether the issue is expiry, withdrawal, accidental decline or missing information.
3. Raise a query immediately through the recruitment support route.
4. Include your full name, applicant ID if available, specialty, recruitment round, offer details, deadline and what happened.
5. Provide screenshots or evidence if available.
6. Respond promptly to any requests for further information.
7. Do not assume the offer remains available unless this is formally confirmed.

If this does not work
If the recruitment team confirms the offer cannot be reinstated, you may need to wait for further offer rounds, remain on a reserve list if applicable, or apply in a future recruitment round.

Who to contact
Use the recruitment support route set out in the offer communication or applicant guidance.

What HET can and cannot help with
HET can help with

• Directing you to the correct recruitment support route.
• Advising on why an offer is no longer available and the options for processes managed by HET.

HET cannot help with

• Accepting, declining or holding an offer on your behalf outside the process.
• Extending offer deadlines.
• Guaranteeing that an expired offer will be made again.
• Reinstating a declined offer; which is not usually possible.
• Overriding national recruitment rules.
• Confirming employment or placement arrangements where no valid offer is in place.

Related articles

• Receiving an offer: how to accept, decline or hold
• Deadlines and timelines for accepting an offer
• How to raise a complaint about your interview or offer

Last reviewed
 Last reviewed: 25 September 2026