NHS Long-Term Risks as Graduates Struggle to Find Jobs
Final year nursing student Mia Edgeworth was hoping to secure her first job this year.
The NHS could experience long-term consequences if newly-qualified healthcare professionals continue to face difficulties obtaining employment after graduation, according to an expert.
James Buchan, a specialist in health workforce policy, warned of a "reputational risk" to the NHS if prospective students no longer view healthcare careers as a dependable pathway to employment.
One final year nursing student expressed that the scarcity of jobs had caused her to question her decision to pursue a three-year degree, while a paramedic graduate indicated she might consider moving abroad.
The Welsh government stated it is collaborating with universities, health boards, and graduates to facilitate employment opportunities.
Graduate Job Shortages in Wales
This warning arises as hundreds of nursing, midwifery, and paramedic students remain without NHS positions in Wales.
Last month, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the NHS workforce organisation, confirmed that nearly 400 nursing and midwifery graduates had not secured NHS roles following the initial job matching round.
Buchan, a senior fellow at The Health Foundation, explained that new graduates expect a relatively smooth transition into their careers but may become discouraged and consider alternative paths if employment is not forthcoming.
"The NHS can only sustain service delivery through a good pipeline of newly trained health professionals coming into employment," he said.
"If that pipeline reduces or is partly blocked, that in turn creates service challenges."
He added that policy efforts have tended to address the consequences after graduates struggle to find jobs, rather than proactively tackling the underlying causes.
The NHS Graduate Job Crisis Explained
Mia Edgeworth, 21, is in her final year studying adult nursing at the University of South Wales in Cardiff and currently does not have a job secured for when she graduates in August.
She is among the 306 nurses who have not obtained band five roles for June 2026.
"Before you even apply for nursing, when you attend the open days, they tell you that when you finish the course, you're guaranteed a job," she said.
"A few months prior to me finishing there was an email sent out saying there won't be enough jobs for everybody."
Mia described this as an "uncertain time" and expressed concern that such circumstances may deter others from pursuing nursing careers.
She received an NHS nursing bursary, which covered her tuition fees in exchange for a commitment to work for NHS Wales for two years after graduation.
It is understood that those who have not secured employment during the initial process will be offered "flexibility" regarding the bursary's employment obligations.
A further allocation phase to match graduates to 131 remaining nursing roles is scheduled to conclude by the end of July, which will reduce the number of unemployed graduates.
Approximately 70 final year paramedic students have been affected by the recruitment freeze, including 26-year-old Lorna Edwards.
Edwards stated she is considering leaving the UK to find work.
"It wasn't my plan to move away from my family and friends, but ultimately there is no job in Wales," she said.
Reasons Behind Healthcare Graduate Employment Challenges
In Wales, university places for healthcare courses are allocated by HEIW, which uses data from health boards to forecast NHS staffing needs.
Because training healthcare workers takes several years, these forecasts are made well in advance.
HEIW explained that the forecasts underpinning the number of positions available this year were developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, a period marked by higher staff turnover and exceptional service pressures.
Since then, staff retention has improved, resulting in fewer NHS departures and fewer vacancies.
Consequently, some healthcare courses in Wales have been paused for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Ryan Davies, 19, from Swansea, recently discovered he would not be able to study paramedic science in his hometown after Swansea University withdrew offers for the 2026 cohort.
"It was really gutting," said Davies, who currently works as a healthcare support worker.
He has since been offered a place on the adult nursing course at Swansea University and will commence his degree in September.
"There's so much uncertainty - I try not to worry too much about it," he added.
In September 2025, Audit Wales reported that NHS Wales had accumulated a three-year overspend of £481 million.
Although health boards continue to report vacancies, many positions currently lack funding.
NHS workforce data recorded over 5,600 full-time equivalent vacancies across Welsh health boards at the end of 2025.
Measures to Address NHS Recruitment Issues
Earlier this month, Wales's Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor convened a summit with health leaders, universities, and professional bodies.
A Welsh government spokesperson stated the summit aimed "to find immediate solutions and prevent this from happening again and asked for actions from the summit to be rolled out nationally."
The spokesperson added:
"We know how disappointing it is for this year's nursing, midwifery and paramedics graduates who haven't secured the roles they worked so hard for."
"We have asked Health Education and Improvement Wales to coordinate a national support offer, including a single point of access to ensure graduates remain supported and connected to emerging employment opportunities."
The Royal College of Paramedics anticipates similar recruitment freezes across the UK later this year.
Earlier in 2026, the Royal College of Midwives reported that a survey of newly qualified midwives across the four UK nations found about one-third had not secured permanent roles.
Buchan noted that although it is "not fair to call it a national problem at the moment," current workforce projections and data suggest it will remain an issue requiring policy responses across all four UK nations.
"Need is not being met, but the funding is not there to increase the workforce," he said.
In England, the Department of Health and Social Care has introduced a "Graduate Guarantee" for newly qualified nurses and midwives after concerns arose about 4,000 more graduates than available vacancies.
The Scottish government is developing an NHS job guarantee for all graduates in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other NHS professions.
