THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING WALES has warned that Wales “cannot afford” to lose newly qualified nurses after the First Minister refused to give a direct guarantee that student nurses would be given jobs in NHS Wales.

The row followed First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday (Jun 9), when Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas MS asked Rhun ap Iorwerth whether he would guarantee jobs for student nurses when they graduate.

Mr Thomas said it was unacceptable for newly qualified nurses, doctors and paramedics to struggle to find work while the NHS remained under pressure.

The First Minister did not give a direct yes or no answer, but said workforce planning was a “core part” of the Welsh Government’s health strategy.

He told the Senedd: “Putting a robust plan in place to make sure that people who have decided to devote themselves to careers in nursing or medicine or the allied health professions is a core part of our delivery of a workforce strategy.

“That is why my Cabinet Minister for Health and Care has already begun the work of ensuring that we are able to support students to have careers within the NHS.”

Following the exchange, RCN Wales Executive Director Nicola Williams said the union welcomed the First Minister’s recognition of the importance of helping nurses build their futures in Wales.

But she said nursing students had invested years of hard work, commitment and personal sacrifice to qualify.

She said: “At a time when Wales continues to face nursing workforce shortages and increasing demand on health services, it is essential that newly registered nurses are able to secure employment and put their skills into practice.

“RCN Wales has consistently raised concerns about reports of graduate nurses struggling to find substantive posts following qualification. This is not only deeply worrying for those individuals, but also represents a missed opportunity for the NHS to retain talented professionals at the beginning of their careers.”

Ms Williams said RCN Wales would seek assurances at a forthcoming workforce summit that a clear and sustainable plan would be developed to support newly registered nurses into employment.

She added: “Wales cannot afford to lose skilled, motivated nurses at the point they enter the profession.”

Mr Thomas said after FMQs: “Our health service is in desperate need of qualified staff. It is unacceptable that newly qualified nurses, doctors and paramedics are being told to find work outside of Wales.

“I was disappointed that the First Minister could not commit to ensuring these hardworking, qualified professionals can move into the frontline roles our NHS so desperately needs to fill.”

The issue comes amid wider concerns about NHS workforce planning in Wales, with unions warning that a failure to create enough entry-level posts risks losing newly trained staff just as services face growing pressure.

BBC Cymru Wales has launched a new development fund aimed at creating bold, original factual entertainment content for younger digital audiences.

The Format Fund will support five independent production companies, with each receiving £7,000 to develop an original pilot designed specifically for YouTube-first viewers aged 16 to 24.

The initiative is intended to encourage creative risk-taking and explore what the next generation of factual entertainment could look like in a digital-first media landscape.

BBC Cymru Wales says it is looking for ideas that move away from traditional television production models and instead embrace YouTube-native storytelling, with clear concepts, strong pacing, repeatable formats and striking visuals that quickly capture attention.

Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales said: “As part of a busy summer of piloting and commissioning YouTube content of all shapes and sizes across scripted and unscripted we’re delighted to be heading into this super fun genre.

“We’d love to be in a world where we can scale up these fact-ent pilots into something for the whole of the BBC to enjoy – wishing everyone all the best as they get stuck into it.”

Successful ideas could be developed further with BBC Cymru Wales, with the potential to become returning digital series.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday, July 3.

A LOS ANGELES-bound passenger jet made an unexpected U-turn over Pembrokeshire after developing a suspected landing gear problem while crossing UK airspace.

The Airbus A330, operating as LEVEL/Iberia flight IB2623 from Barcelona to Los Angeles, was tracked circling off the Pembrokeshire coast on Monday (June 8), leaving aviation watchers puzzled as it appeared to abandon its transatlantic journey.

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft, registration EC-ODA, making a looping manoeuvre west of Pembrokeshire before heading back south towards Spain.

The jet had already travelled more than 1,200 kilometres and had been airborne for almost two hours when the unusual turn took place.

Aviation incident reports suggest the crew detected a suspected undercarriage or tyre-related problem involving the aircraft’s nose landing gear.

Rather than diverting to a UK airport, the crew opted to return to Barcelona, where the aircraft landed safely. Reports indicate emergency services were placed on standby as a precaution.

Experts say long-haul aircraft bound for destinations such as Los Angeles often carry heavy fuel loads, meaning pilots may choose to enter a holding pattern while assessing a fault and preparing for a safe return to base.

The sight of the large aircraft circling near Pembrokeshire sparked interest among flight trackers, with many noticing the unusual route on Flightradar24.

No injuries have been reported.

Tracked over Pembrokeshire: The Airbus A330 was seen looping near the county before returning to Barcelona following reports of a suspected landing gear issue (Pic: Flightradar24).