Written question WQ97118
- Asked by
- Janet Finch-SaundersConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 12 days
Question
What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact of the potential 40 per cent reduction of resident doctors practicing in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
We know that retaining our current workforce is as important as recruiting new staff, and we work closely with NHS organisations on staff retention. Retention leads have been appointed in each health board and trust through the NHS Wales National Retention Programme.
Despite pressures on our budget, record numbers of doctors are employed by the NHS and we’re currently investing £294m on training and education.
We have supported a significant increase in the number of postgraduate medical training posts and since 2019, there has been an increase of 342 specialty training posts and 222 foundation posts. We now have approximately 1,900 trainees in secondary care training programmes, and 900 in foundation training, as well as 160 GP training places every year.
We continue to work with employers and unions to deliver the working environment and conditions our NHS staff deserve.
The Welsh Government maintains regular dialogue with BMA Cymru Wales on a broad range of workforce-related matters. While there has been no specific engagement with BMA Cymru Wales regarding its latest survey, I remain open to further engagement on this through our partnership structures.