Road vehicles, to mitigate for the loss of the Welshpool air ambulance base, could be located at Newtown and Porthmadog.

Modelling suggests that vehicles in these towns could reach 50% of incidents within 30 minutes, 95% within 60 minutes, and 100% within 90 minutes in Powys, Ceredigion and Gwynedd communities. 

The vehicles would respond to all Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Services matters, amber one incidents, breathing difficulties, chest pain, stroke and Cymru High Acuity Response Units -responding Welsh Ambulance Service incidents – amounting to 15,595 in a year.

The road-based service would support the ambulance response.

The  idea emerged due to concerns raised over the proposed closure of Welshpool and Caernarfon’s Wales Air Ambulance bases. A new base is expected to be created in North Wales.

Powys leaders fear it will lead to a slower response to Mid Wales incidents.

But the air ambulance charity said the change would allow it to attend 583 more emergencies a year.        

Members of the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee agreed recommendations made by the group set up to work out details of the new service.

The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (WAST) will now put together the delivery model.

It should include two road-based assets based in Newtown and Porthmadog, it must respond to a wide range of conditions, provide highly trained staff providing enhanced clinical care, operating on a 24/7 basis and offer a rotational model for staff to develop and maintain their skills.

The service will be evaluated after six and 12 months.

Powys Teaching Health Board Chief Executive Hayley Thomas said it would be important to monitor not only response times but also conveyance-to-hospital times to ensure patients were not being delayed.

Rachel Marsh, Executive Director of Strategy, Planning and Performance at WAST said she did not have costs yet and so she could not say for certain if it could be delivered within WAST’s current resources.

The delivery model will be considered at the January meeting of NHS Wales JCC.