More than 250 nursing graduates placed into NHS Wales jobs since June

More than 250 additional nursing graduates have been placed into posts across NHS Wales since June, states the Welsh Government.

This follows joint action by health boards, universities, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) and Welsh Government in the wake of the Graduate Summit which the Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor convened in June.

The introduction of an Additional Allocation Phase has been key in helping place nursing graduates into NHS Wales posts. A further 28 have either secured employment through other routes or are not currently available for work.

There are sufficient vacancies available overall to support the remaining unallocated nursing graduates into employment. Work is continuing directly with individuals to match these opportunities as effectively as possible.

The Health and Care Minister will today (Monday, October 19) visit Aberystwyth University which has placed every one of its Adult Nursing and Mental Health Nursing graduates into roles. All nursing graduates at Bangor University have also secured employment.

Significant progress has also been made across universities in Wales, reflecting the wider collaborative effort by universities, health boards, HEIW, NWSSP and the Welsh Government to support graduates into employment and retain their skills within NHS Wales. HEIW has co-ordinated the all-Wales response.

Lessons learned from the experience of the 2026 cohort will be used to help ensure future workforce planning, education commissioning and service needs are more closely aligned.

Ahead of his visit to Aberystwyth University, Health and Care Minister, Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “I’m really pleased to be meeting some of the nursing graduates in Aberystwyth who are now embarking on their careers with NHS Wales.

“It is great that all nursing graduates from Aberystwyth and Bangor universities have now secured employment, but this progress extends much more widely across Wales. Universities, health boards, HEIW, NWSSP and the Welsh Government have worked collectively to support graduates into posts, and there has been a significant improvement in the position across the sector since the Graduate Summit.

“I fully recognise how worrying the situation has been for newly qualified healthcare professionals waiting to start their careers. The progress we've made since the Graduate Summit shows what can be achieved, but there is still much work to be done, especially for midwifery graduates, and we remain committed to helping graduates into employment and retaining their skills within NHS Wales.”

Mirain Breese, who graduated from Aberystwyth University in July 2026, said: “I recently started working as a nurse at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth, and I feel incredibly proud to be putting into practice the skills and experience I gained during my studies and placements.

“I began the course just as my youngest son was starting full-time school and returning to education and embarking on the journey to become a nurse while raising a family was challenging. Balancing academic work, clinical placements and family life was not always easy, but the support I received from the University, placement teams, fellow students, family and friends made all the difference.

“Being able to study through the medium of Welsh, close to home, was so important to me. To complete the course, qualify as a nurse and secure a local job caring for patients in my own community is something I am immensely proud of.”