A Plaid Cymru MS has said he’s shocked but not surprised to learn that one in eight nursing and midwifery jobs in north Wales are vacant.

The problems facing the medical profession within Betsi Cadwaladr health board are even more pressing with 20 percent of posts filled by temporary locum doctors and a further eight percent vacancy rate.

The new figures emerged from a Freedom of Information request from Plaid Cymru’s North Wales regional MS Llyr Gruffydd who said growing concerns about over-stretched and over-worked frontline medical, nursing and midwifery staff had prompted the inquiry.

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He also added he was shocked but not surprised at the level of vacancies: “From talking to nurses, doctors and allied health professionals across the North for some years, Plaid Cymru has been aware of staff shortages for some time. These have severe knock-on effects on those who are dealing with rising demands for care.

“Staff are having to cover for absent colleagues, they’re getting burnt out, they’re retiring as soon as they can, they’re cutting back on their hours. To compensate, Betsi Cadwaladr is having to spend millions each year on locum doctors and agency nurses – burning through their budgets as a consequence.

“In some departments, staff shortages are becoming critical and work is having to be relocated over the border in England at extra cost to the health board. This is not sustainable.

“The consequence of these staff shortages is a vicious circle where those remaining have to work flat out to cover the gaps. It’s not a sustainable model, especially after the impact of Covid, which has had a devastating effect on many health professionals.”

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Gill Harris, deputy CEO and executive director of integrated clinical services at Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, said: “I share the concerns about staffing levels and pay tribute to those colleagues who continually step up to the mark and cover where we are short-staffed.

“The shortage of health care staff is a national issue and there is significant recruitment activity going on to try and turn those roles being filled by agency and locum staff into substantive, permanent positions.

“I would reiterate North Wales is a wonderful place to live and work and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board offers excellent career opportunities, both to those who are already health professionals and those who aspire to a career looking after the region’s population.”

To find out more about the career opportunities within the health board, click here.