250 new healthcare professionals from Kerala boost NHS in Wales
250 nurses and doctors will be coming to Wales under a new agreement between the Welsh Government and the government of Kerala in India.
As part of this year’s Wales in India programme, Health Minister Eluned Morgan signed an agreement with the Government of Kerala to bring qualified healthcare professionals from India to work in the Welsh NHS.
During her visit to Kerala, the Health Minister met with some of the nursing and medical professionals, and their families, who will soon be taking up roles in Wales at a reception to thank them and celebrate their contribution to NHS Wales.
Siji Salimkutty first came to Wales as a nurse from Kerala in 2004 and has spent the last twenty years working within NHS Wales.
Since coming to Wales Siji has continued to encourage international recruitment helping to support other nurses to make Wales home.
His nephew, Sharoon, will be one of the 250 healthcare professionals who will be coming to Wales from Kerala in thethe next year and his daughter is a medical student at Cardiff University.
Home
Mr Salimkutty said: “I came to Wales seeking opportunity, but what I found was a home. For the past 20 years, working in NHS Wales has been an enriching journey filled with camaraderie, growth, and a deep sense of belonging. It’s not just a job; it’s a testament to the warmth and spirit of this remarkable place.”
Sharoon Kolickatharayil Nowshad said: “Moving to Wales as a nurse offers me the chance to reunite with my uncles and family who have lived in Wales and worked in the NHS for 20 years. I know when I arrive, I’ll be able to settle in and progress in my career, and there’s already a strong Kerala community where I can make new connections, while reconnecting with my family.”
Ethical international recruitment is a key part of NHS Wales’s workforce implementation plan and last year over 400 internationally educated nurses were recruited from overseas.
Medical staff
A further group of internationally educated nurses as well as medical staff will be recruited this year alongside a £5 million programme to support targeted recruitment.
Alongside investment to increase the homegrown supply of nurses and other healthcare professionals, recruiting internationally helps to close the vacancy gap in the short and medium term.
In recognition of the importance of the NHS workforce and to support the development of Wales grown doctors and nurses, the Minister announced last month that over £283 million will be invested in the education and training of healthcare professionals in Wales this year; helping to increase the number of training places available.
Global demand
Eluned Morgan said: “Despite record number of nurses and other healthcare professionals in NHS Wales, the demand for health care workers globally has significantly increased. International recruitment, alongside our investment and commitment to home grown healthcare staff, is one of the ways we can fill the workforce gaps and rely less on agency staff.
“Kerala has a long history of training health care professionals and supporting them to come to Wales. I have seen first-hand the tremendous impact these dedicated nurses, doctors and other health care staff have had on our health care services and it was an honour to meet some of Wales’ future workforce as they prepare to come to Wales.
“I am also delighted that despite the challenging financial climate we have been able to maintain our budget for training healthcare professionals in Wales. This shows our commitment to building a high quality, professional workforce fit for the future.”
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We should be training our own medical staff not poaching tgem from elsewhere
If only. The numbers needed versus mentor numbers, makes it hard. Its not like training costs much as now each nurse etc is saddleed with training debt, that previously didn’t exist.which probably puts a lot off.
Had the UK governments of the time acted rather than just talked they would have created a long term resourcing plan which would have trained and developed in service a host of people right across the skills mix. OK they might have fallen a bit short but nowhere near the debacle we are now experiencing. We should feel profound guilt about stealing, yes stealing, scarce resources from any other country. India may be wealthier than we think from first impressions but given their disparity of income and wealth distribution we should avoid anything that undermines their ability to tackle their… Read more »
I have absolutely no problem with anyone the world over coming to britain, coming to Cymru, but to invite medical staff from overseas instead of investing in training, with fair pay and conditions, of existing population here in Cymru has to be wrong.
Surely the people of the state of Kerala, India, would be best served by retaining their own trained health workers? Were they given a chance to express an opinion?
I did a little research on the state of the health service in Kerala earlier (not good) but it has still not been uploaded on here yet…
I’d like to know the details of the deal struck by Welsh Gov with India…
We have had the Keralans for over a year now. Its a great opportunity for them obviously and they are an asset to an understaffed ward. But when approx 60 per cent of your medical staff are foreign born, you are never going to train enough people to substitute the workforce. People dont want to work in health as the working conditions are too heavy and stressful . NHS needs radical change
Downing Street in January 2022 tells Wales to do business with India, yes boss…
Really hope the people of Kerala”s health care does not suffer.
Many of the population already work away from home.
Major problems facing people in public hospitals in Kerala…lack of doctors, nurses and paramedic professionals, lack of hygiene, poor services, long waiting time…
Kerala has the highest per capita alcohol consumption (by nearly a third) and alcoholism of any state in India and Cymru is promoting ‘Welsh Whisky’ there…shame on us…
How many thousands did we lose cos Brexit.