Overseas Nurse Programme Goes from Strength to Strength

Nurse recruitment and retention is a challenge nationally. In order to sustain the robust workforce necessary to deliver services, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has established a very successful Overseas Nurse Programme. Since 2019, the Health Board has been recruiting nurses who have trained overseas through both UK-based and international recruitment.

The Health Board has recently begun welcoming its next cohort of 135 nurses as part of the Overseas Nurses Programme. The programme will support overseas nurses through to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and join the team as registered nurses.

Since the programme was established in 2019, the Health Board has already welcomed 308 overseas nurses who are playing an instrumental role in providing high-quality care to our population. Of those who have joined the Health Board so far, 30 people were already UK-based and 278 have been recruited from overseas countries such as India and the Philippines.

Rachel Gidman, Executive Director of People and Culture at Cardiff and Vale UHB, said: “Our overseas nurses are a really important part of our NHS family here in Cardiff and Vale and show compassion and professionalism in the care they provide patients every single day. All of the candidates are extremely hard-working and committed to their studies. On behalf of the Health Board I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our latest cohort of overseas nurses.”

Internationally trained nurses have been a part of the NHS since its inception back in 1948 and continue to play a vital role. Over 400 internationally recruited nurses are expected to come to Wales this year through a centrally delivered recruitment programme