Written question WQ99400
- Asked by
- Cai Parry-JonesReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number of newly qualified nurses in Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf who remain without NHS employment following the 2026 NHS Wales Streamlining process, and what action is being taken to improve access to posts?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care (Mabon ap Gwynfor)
The Welsh Government are working closely with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), NHS Wales organisations and universities to monitor the outcome of the 2026 NHS Wales Streamlining process, including employment outcomes for newly qualified nurses across Wales.
The current position reflects a mismatch between the number of graduates entering the workforce and the number of funded entry-level posts currently available. The training commissions that led to this year’s graduating cohort were based on workforce forecasts and commissioning decisions made in 2022. Since then, NHS Wales has faced a more challenging financial environment, alongside improved workforce retention and lower staff turnover, which has reduced the number of vacancies available for newly qualified nurses currently. This does not reflect any reduction in the long-term need for nurses across NHS Wales.
To support graduates into employment, I convened a Graduate Summit on 18 June, bringing together health boards, NHS trusts, HEIW, universities, trade unions and professional bodies to agree both immediate and longer-term actions.
Following the Summit, NHS Wales organisations have continued to identify additional vacancies and opportunities as they arise, including roles in community, primary care and wider care settings. Graduates who have not yet secured a post have progressed into the next phase of the Streamlining process, supported by enhanced communications, career support and continued engagement with employers to maximise opportunities across the NHS in Wales.
The Summit also agreed the need for a stronger focus on aligning future commissioning decisions with workforce demand, improving workforce intelligence, exploring a broader range of employment opportunities across health and care settings, and ensuring newly qualified professionals can be retained within Wales while opportunities continue to emerge.
My priority is to retain these newly qualified nurses within NHS Wales and ensure they are supported into sustainable employment as additional opportunities become available. The development of a new comprehensive workforce plan for the NHS, the first iteration of which is due to be published in the autumn, will include a specific focus on better aligning the provision of courses with staff demand.