Pembroke Dock GP, Dave Wilson, welcomes the launch of a major new campaign, by First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, to promote Wales as an excellent place for doctors, including GPs and their families, to train, work and live.

The Welsh Government made a clear commitment in its Programme for Government to continue to invest in primary care and to take action to attract and train more GPs, nurses and other health professionals in Wales. This new national and international campaign will compliment work already being undertaken by health boards to recruit staff. It will support GPs who express an interest in working in Wales, including relocating with their families, while providing helpful information on what they can expect when coming to the country.

The campaign will be aimed at medical students, yet to choose a specialty, as well as trainees coming to the end of their training, to encourage them to stay to live and work in Wales. It will also appeal to recently qualified GPs, those in the early stages of their career, and experienced GPs who may wish to work differently, or return to the workforce in Wales. A second incentive of a one-off payment of £2,000 to be paid to all GP specialty training programme trainees to help cover their final exams following study in Wales is also being introduced. Incentives will be in place in time for the August 2017 intake.

The introduction of a major new GP recruitment campaign is welcome news to Dr. Dave Wilson (34), a full-time GP at the Argyle Medical Group in Pembroke Dock.

Dave explains: “I’d thoroughly recommend Wales as the best place to train, work and live. I’d sampled GP life further afield, but never felt truly settled until coming here to Wales to work and live. Having completed my two-year training as a junior doctor in 2005, my wife and I we were lured, four years later, to Tauraunga in New Zealand. It seemed like the right choice at the time. We were young, had no children and there were equally good career prospects for GPs over there. But after just 18 months in New Zealand, it became obvious to us both how much we missed the close-knit coastal community lifestyle back in West Wales. Minds made up, I applied for a GP role back in West Wales and even received financial help from the Welsh Government to relocate back. The move was surprisingly smooth, and five years on and two children later, we’ve never looked back.

“Pembrokeshire is the perfect place to raise a family and still pursue a fulfilling medical career. The work life balance here is amazing. My GP working life is very community orientated. My patients are more like an extended family - there’s a very genuine and friendly vibe here. Working in Wales, the birthplace of the NHS, also offers the benefits of a much closer collaboration between medical professionals and the political decision makers. Health policy decision-making is a devolved power and GPs are well-supported by the Welsh Government in optimising work life balance and in voicing opinion on medical matters. GPs in Wales also get financial support through a General Medical Services contract which helps us make real difference through informing local workforce strategies, supporting a more collaborative approach to community services and improving the overall quality of care. In summary, what’s great about being a GP in Wales is that we are empowered to make a very real difference for the communities they serve.

“When I’m not working, I make full use of the beautiful natural surroundings in Wales by competing regularly in triathlons, as well as the annual Ironman Wales which is hosted on my doorstep. I’m also a keen surfer and fully intend to get back into the sea when the children are old enough to learn. As a Londoner born and bred, some might wonder why I’ve swapped the bright city lights for a rural existence but when it comes to a daily packed lunch with a coastal view or a packed tube ride home - it’s a no brainer.”

To support the launch of the new recruitment campaign, a new and easily accessible source of information on general practice in Wales is being launched with telephone and online support for those who express an interest in returning to practice in Wales. This single point of contact will also provide recruitment assistance directly to practices.

Training as a GP in areas which have had long term difficulty filling places is also going to be encouraged through the introduction of an incentive scheme. This bonded scheme will see trainees receive a total of £20,000 on the understanding they remain in the area in which they took a training placement whilst they train and for one year of practice afterwards.

The Wales Deanery, alongside the Welsh Government, Welsh health boards and trusts, also announced a new education contract for junior doctors in Wales. The contract, a UK first, guarantees ring-fenced time for learning written into their working week to ensure all trainee doctors in Wales will have access to a wide range of educational opportunities to support their career development.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “Every day, our primary care centres deliver a fantastic service to the people of Wales, but we know that there are very real challenges around the recruitment and retention of GPs. This is not unique to Wales, but an issue across the whole of the UK.

“It’s important we act, and act fast to ensure that our health service is sustainable in the long term. The campaign shows that Wales is not only an excellent place to live - our vibrant cities and towns, epic beaches, and stunning mountains speak for themselves - but it’s also a great place to train and work.

“In the 2016, GMC Trainee Survey we came top of the four nations in the UK in terms of overall satisfaction with trainee GPs ranking their experiences in terms of satisfaction, experience, induction and clinical supervision. I want doctors across the whole of the UK and beyond to know that Wales is a fantastic place to train, work and live. Today’s campaign goes a long way in getting that message heard loud and clear.”

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: “The campaign launch is the result of hard work between us; GPC Wales; the Royal College of GPs and the Wales Deanery. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved. The new campaign is further reaching than anything we have done before and will support the good work already being undertaken by our health boards to recruit staff. It is more distinctive in setting out what Wales as a country has on offer for people who train here and work here.

“The incentives around training and our unique education contract that provides protected time for training announced will also be a source of encouragement for people to come to Wales to be GPs. Success will be measured in a number of ways, but ultimately we expect to see an increase in applications for training places with the result of a higher fill rate for places we currently fund. Train, work, live is the campaign’s slogan - let’s get that message out there to ensure the primary care sector in Wales has a positive future.”