Actions to support workforce retention in Wales

One of the first things we did as Professor Olwen Williams passed the baton of vice president for Wales onto me was write a letter to voice our significant concerns about sexual safety and bullying in medicine. Our doctors told us they didn’t feel safe speaking up and even when they did, nothing happened. One of the biggest challenges was that a trainee could raise concerns with HEIW of clear evidence of harm but if the perpetrator was employed by a separate organisation they appeared to be immune from the consequences. Writing the letter and getting media attention is the first step but, on its own, it does not deliver change – change requires hard work and persistence.

I want to thank Dr Martin Edwards (shared services NHS Wales) for working with HEIW, the RCP and health boards to deliver a strong new policy and a tangible commitment to change. I have seen the policy and it is robust – in future, we hope NHS staff will feel safe to speak up knowing that there are appropriate consequences for the perpetrators. Let’s watch this space carefully – thank you to the women who bravely shared their experiences.

Competition ratios for resident doctors

Workforce planning for doctors in the UK seems to be in chaos. In 2024, applications for IMT outstripped the number of posts available by 73%. This means that only around one in four applications actually lead to a job that allows doctors to continue their medical training on a national programme. In February we published Left in the lurch: a position statement on the recruitment crisis facing resident doctors which calls for urgent action to help foundation doctors secure training jobs in the NHS. This is particularly frustrating in Wales where we have struggled with rota gaps and locums for a long time; and we all know a stable and committed workforce is much better for patient care. It’s hard not to feel incredibly frustrated about the disconnect between workforce planning and the unmet clinical needs and workforce gaps. This is compounded by the funding of short-term outreach services to cover clinical ‘bottle necks’ such as endoscopy, but a lack of strategic investment and the absence of a long-term workforce plan.

Over the border, following news that NHS England is to be abolished, many of us are asking what this could mean for the Welsh health service. The Barnett formula for Wales is based on the amount given to government departments by the Treasury in England – will the changes in England impact the funding we receive? What affect might this have on the postgraduate medical training review? The medical training review is being led by senior officials in England, but we know that colleagues in Welsh government and HEIW will be watching developments with a keen interest. Our Resident Doctor Committee co-chairs recently teamed with our Student Foundation Doctor Network chair to call on the UK government to outline plans for NHS staff spend and long-term workforce planning, and while the NHS in Wales is, of course, independent, the ripple effect of decisions taken in Westminster can reverberate far and wide. Watch this space.

We also know Wales continues to struggle with workforce retention – a report by Audit Wales in February showed that of the 8,180 doctors currently on the General Medical Council register who originally trained in Wales, only 42.8% (3,505) have remained in Wales. It was great to be interviewed by ITV Wales on this issue, which will be a key campaign focus for us in 2025.

A long-term and improved workforce plan for the NHS: our key message for Plaid Cymru’s spring conference

We've prioritised recruitment and retention of the workforce in an interim briefing on our manifesto asks in preparation for the Plaid Cymru spring conference and Senedd 2026. I raised the importance of workforce retention - and the wider issues experienced by our doctors in Wales - with Plaid shadow minister for health, Mabon ap Gwynfor. The only way to improve health care outcomes in Wales is investment in a well-trained and expert workforce and a long-term workforce plan.

At the conference, we also took part in the fringe hustings organised by the NHS Confederation Health and Wellbeing Alliance. Thank you to the Senedd members (MSs) who came to hear about the RCP’s work. Our full manifesto will be available in June and we’re looking forward to more productive meetings with MSs from across the political spectrum this year.