Politicians launch survey over plans to move air ambulance from its current base

Craig Williams MP and Russell George, Member of the Welsh Senedd, are running a survey to ensure that Montgomeryshire residents' voices are heard on plans to close the base at the Welshpool Airport.

The Wales Air Ambulance charity says moving the helicopter and fast response teams to join north Wales crews would enable the crews to work in shifts, allowing the helicopters to be available from 8am until 2am instead of the current 8am-8pm.

Both Mr Williams and Mr George say they are deeply concerned about the plans which they says will could leave Montgomeryshire, one of Wales' most rural areas, with slower response times and less area coverage.

Wales Air Ambulance's alternative bases are currently in Caernarfon, Cardiff and Llanelli, although it is understood the charity is looking at relocating the Caernarfon base to Rhuddlan, near Rhyl on the north Wales coast.

The survey asks several questions about the proposed closure of the Wales Air Ambulance base in Welshpool, individual's concerns and whether they have ever used it services or donated to the charity.

The politicians said: "Filling in the survey should only take two to three minutes but will ensure that your views can be fed back to the Wales Air Ambulance."

It is available online at craig-williams.org.uk/form/wales-air-ambulance or, if you want a paper copy of the survey to be sent to you, call 01686 610887.

"We are running a survey to make sure that the disappointment and frustration of residents about the planned closure of Welshpool's Air Ambulance base is heard," Mr Williams and Mr George added.

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity says it is currently working on an in-depth analysis which is revealing that it could attend over 500 more lifesaving missions across Wales every year by making changes.

"The analysis is one of the most comprehensive conducted by any air ambulance in the world and is looking at the most efficient use of the Service’s existing resources," a spokesperson said.

"With a reconfiguration of base locations and medical shift patterns, Wales Air Ambulance could attend up to 583 additional missions every year and every county of Wales would see an increase in missions attended by Wales Air Ambulance.

"At present, Wales Air Ambulance meets 72 per cent of the total demand for its service which could rise to 88 per cent."

The charity also says that change could see Wales Air Ambulance attend up to 26 more missions in Powys every year.

"The service can increase its responses in Powys by 11 per cent. This is the highest improvement increase per 1,000 population of any county in Wales," it said.