Written question WQ98797

The Welsh Government is committed to attracting and retaining medical students and doctors within Wales, recognising that a sustainable and well-trained workforce is essential to the delivery of high-quality NHS services.

We invest significantly in medical education and training through our national commissioning arrangements, working closely with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), universities and NHS organisations to ensure the right number of training places are available to meet current and future workforce needs.

We are taking a range of actions to encourage Welsh medical students to train and remain in Wales. This includes targeted initiatives such as the Train, Work, Live campaign, which promotes careers in NHS Wales and offers incentives to attract GP trainees to areas that have historically experienced recruitment challenges.

At a UK level, we support a consistent four‑nation approach to postgraduate medical training. Recent legislative changes to prioritise UK‑trained doctors for Foundation and specialty training places are intended to strengthen opportunities for those trained in Wales to progress their careers within the UK system, supporting retention and continuity for NHS Wales.

Retention is also supported through wider workforce policies, including improved access to training and career development, retention initiatives, and continued investment in education and training. These measures are designed to improve workforce stability and create a more supportive and sustainable working environment for doctors across Wales.

We recognise that retention is closely linked to opportunities for postgraduate training. We will continue to work with partners across Wales and the UK to ensure that training pathways remain attractive and accessible, while aligning our approach with UK‑wide recruitment systems.