Cardiff and Vale University Health Board welcome newly recruited overseas doctors

Dr Susan Allen and Dr Biju Mohamed hosted an afternoon tea 'meet and greet' on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to recognise both previously and recently recruited overseas doctors.

The event celebrated the diversity and international recruitment of doctors from around the world at who are working with the Health Board and provided a platform for networking, socialising, and establishing support groups among the doctors. It also gave new recruits a warm welcome to their new workplace.

The event saw clinical teams, international nursing leads, colleagues from the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP)’s International Recruitment Team and colleagues who have been involved in the recruitment process come together to recognise both existing and new colleagues from overseas.

The event also gave the NWSSP Team an opportunity to see the full recruitment cycle as they caught up with new recruits and saw individuals settled into their roles at Cardiff and Vale.

Dr Susan Allen commented: “Some of our international colleagues – those mainly from Kerala in India, have been recruited through the Welsh Government scheme, ran by NWSSP with GMC approval. It is proving to be a popular and effective way to find suitable specialist doctors.”

“This meet and greet event was to shine a light on all these doctors, to provide peer contacts, links with medical/nursing staff, workforce and human resources within Cardiff and the Vale. Hopefully, we have opened up new channels of communications, which will help international colleagues to feel welcomed and valued as they adapt to our national health service and new life here in Wales. We hope future events can be arranged, as this workforce find their feet with us.”

Dr Biju Mohamed, also added: “It was a pleasure to be involved with Welsh Government’s international recruitment dive for medics through NWSSP.

“The whole programme was brilliantly organised by team led by Ruth and Anna, in close collaboration with the Health Board, from the shortlisting to interviews and support for candidates post-recruitment. The interview processes were rigorous, allowing us to recruit excellent future Cardiff and Vale UHB (and other NHS Wales) colleagues.”

“It was lovely to see them here in Cardiff for the meet and greet, and support their induction into Cardiff and Vale UHB in a most traditional Welsh way!”

The meet and greet showcased the positive impact of international recruitment at the Health Board and was a chance to thank all those involved.