Nearly 400 new nursing and midwifery graduates in Wales face an uncertain future after failing to secure jobs through the NHS job matching process. The figure includes 383 graduates from nursing, midwifery, and operating department practitioner (ODP) programmes who are yet to be offered entry-level Band 5 positions within the Welsh NHS.
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), which oversees workforce development and training in Wales, said that 703 graduates were successfully matched to roles. However, this unexpected shortfall has raised concerns about staffing shortages and increased demand across Welsh hospitals. HEIW explained that improved staff recruitment and retention over recent years, combined with cost-of-living pressures, have led to lower staff turnover than initially projected. This has resulted in fewer vacancies than anticipated, particularly for Band 5 positions.
The Royal College of Nursing Wales and the Royal College of Midwives Cymru have both expressed strong criticism regarding the lack of available roles. Nicola Williams, executive director of nursing at Royal College of Nursing Wales, urged the Welsh Government to intervene, highlighting the paradox of struggling hospitals and newly qualified nurses unable to find work. She noted that significant resources are being spent on temporary staff while permanent positions remain unfilled, despite members reporting daily pressures from high demand and insufficient personnel.
Julie Richards, director of Royal College of Midwives Cymru, echoed these sentiments, questioning why qualified midwives ready to work are left without jobs when maternity services are grappling with workforce shortages. Earlier this year, a review of maternity and neonatal care highlighted the urgent need to address staffing levels, which have not kept pace with increasing complexity in care required. Richards described the situation as contradictory, with national reviews calling for improved staffing while new graduates face employment uncertainty.
The majority of the 383 graduates affected are nurses, with 70 midwives and 7 ODPs also included in the count. HEIW chief executive Alex Howells acknowledged the disappointment for those graduates and confirmed that a further allocation phase is underway. This next phase aims to match graduates to 131 remaining nursing roles by the end of July, helping to reduce the overall number seeking employment. Graduates who received the NHS Wales bursary are understood to be offered 'flexibility' regarding their requirement to work in Wales for two years post-graduation.