Mid Wales AM calls for probe on 999 responses

Almost half of the most urgent 999 ambulance calls in Powys did not receive help within eight minutes in December.

The target for responding to Category A calls – immediately life-threatening emergencies – is 65 per cent, but figures released by the Welsh Government showed in December it was 51.6 per cent in Powys.

Now Montgomeryshire AM Russell George has called for something to be done. He said: "It's nothing new that the Welsh Ambulance Service repeatedly fails to meet its performance targets for life threatening emergency calls. However, the fact that performance in Powys has fallen to its lowest level since current records began, is very worrying indeed.

"Paramedics and supporting ambulance staff work tirelessly to deliver the highest standards of care but systemic failures are clearly letting them and patients down. I know a number of local paramedics who are frustrated that they are unable to carry out their work as they would like.

"Many residents still have concerns over possible changes in the way ambulance services are provided in Machynlleth, Llanidloes and Llanfyllin areas and this news will do nothing to allay those fears or boost residents' confidence in a vital public service.

"This is why I am supporting Welsh Conservative calls for a short, sharp investigation into the Welsh Ambulance Service to very quickly identify the reasons for such appalling performance and recommend solutions to meet target response times so that patients and staff can have confidence in the Welsh Ambulance Service."

There were 578 category A calls in Powys in December, eight of which were subsequently cancelled as they were not needed or identified as hoaxes.

Of the remaining calls, a third were reached within four minutes, 70.7 per cent received an ambulance within 15 minutes and 93.2 per cent were seen within 30 minutes.

A spokesman for the Wales Ambulance service said in the past 20 years the number of calls it received have tripled.

"The majority of these cases are not life-threatening and do not require an immediate 'blue lights' response, and in some cases and ambulance response is not necessary," he said.

"While and ambulance is responding to a call where a patient could be treated, for example, by their GP or by going to Accident and Emergency, the ambulance is not available to respond to someone with an immediately life-threatening condition."

Across Wales just 42.6 per cent of urgent calls were attended within eight minutes.