A foreign government is trying to recruit nurses and doctors from Wales by saying how tough the Welsh NHS is

Huge adverts plastered on the side of buildings are trying to recruit Welsh nurses and doctors by promising a better life in Canada. The digital billboards highlight low pay and dissatisfaction with working conditions in the Welsh NHS.

Two adverts appeared on the digital signs on Lower Cathedral Road in Cardiff and are part of a much wider advertising campaign launched by the province of British Columbia in Canada. The appear to be inviting care staff, nurses and doctors to apply for jobs in Canada.

Both adverts appear to be tapping into the current discontent at pay and working conditions within the Welsh NHS. There have been several high profile strikes by Welsh doctors and nurses over the last year.

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The billboards are clearly trying to tap into this discontent. One of the adverts showed a picture of a healthcare professional with the tag line: "Care for other in a place that cares about you." The other says: "Giving patients what they need shouldn't take everything you've got."

Both are then followed by a link to careers in British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian province is the third largest in the country behind Quebec and Ontario.

Staff and recruitment and retention is a serious issue in the Welsh NHS at present. A report by the Royal College of Nursing published at the end of 2023 estimated that there were 2,717 registered nurse vacancies in Wales in 2023. This number represents an increase on the union’s estimation of 1,719 from a year ago. This in turn has led to a reliance on agency nurses which are more expensive for the tax payer.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We greatly value the NHS workforce in Wales and the vital work they do. We are working with employers and unions to deliver the working environment and conditions staff need to continue providing high-quality care for the people of Wales.

“Our National Workforce Implementation Plan sets out how we will improve recruitment, retention and the wellbeing of the NHS workforce.

“Despite the unprecedented pressures on our budget, record numbers of people, including doctors, are employed by the NHS. We’ve also maintained our education and training budget at £281m this year.”

WalesOnline contacted the British Columbia Ministry of Health who indicated that the marketing campaign was aimed to addressa health care worker shortages in the province and that the first phase of a recruitment campaign had reached over 2.2 million people in the UK and Ireland through digital and physical means.

They also indicated that they were specifically targeting the UK right now since the process for foreign credential recognition and transferring credentials is more compatible compared to other jurisdictions.

The other areas they were targeting with their marketing campaign continues Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Stratford, Kensington, South Hampton, Newcastle, Piccadilly, Manchester, and London.