CALLS for greater ambulance cover in rural Gwynedd afte­r a young girl choked to death on a grape were backed this week.

Six-year-old Jasmine Lapsley, from Liverpool, collapsed and died in August­ 2014 while on holiday in Morfa Nefyn.

An inquest heard it took an ambulance 25 minutes to arrive after a 999 call.

Coroner Nicola Jones ruled Jasmine’s death was an accident but said more ambulances were needed in north Wales during the summer months.

Ambulance chiefs have told the Cambrian News that lessons have been learned and procedures changed after Jasmine’s death.

Following the verdict, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts spoke out calling for greater emergency cover in rural Wales.

She said: “I would like to express my sympathies with Jasmine Lapsley’s family at this difficult time.

“It is important to emphasise that everyone involved on the ground with this tragic case has been affected personally.”

She added: “Both the volunteers and the emergency personnel did their best, but they were let down by a bureaucracy which has yet to recognise the needs of rural areas where the population increases immensely during the holidays.

“This tragic case has made evident the need for greater emergency cover in rural Wales, and especially those areas where it is easy to predict that the population will be far higher in the summer months.

“I support the coroner, Nicola Jones, in her call for additional ambu­lance cover.

“This means more staff on call and an emergency response system which ensures that ambulances can reach rural areas within a reasonable time.

“Rural areas are greatly dependent on the air ambulance for emergency transport to hospital, but this service is only available during daylight hours.

“There must be effective emergency transport at all hours, day and night.”

Cllr Sian Wyn Hughes, who represents Morfa Nefyn on Gwynedd Council, has praised the efforts of the local community on that tragic day.

She said: “I would like to exp­ress my sympathies with Jasmine Lapsley’s family.

“I would also like to praise the eff­orts of the local community who were involved and tried to do their best to save Jasmine on that sad day in August.

“I, too, wish to call for more emergency cover in areas such as the Llyn Peninsula all year round, especially during the summer months when our population trebles.

“I’m grateful to the coroner who has recognised that there is a need for more ambulances in this area of north Wales.”

The chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, Tracy Myhill, says the service has recognised they could have handled the incident differently.

She said: “What happened to Jasmine was an absolute tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies rem­ain with Mr and Mrs Lapsley.

“We know that there are things we could have done differently, both during and after the event, and for that we are genuinely sorry.

“While we have already made many improvements since Jasmine’s tragic death – like the method we use to treat a child whose airway is compromised – we know that there is still work to do.

“Since Jasmine’s death, our rosters in north Wales have been better aligned to meet demand as part of a Wales-wide review.

“We have already looked at our family lia­ison support in light of this case, recognising we didn’t handle the aftermath of this tragedy well, which compounded the hurt and distress of the Lapsley family. This is unacceptable.”