A DRIVE to fill vacant doctors' jobs has been launched by the Welsh Government.

A shortage of doctors has caused problems for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABM), which runs hospitals in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, and Hywel Dda Health Board, which runs Carmarthenshire hospitals.

With 201 medical vacancies being advertised across Wales, the campaign will focus on the advantages of living in the country and working for the Welsh NHS.

Health minister Lesley Griffiths said: "Wales, like many other parts of the UK, faces difficulties in attracting doctors in certain locations and in certain medical specialities. This campaign will promote the unique values and opportunities Wales has to offer to doctors, both is a professional and lifestyle capacity."

Dr Rajesh Shrivastava, an associate specialist at Morriston Hospital's renal unit, trained in India, came to the UK 15 years ago and moved to Morriston in 2004.

He said: "There are a lot of vacant posts at the moment. That does put extra strain on people trying to do the job."

Dr Shrivastava said there was a mistaken belief among many medics that teaching and training opportunities in Wales were poorer than in places such a London.

But he said Morriston Hospital had good links with Swansea University and other institutions which aided research, such as the development of the Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis unit.

He added: "We have excellent facilities for teaching and training and we have got a lot of support in our hospital and department."

The 42-year-old said the advantages to being in Wales extended beyond work.

"I love the bay, the Gower and the Brecon Beacons — the natural beauty of Wales is well known," he said. "But I also find people here very friendly, which helps when you are trying to work with people."

The new campaign, called Work for Wales — the next step for your medical career, will see a website launched to provide information on living and working in Wales.

It hopes to address mistaken ideas about working in Wales, such as doctors being unaware that planned English NHS reforms do not apply in Wales.

ABM welcomed the initiative. It has 12 consultant vacancies and five junior or middle grade doctor vacancies advertised, not including jobs which have already progressed to short-listing and interviews, or it has been unable to fill.

A spokeswoman said: "We welcome any initiative which will support us in bringing more doctors to the health board, as we recognise that recruitment is a challenge across the UK, and we aim to make our jobs as attractive as possible.

"A shortage of doctors means that we rely on existing staff and recruit locum doctors to ensure that we continue to provide safe and best-quality care to our patients."

Hywel Dda Health Board were unavailable for comment, however, recent controversial plans to centralise hospital services are being driven in part by a shortage of staff.

It says it has the most consultant vacancies of any Welsh health board and is struggling to recruit senior medical staff, while changes to post-graduate medical training risk making fewer doctors available.