Survey finds 40% of Welsh trainee doctors worry about job losses
A recent British Medical Association (BMA) survey shows 40% of resident doctors in Wales are concerned they will face unemployment from August 2025.
The survey, which included doctors who have completed two or more years of foundation training, also found 53% of those likely to be unemployed did not secure a specialty training post this year. This leaves many at risk of joblessness or relying on short-term locum work.
Overall, 82% of respondents said they either currently worry about unemployment or had concerns before finding employment.
Specialty training begins each August and allows doctors to focus on a medical area after general training, progressing their careers to provide specialist care.
The BMA Cymru Wales described locum work as “costly, unsustainable, and becoming rarer,” especially in general practice, where underinvestment means employers often cannot afford locums.
The survey also found 46% of doctors worried about unemployment are considering leaving medicine entirely, while 30% are applying for jobs abroad.
Some doctors reported applying for up to 30 posts without success.
The results reflect long-standing concerns raised by BMA Cymru Wales that the Welsh Government has not increased specialty training places as recommended by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), despite growing numbers of medical graduates, including from the new North Wales medical school.
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu, chair of the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctor Committee, said:
“At a time when Wales needs more doctors, there are limited opportunities for resident doctors to develop their careers in the country where they trained.
“Earlier this year, we wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care warning him of the potential impact of not expanding training places, including medical unemployment.
“Doctors are now forced to seek ad hoc locum work, leave Wales, or leave the profession altogether. Poor workforce planning and chronic underfunding of the NHS has led to a national shortage of doctors in Wales.
“This is unsafe for patients, and we need to see urgent intervention from the Welsh Government, including legislation to provide safer staffing levels and an expansion in specialty training places.
“By alleviating bottlenecks in the training pipeline, we can enable doctors to progress their careers and provide the specialist care that patients desperately need.”
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