The Malta Foundation Programme was officially launched in July 2009. It is an Affiliated Programme to the United Kingdom Foundation Programme. This means that the Malta Foundation Programme is the same as the UK Foundation Programme. Its operations are based on the same Reference Guide and offers the same Curriculum and educational and training opportunities as UK Foundation Schools.

The setting up of this programme followed negotiations between the Division of Health Care Services of the Ministry of Social Policy, Health, the Elderly and Community Care of Malta and the United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office

The affiliation status was awarded to the Malta Foundation School on 23 June 2009 by the Director of the United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office, Professor Derek Gallen. (The affiliation certificate can be viewed here.) It enables trainees who complete it successfully to compete on the same level as those who are successful in the UK Foundation Programme for specialty posts in Malta, the United kingdom or elsewhere.