Choosing Careers in Wales

With devolved administration, the NHS is structured slightly differently and reflects some variations to its goals for doctors and patients in Wales, including:

• Aspirations to a consultant-led service
• Deanery based within a University rather than an SHA, giving close links to leading edge academic and research practice
• High response rates to GMC surveys, with accurate indications of trainee satisfaction
• Diverse practice environments
• Different emphasis in consultant contracts
• Free prescriptions and parking for patients

View our DVD Medical Training and Careers in Wales (available from the Related Resources area on this page) which outlines training and lifestyle opportunities for doctors pursuing specialty training in Wales. F1 doctors also benefit from free accommodation.

Wales as a lifestyle choice

Wales is a very varied country with a range of environments in which to train. Large cities such as Cardiff and Swansea are cosmopolitan centres with shopping centres, lively nightlife and a strong artistic tradition. Areas of North and West Wales are popular for holiday destinations or second homes; many smaller towns are active in arts and culture, with excellent restaurants, “one-off” shops and diverse communities. Some areas also offer outstanding scenery and outdoor pursuits - particularly sailing, walking, climbing. The Wales Tourist Board offers a wealth of information on how to make the most of living in or visiting different areas of Wales.

There are distinctive features to many of the training schemes in Wales. Most of the district hospitals in Wales act as centres for local schemes. These hospitals range from smaller district hospitals in market towns such as those in Aberystwyth, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest to larger hospitals associated with the University of Wales College of Medicine, such as those in Newport, Swansea and Cardiff.

The cost of living in Wales is in many areas extremely affordable. Traffic and transport links also mean that travel between hospitals and practices is usually straightforward and time-effective. From South Wales, travel to cities such as Bristol, London or Birmingham takes between two and three hours, with similar speed of access to cities such as Manchester or Liverpool from North Wales. Cardiff International Airport operates flights to many European holiday destinations as well as internal flights to Scotland, Ireland – and even North Wales!

Do I have to learn Welsh?

No. Whilst operating as a bilingual country, English is the main language in many areas and in all hospitals. In some areas such as Mid-, West- and North Wales there can be a higher proportion of Welsh speakers living and working alongside non-Welsh speakers and the two languages happily co-exist. In medical environments, patients who prefer communication in Welsh have access to a wide range of native speakers and so there is no need to learn Welsh as a second language. Those with families may like to note that Welsh is taught as part of the National Curriculum from Years 1 to 11.

For information on medical career opportunities in Wales, browse the relevant recruitment section in this website. Also see the Health of Wales Information Service for information on careers in the NHS Wales, and our Wales:The Smart Choice page to link to information about Local Health Boards and Hospitals and their jobsites.