RECRUITING nurses from overseas and deploying “reservists” during extremely busy periods are among plans set out by the Welsh Government to address issues with staffing in the Welsh NHS.

Health minister Eluned Morgan has said “rapid action” is needed to address the issues currently facing the healthcare system in Wales.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing will be striking on February 6 and 7, while Unite and GMB members will take further industrial action on February 6 and 20.

The Welsh Government has set out its plans to address the challenges of staffing the Welsh NHS, in response to the current pressures.  

Among the short-term fixes proposed include “ethically recruiting more nurses from overseas”, with a recruitment drive planned for later in 2023.

Last year, the 'Once for Wales' recruitment pilot led to around 400 nurses joining the Welsh NHS.

The Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is proposing to deploy “reservists” to support the regular workforce “at times of extreme pressure”.

It is expected these reservists would be healthcare staff – rather than army reservists, for example – meaning this could include recruiting staff who have recently left the profession – as was seen during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Welsh Government is also proposing to create an ‘All-Wales Collaborative Bank’ to “enable the NHS to address short-term staffing issues and provide staff with choice and flexibility, while encouraging a move away from agency working”.

Also included in the plan is encouraging more volunteers into the health and care system.

Detailed plans for specific professions and services – such as nursing, dentistry and pharmacy – will be published over the next two years, the Welsh Government has said.

“Our health workforce has reached record numbers in Wales, to help meet the increasing demand on its services,” said Ms Morgan. “But we are seeing demand for health and social care like never before, in Wales and across the world.

“Our plans are based on what NHS staff have been telling us - that rapid action is needed in key areas now.

“The message is clear: we must accelerate our action, with strong, collective and compassionate leadership, if we are to improve retention and recruitment. It’s vital we provide our workforce with the working environment it needs to continue to provide world-class care for the people of Wales.”

Dr Olwen Williams, vice president for Wales, Royal College of Physicians, said that members saw staff shortages as “the biggest challenge facing the NHS” – with 64 per cent of respondents in Wales saying they were being asked to fill rota gaps at short notice and 49 per cent saying that reducing staff vacancies in their team would make the biggest difference to their wellbeing.