EditorSWANSEA: Nearly £10m of public money spent training paramedics who are now being told to look for work abroad
Paramedic students at Swansea University have been told they face no job prospects in Wales this year after the Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed a complete freeze on hiring newly qualified paramedics — with some students advised to seek work as far away as Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Around 61 of the 67 students expected to graduate with paramedic science degrees this summer are based at Swansea University, with the remaining six at Wrexham University. Their training has been heavily subsidised by Healthcare Education and Improvement Wales, part of NHS Wales, with the cost per student estimated at around £150,000 — meaning the public bill for this year’s cohort runs to approximately £10 million.
Despite that investment, the Welsh Ambulance Service has told students there will be no newly qualified paramedic posts available to them in Wales this year, citing what it described as “financial and operational issues.”
One Swansea University student — who asked not to be named for fear of affecting his future employment — told the BBC he had been ringing ambulance services across the UK but found very few posts anywhere. He said he was hoping a paramedic job might be available for him in Canada.
Another student, Alice — not her real name — said she was devastated. “It’s an amazing career, it’s so unfortunate that we don’t have the opportunity to join it anymore,” she said.
A third, Alex — also not their real name — said they had fully intended to stay in Wales after qualifying. “I had full intention of working in Wales and serving the Welsh communities. None of us will have the opportunity to serve anywhere in Wales as a paramedic,” they said.
One student described the situation as “crazy and shortsighted.” Their training has included months of placements, sometimes more than 100 miles from home, across different parts of Wales.
As Swansea Bay News previously reported, this is not the first time the recruitment pipeline has broken down. Last year, only around 20 of 67 graduates were initially offered newly qualified paramedic posts, with some pushed into lower-banded Emergency Medical Technician roles instead. This year, the situation has deteriorated further — there are no paramedic posts at all.
Students also told the BBC that a pattern of “retire and return” — schemes that allow experienced paramedics to retire, access their pensions, and then be re-employed — has contributed to the workforce pressures blocking new entrants. A re-grading process within the service has also been cited as a factor.
Despite the bursary agreement that would normally require students to remain in Wales after qualifying, Healthcare Education and Improvement Wales has now released this year’s cohort from that obligation, effectively telling them they are free to seek work wherever they can find it.
Carl Kneeshaw, speaking for the Welsh Ambulance Service, acknowledged the impact on students. “We know this will be deeply disappointing for those hoping to start their careers with us, especially after the time, effort and commitment they have invested in their training,” he said. The service said it would encourage graduates to consider Emergency Medical Technician roles — which it expected to recruit to during 2026 — or posts with other ambulance services across the UK.
The Welsh Government said it was “working closely” with the ambulance service, Healthcare Education and Improvement Wales and the universities to address the challenges and support graduates. A Welsh Labour spokesperson said the party was “committed to ensuring the NHS in Wales has the staff it needs now and in the future.”
That response drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, called it “a staggering waste of both talent and taxpayers’ money” at a time when ambulance response times remain far too long and patients are waiting in pain. Dr Gwyn Williams, Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe, pointed to the estimated £150,000 cost per student and said the situation amounted to “almost £10m being written off.”
The Welsh Conservatives described it as “a clear failure of workforce planning” that was “completely unacceptable.”
Swansea University said it had been made aware of the situation and its immediate focus was on supporting affected students. A university spokesperson said it was “liaising closely” with the ambulance service and Healthcare Education and Improvement Wales to understand the impact and explore any possible alternative solutions.
The freeze comes as NHS Wales continues to face serious pressure across emergency services. As Swansea Bay News has reported, Welsh A&E departments have been linked to nearly 1,000 deaths connected to excessive waiting times — with ambulance response times a key factor in the delays that lead to patients deteriorating before reaching hospital care.
For the students approaching the end of three years of demanding clinical training, the human cost of the situation is clear. They trained to serve Welsh communities in some of the most pressured and critical moments of people’s lives. For now, Wales is turning them away.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Welsh Government under pressure over paramedic recruitment shortfall
Last year’s warning that this was coming — when only 20 of 67 graduates were offered posts. This year, the number is zero.
A&E crisis: Nearly 1,000 deaths in Wales linked to 12-hour waits as calls grow for urgent action
The wider emergency care crisis that makes turning away newly qualified paramedics even harder to justify.
