Written question WQ99508
- Asked by
- Cai Parry-JonesReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 14 days
Question
How many healthcare workers have been recruited from Kerala following the announcement by the Welsh Government in February 2025 that a further 200 staff would join the Welsh NHS?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care (Mabon ap Gwynfor)
The information requested is shown below and has been provided by NHS Wales.
Since February 2025, 164 healthcare professionals have been recruited through the Wales-Kerela Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (as at 8 July 2026), comprising
- 47 doctors
- 117 nurses
Of these, 147 have commenced employment in NHS Wales and a further 17 doctors are progressing through pre-employment and onboarding processes. The vast majority of these recruits were already progressing through recruitment processes at the time of the February 2025 announcement.
NHS Wales is not currently undertaking further nursing recruitment through the Wales-Kerala MoU. Any further recruitment activity is expected to focus on medical recruitment in hard-to-fill specialities and areas experiencing workforce shortages.
It is worth emphasising that overseas workers have had a presence in the NHS workforce since its very foundation, and many services would be unsustainable without their important contribution. Recent campaigns to scapegoat them betray a fundamental lack of understanding of how the NHS actually operates, and this Welsh Government values the hard work, professionalism and dedication of all NHS staff, regardless of their background.