NHS long-term damage warning as hundreds of graduates still without jobs

Image source, Mia Edgeworth Image caption, Final year nursing student Mia Edgeworth was hoping to get her first job this year By Megan Davies  and  Thea Kellock , BBC Wales Published 8 July 2026 Updated 31 minutes ago The NHS could face long-term damage if newly-qualified healthcare workers continue to struggle to find jobs after graduation, an expert has warned. James Buchan, a specialist in health workforce policy, said there was a "reputational risk" to the NHS if prospective students no longer saw healthcare careers as a reliable route into employment. One final year nursing student said the lack of jobs had made her question her decision to pursue her three-year degree while a paramedic graduate said she may move abroad. The Welsh government said it was working with universities, health boards and graduates to get people into work. Image caption, James Buchan says the NHS' reputation as an employer could be damaged The warning comes as hundreds of nursing, midwifery and paramedic students remain without NHS jobs in Wales. Last month the NHS' workforce organisation, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), confirmed that almost 400 nursing and midwifery graduates remained without NHS positions after the first round of job matching concluded. Buchan, a senior fellow at charity The Health Foundation, said new graduates expected to be able to move relatively smoothly into a career, and could potentially "begin to get discouraged" and consider alternatives. "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 policy had focused on dealing with the consequences after graduates struggled to find jobs, rather than addressing the causes sooner. The NHS graduate job crisis explained Available on iPlayer Watch on iPlayer Mia Edgeworth, 21, is in her final year studying adult nursing at the University of South Wales in Cardiff and currently doesn't have a job lined up for when she finishes in August. She is one of the 306 nurses who have not secured band five roles in 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." She said it was an "uncertain time" for her and she fears people will be reluctant to consider nursing as a career. Edgeworth was the recipient of an NHS nursing bursary meaning her tuition fees were covered in exchange for a commitment to work for NHS Wales for two years post-graduation. It is understood that those who have not been successful in finding a job during this initial process will be offered "flexibility" regarding the bursary's employment requirements. A further allocation phase to match graduates to 131 remaining n