81% of doctors in Wales report inadequate NHS staffing: RCP launches manifesto for Senedd 2026 calling for urgent Welsh government action on workforce, prevention and social care

The RCP manifesto – The road to recovery – warns that without decisive action, pressures on NHS staff and services will continue to escalate, undermining the ability of physicians to deliver safe and effective care. Developed in partnership with NHS Wales doctors, it sets out a clear vision for how the next Welsh government can build a sustainable health and social care system.

A system under pressure

The document highlights the stark reality of care being delivered in corridors and the growing challenge of an overstretched medical workforce.

Evidence from the General Medical Council shows the scale of the problem, with the Welsh NHS scoring worse than the UK average on staffing, overtime, workload, leadership and patient flow.

• 81% of doctors in Wales say NHS staffing is inadequate (compared with 72% across the UK).
• 66% work beyond their contracted hours at least once a week, risking burnout and impacting patient safety (compared with 62% across the UK).
• 53% of doctors in Wales reported lack of access to necessary equipment or services (compared with 44% across the UK).
• 37% report being unable to cope with their workload at least weekly, while 24% cite insufficient support from senior colleagues as a barrier to patient care (compared with 33% and 19% across the UK).
• 52% highlight poor organisational leadership (compared to 45% across the UK).
• 69% identify patient flow or bed pressures as a barrier to safe care (well above the UK average of 56%).

Three priorities for the next Welsh government

The RCP is calling for:

1. a long-term NHS workforce plan to recruit, retain and support doctors across Wales.
2. cross-government action on prevention and health inequalities, including bold steps on poverty, obesity, tobacco and clean air.
3. radical transformation of social care, with a fully costed plan to address capacity, reduce delays and eliminate corridor care.

Voices from the NHS front line

Today’s launch comes as RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel visits Wrexham Maelor Hospital in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to meet with resident doctors, consultant physicians and senior NHS managers.

RCP senior officers will hear about the NHS recruitment challenge in north east Wales, the medical training experience of local resident doctors and health board plans to reorganise specialist services.

Dr Hilary Williams, RCP vice president for Wales and a consultant medical oncologist at Velindre, said:

‘Physicians in Wales deliver world-class care, but too often our patients are left waiting in corridors or stuck in the outpatient backlog. Without enough doctors, we are left constantly trying to do more, with less – waiting lists won’t come down if we don’t fix our recruitment crisis and invest in the next generation of doctors. Two-thirds of doctors in Wales are working above their contracted hours on a weekly basis – this is the new norm, and quite frankly, it’s untenable.

‘Wales can be a great place to train and a great place to work – but we need to get the basics right – rest and food facilities, protected time for education and training and investment in clinical leadership. The next Welsh government must invest in our medical workforce, tackle the causes of ill health and ensure social care is properly funded.

Dr Sacha Moore, RCP Resident Doctor Committee representative for Wales, who is training to become a consultant in renal and general internal medicine, added:

‘A shortage of doctors means patients wait longer for care, which is why the medical workforce crisis is one of the most urgent issues facing the NHS in Wales. As patient need increases, morale falls and care suffers – already, more than a third of doctors in Wales say they can’t cope with their workload. This is an unsustainable situation.

‘We need a long term clinically led health and social care workforce plan, an expansion in medical training places and a focus on clinical research and academic medicine. Invest in the medical workforce now and we can build a highly skilled, resilient, world class NHS that is fit for the future.’

Dr Ben Thomas, RCP regional adviser for north Wales and a consultant nephrologist in Wrexham, said:

‘Too many people in Wales are being pushed into ill health by deprivation, poor living standards and poverty – with nearly a quarter of households and almost a third of children now affected.

‘Working as a GP in the south Wales valleys 50 years ago, Julian Tudor Hart recognised that communities most in need of good healthcare are those least likely to receive it. In fact, the social determinants of health – housing, education, nutrition, working conditions and living standards – matter more than access to medical services.

‘Wales needs a wide-ranging cross government action plan to tackle health inequalities. We’re making progress in some areas, but services remain patchy. To make a real impact, we need a coordinated, nationwide approach. If the next Welsh government invests in prevention and takes decisive action on obesity, smoking, alcohol harms and air quality, we can improve lives and ease pressure on the NHS.’

Dr Andrew Lansdown, RCP regional adviser for south Wales central, and a consultant endocrinologist in Cardiff, said:

‘Hospitals in Wales are under immense pressure, with many patients being treated in inappropriate, undignified and unsafe places, like corridors or chairs. Over half of doctors in Wales say they can’t access the equipment or services they need to treat patients. The system is at breaking point.

‘Many patients in Wales are waiting weeks to leave hospital, costing the NHS millions every month, because community care services don’t have the staff or resource to get them home. We desperately need radical transformation of social care in Wales.’