A new survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) Cymru Wales reveals that 40% of resident doctors across Wales may be unemployed from August 2025.
The findings highlight a deepening workforce crisis in the NHS, with a significant number of newly trained doctors unable to secure specialty training posts.
The survey focused on doctors who have completed at least two years of their foundation training. Among those currently facing unemployment, more than half (53%) failed to gain a place in specialty training this year. As a result, many are now at risk of joblessness or being pushed into short-term locum roles.
In total, 82% of the doctors surveyed said they are either currently worried about unemployment this summer or were recently concerned before securing work.
The majority of those without a specialty post (63%) are now turning to locum work, which BMA Cymru Wales has criticised as expensive, unstable, and increasingly hard to find. General practice employers, in particular, are struggling to afford locums due to chronic underinvestment.
Specialty training, which begins each August, enables doctors to specialise in a particular medical field after their initial general training. It is a crucial step for career progression and for delivering expert care to patients. However, the current lack of training opportunities is creating significant barriers.
Alarmingly, 46% of doctors facing unemployment are now considering leaving the medical profession altogether. Around 30% are applying for positions overseas, highlighting growing disillusionment within the NHS workforce. Some doctors reported applying for dozens of jobs with no success, while others spoke of financial hardship, mental health struggles, and uncertainty about their future in medicine.
The findings align with concerns previously raised by BMA Cymru Wales, particularly regarding the Welsh Government’s decision not to expand specialty training places as recommended by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). Despite the growing number of medical students and graduates, including those from the new North Wales medical school, the government has yet to match training capacity with workforce needs.
The BMA’s Save Our Surgeries campaign continues to call for urgent investment in general practice across Wales to support training and recruitment of new GPs. Poor workforce planning and ongoing NHS underfunding have led to a national doctor shortage, impacting both patients and the profession.
In response, the Welsh Government has stated that £294 million is currently being invested in health professional education and training. Since 2019, the number of specialty training posts has increased by 342, and foundation posts by 222.
The government says there are now approximately 1,900 doctors in secondary care training and 900 in foundation training, with 160 GP training places offered annually. It also confirmed that it is working with other UK governments to find long-term solutions.
The BMA continues to call for urgent legislative and financial intervention to increase training capacity and secure a safer, more sustainable NHS workforce in Wales.
