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Healthcare Graduate Vacancy Shortage (2026)
Is this devolved to Wales?
Devolved
The necessary powers are not reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Shared Powers
Insert a specific explanation of the powers situation for this issue here.
Not Devolved
The powers over this are reserved to the UK Parliament in Schedule 7A of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Specific Section/Number/Clause).
Throughout the 2025-26 academic year, concerns grew over a shortage of suitable entry-level vacancies for newly qualified allied healthcare professionals with NHS Wales1.
This has been keenly felt in certain disciplines such as nursing, midwifery and paramedic science.
Many students are supported through their studies by NHS-funded bursaries, meaning this money has effectively been wasted if graduates are unable to find positions.
From BBC Wales (Megan Davies & Thea Kellock)2:
In Wales, university places for healthcare-related courses are mapped out by HEIW (Health Education & Improvement Wales), which uses data from health boards to predict the staff that the NHS will need in the future.
As it takes a number of years to train a healthcare worker, these forecasts are made several years in advance.
HEIW said forecasts underpinning the number of positions expected to be available this year were made during the Covid pandemic, where staff turnover was higher and the service was under exceptional pressure.
Since then, staff retention has improved, meaning fewer people have left the NHS and fewer vacancies have become available.
As a result, universities in Wales have paused certain courses for the 2026-2027 cohort.
According to Health Education & Improvement Wales (HEIW), 383 nursing and midwifery graduates were not found entry-level (Band 5) posts as of summer 20263.
The Welsh Ambulance Service has reportedly frozen the recruitment of newly qualified paramedics as of April 2026, with at least 70 student paramedics affected1.
Charts (if needed)
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Costs & Economic Impact
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Who has raised this at the Senedd?
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
Health & Care Minister
Delyth Jewell MS
Deputy Minister for Social Care
Rhun ap Iorwerth MS
First Minister
Dr Gwyn Williams MS
Backbencher
Zaynub Akbar MS
Chair: Equality & Social Justice
Dan Thomas MS
Backbencher
Joe Martin MS
Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Francesca O'Brien MS
Shadow Local Government Minister
Mike Hedges MS
Backbencher
Natasha Asghar MS
Backbencher
Janet Finch-Saunders MS
Backbencher
Darren Millar MS
Conservative Group Leader
Peter Fox MS
Backbencher
Paul Rock MS
Backbencher
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
Health & Care Minister
Delyth Jewell MS
Deputy Minister for Social Care
Rhun ap Iorwerth MS
First Minister
Dr Gwyn Williams MS
Backbencher
Zaynub Akbar MS
Chair: Equality & Social Justice
Dan Thomas MS
Backbencher
Joe Martin MS
Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Francesca O'Brien MS
Shadow Local Government Minister
Mike Hedges MS
Backbencher
Natasha Asghar MS
Backbencher
Janet Finch-Saunders MS
Backbencher
Darren Millar MS
Conservative Group Leader
Peter Fox MS
Backbencher
Paul Rock MS
Backbencher
What are the party positions on this?
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Plaid Cymru’s position is that this is an issue they’ve inherited, though backbench MSs (with personal experience) have blamed poor workforce planning.
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Reform have blamed recruitment from abroad (particularly an agreement signed with Kerala in India) on a lack of vacancies for home-grown graduates.
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Although this dates back to when Labour were in government, Labour MSs have asked oral and written questions about the vacancies problem.
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
The Conservatives have been critical of poor workforce planning.
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
The Greens have raised specific concerns about support for midwifery graduates, mirroring stories from constituents affected by the lack of vacancies.
- Supports the graduates
- Opposed
- Neutral/No Opinion
Jane Dodds hasn’t said anything on this specifically, but has mentioned recruitment problems in relation to midwifery.
Who is responsible?
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
Health & Care Minister
What have ministers said?
What's being done about this?
The First Minister told the Senedd that he wants to make sure any graduates affected by this remain “practice ready”. While they won’t be able to find roles they trained for, the goal at the moment is to find temporary alternative posts elsewhere in the NHS.
In July 2026, the Health Minister told Senedd Members that a summit was held with health leaders in the ambulance service, nursing and midwifery to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Following this summit, Band 5 vacancies were found for 92% of nursing graduates.
The Welsh Government has seemingly rejected any moves to stop recruitment of experienced healthcare staff from abroad.
No.
A new workforce plan is being developed and is expected to be revealed in autumn 2026.
What have the Senedd's Committees said?
Nothing has been discussed yet.
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Relevant Votes
Nothing to see yet.
Further Reading
- Gavin Thomas, BBC Wales (April 1st 2026). “Newly qualified paramedics told to apply for jobs abroad due to hire freeze“
- BBC Wales (9th July 2026). “NHS long-term damage warning as hundreds of graduates still without jobs”
- Jenny Rees, BBC Wales (28th June 2026) “Nearly 400 Welsh nursing and midwifery graduates still without NHS jobs“
