How to Secure a Clinical Attachment in NHS Wales: A Guide for IMG Doctors

CareerPro UK Team

Oct 24

7 min read

Wales has its own NHS structure, so finding a clinical attachment there works differently from England. This guide explains which Welsh health boards offer attachments, how to apply, what checks and costs to expect, and the visitor visa rules that apply.

Quick answer

To get a clinical attachment in NHS Wales, pick a health board that offers one. Cardiff and Vale, Hywel Dda, Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Swansea Bay all do. Then contact a consultant in your specialty, or use the health board's own process. Have your CV, qualification certificates, references, police check and occupational health clearance ready. Attachments are unpaid and observer-only, and some boards charge a fee.

What is a clinical attachment in the NHS?

A clinical attachment (also called an observership) is a short, unpaid, observer-only placement in an NHS hospital department. You shadow a consultant and their team, attend ward rounds, clinics, multidisciplinary meetings and teaching, and learn how the NHS works day to day.

You do not treat patients. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, for example, describes an attachment as a short-term unpaid placement for a qualified international doctor who needs NHS experience, with no direct patient contact and no clinical responsibility. Swansea Bay's policy says observers must be supervised at all times and may not examine patients unsupervised, prescribe, order investigations or perform invasive procedures.

For IMGs, an attachment can help you:

understand NHS systems, teamwork and documentation
get a UK consultant referee for job applications
give real NHS examples in your supporting statement and at interview
get ready for PLAB 2 or your first NHS post

For a full explanation of attachments across the UK, read our clinical attachment UK guide.

How NHS Wales is organised: the seven health boards

In Wales, hospital and community services are run by seven local health boards, not by many separate trusts as in England. According to the Welsh Government, they are:

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Powys Teaching Health Board
Swansea Bay University Health Board

NHS Wales also has three NHS trusts (Velindre, the Welsh Ambulance Services and Public Health Wales), plus Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). For hospital attachments, look to the health boards.

How to secure a clinical attachment in NHS Trusts in Wales

Each health board runs its own process, and there is no single application portal for Wales. This is what official sources say about the health boards that publish information.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Cardiff and Vale has the most structured scheme in Wales. Its Medical Observers and Clinical Attachments page says:

placements are unpaid and last between 2 and 4 months, in structured cohorts that run throughout the year
the standard route is for doctors with a recognised medical qualification and GMC registration
you must not currently be employed by an NHS trust or health board in the UK
there is a separate Refugee Doctor (IWAS) Referral Programme, run with Cardiff Council, for doctors with full refugee status
all successful applicants need occupational health clearance, a DBS check (or overseas police clearance) and checks of identity and qualifications

Its answer to a 2024 Freedom of Information request (FOI 24-177) confirmed that IMGs are not charged for an attachment. See also its guidelines for applicants.

Hywel Dda University Health Board

In an FOI response (FOI.17856.25, request dated July 2025), Hywel Dda said it offers IMG clinical attachments from time to time, usually for up to six weeks, and charges £120. There is no application form. Requests normally go to consultants in the relevant specialty, who pass them to the Medical Workforce team. Applicants need:

passport or ID card
original basic medical qualification certificates
a declaration of criminal convictions and professional discipline
CV and references
DBS check
occupational health clearance and a Hepatitis B certificate
visa details, if needed

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Cwm Taf Morgannwg's FOI response (March 2024) says it offers IMG attachments, usually for about six weeks, with no fee and no pay. There is no application form, and applicants approach consultants directly.

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Swansea Bay released its clinical observer policy in a 2025 FOI response (appendix). Under the policy:

a consultant in the health board must agree to sponsor you
you complete a standard application form, and the consultant and clinical director sign a sponsor form
you provide a CV, certificates, two references (one from your current or most recent employer), a police check and proof of immigration status
Medical Workforce does occupational health, police and immigration checks before you start
placements last up to three months

Powys Teaching Health Board

Powys said in a September 2025 FOI response that it does not currently offer clinical attachments or observerships for doctors.

Aneurin Bevan and Betsi Cadwaladr

We could not find a current public clinical attachment page for these two health boards. Contact their medical workforce or medical education teams through their official websites (Aneurin Bevan, Betsi Cadwaladr) to ask whether attachments are available.

Note: FOI responses show the position on the date written, so always check with the health board before you plan travel.

Step-by-step: how to apply

Choose your specialty and health board. Pick the specialty you will apply for jobs in, then look at boards that offer attachments.
Check eligibility. For example, Cardiff and Vale requires GMC registration, while other boards may not.
Prepare your documents. These include an up-to-date NHS-style CV, degree certificates, two references, ID, a police check and vaccination or occupational health records.
Contact consultants politely and professionally. Most Welsh boards work through consultant sponsorship. Send a short email saying who you are, your qualifications, your PLAB or GMC status, what you hope to learn and your available dates, and attach your CV.
Follow up once after one to two weeks if you have not heard back. If you still get no reply, contact another consultant or another board.
Complete the health board's checks. These include occupational health, DBS or overseas police check, and checks of identity and qualifications.
Get written confirmation of your offer. You will need it for a visitor visa, if you need one.
Use the placement well. Agree learning goals, keep a reflective log, and ask your supervisor for a reference or end-of-placement report.

Requirements and costs

Common requirements across Welsh health boards:

recognised primary medical qualification (and GMC registration for some schemes)
CV and references
DBS check (Wales uses the Disclosure and Barring Service) or an overseas police certificate
occupational health clearance, sometimes including Hepatitis B evidence
proof of your right to be in the UK for the whole placement

Costs: Cardiff and Vale and Cwm Taf Morgannwg have said they do not charge, and Hywel Dda has said it charges £120. Your other costs are mainly travel, accommodation (Swansea Bay's policy says this is not provided), living costs, police checks and, if needed, a visa. Attachments are always unpaid.

Visa basics for clinical attachments

If you are not already living in the UK with permission, you will normally come as a Standard Visitor. The Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, PA 10.1) allow overseas medical graduates to do clinical attachments that are unpaid and involve no treatment of patients.

Under Appendix V: Visitor, V 11.1, you must:

give written confirmation of your offer of the attachment
confirm in writing that you have not previously done a clinical attachment in the UK

That second rule means you can usually do only one attachment as a visitor, so choose it carefully.

Visa nationals (for example, nationals of Pakistan, India and Nigeria) must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling. GOV.UK lists the fee as £135 for up to 6 months.
Non-visa nationals may need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead.
Check the visa national list and current GOV.UK guidance before you apply.

How to find clinical attachments in NHS Trusts across the UK

Outside Wales, attachments are arranged by individual NHS trusts in England, health boards in Scotland and health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland. To find them:

search trust websites for "clinical attachment" or "observership", usually under medical education or medical workforce
look at published schemes such as University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire or East Sussex Healthcare, but note that opening dates and fees vary
email consultants directly in your target specialty, or ask colleagues already working in the NHS

Our UK clinical attachment guide covers the UK-wide process in detail.

Turning your attachment into an NHS job

Use what you saw in your NHS supporting statement, and link it to the person specification. If you have a gap since your last clinical post, present the attachment as active preparation (explaining a career gap). Next, read how to apply for NHS jobs after GMC registration and Trac vs NHS Jobs.

CareerPro UK also offers free online CPD courses with certificates, a free 24-page supporting statement guide and a free Audit & QIP Ideas tool.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need GMC registration for a clinical attachment in Wales?

It depends on the health board. Cardiff and Vale's standard route asks for GMC registration. Swansea Bay's policy covers observers who usually do not have GMC registration. Check each board's own requirements.

Are clinical attachments in Wales paid?

No. Clinical attachments in NHS Wales are unpaid, observer-only placements. Some boards charge a fee: Hywel Dda has said it charges £120, while Cardiff and Vale and Cwm Taf Morgannwg have said they do not charge.

How long does a clinical attachment in Wales last?

It varies by board. Hywel Dda and Cwm Taf Morgannwg have said about six weeks, Swansea Bay's policy allows up to three months, and Cardiff and Vale runs 2 to 4 month cohorts.

Does HEIW arrange clinical attachments?

We found no evidence that HEIW arranges clinical attachments. Its international medical graduates pages give guidance for overseas doctors, and it runs a Welcome to Wales programme for IMGs starting GP training in Wales. Attachments are arranged by the health boards.

Can I do more than one clinical attachment on a visitor visa?

Usually not. The Immigration Rules require visitors coming for a clinical attachment to confirm in writing that they have not previously done one in the UK.

If you'd like your NHS application reviewed and rewritten (£35), email cvreviewexperts@gmail.com or contact CareerPro UK.

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