Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is pleased to offer Clinical Attachment placements through structured cohorts throughout the year. These unpaid placements, lasting between 2 and 4 months, provide GMC-registered doctors with the opportunity to gain valuable insight into NHS healthcare and develop their understanding of UK medical practice within a supportive learning environment.
Clinical Attachments are designed to facilitate learning through observation, reflection, and professional engagement within NHS clinical settings. Participants will observe consultants and multidisciplinary teams in their day-to-day work, gaining exposure to NHS systems, clinical pathways, patient journeys, and the professional standards expected of doctors working in the UK.
As these are observational placements, participants will not be involved in direct patient care, clinical decision-making, prescribing, or any duties normally undertaken by employed medical staff. Instead, the focus is on developing an understanding of UK healthcare practices, professional behaviours, communication skills, team working, and specialty-specific service delivery through structured observation and supervised learning opportunities.
Clinical Attachments provide an excellent opportunity for doctors to build confidence, familiarise themselves with NHS working practices, and enhance their readiness for future employment within the NHS.
Placements are suitable for:
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who hold GMC registration and wish to gain a greater understanding of NHS systems, UK medical practice, multidisciplinary working, and the delivery of patient care within a Health Board setting.
Doctors returning to medical practice following a career break who would benefit from a structured period of observation and familiarisation with current NHS processes, clinical environments, and professional practice before seeking employment opportunities.
GMC-registered doctors seeking specialty-specific exposure to enhance their understanding of a particular specialty, develop insight into UK specialty training and service delivery models, and strengthen future applications for substantive, training, or locally employed doctor roles.
To be eligible, applicants must not currently be employed by an NHS Trust or Health Board within the UK. All successful applicants will be required to complete the same pre-placement checks as NHS employees, including:
We have separate routes you can apply through dependant on experience/qualifications or if you are a refugee doctor. Please see below breakdown of the routes you can take and more information in the expandable section below that.
If you hold a recognised medical qualification and have GMC registration, you can apply through our Clinical Attachment Placement route.
Please expand the section below for further information on eligibility requirements and the application process.
If you are a medically qualified refugee doctor who has been granted full refugee status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply through the Refugee IWAS Referral Programme, delivered in partnership with Cardiff Council.
Please expand the section below for information on eligibility and how to apply.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer Clinical Attachment placements to individuals who do not hold a recognised medical qualification or who are not eligible for GMC registration.
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