AN EXTRA £3m is to be invested by the Welsh Government to recruit more emergency ambulance staff to improve response times.

The extra funding will enable the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) to recruit around 100 additional frontline staff and introduce a new ‘Cymru High Acuity Response Unit’ (CHARU) service.

The CHARU service will seek to improve outcomes for people who have suffered cardiac arrest.

The additional staff will help to manage increased demand for emergency care and help mitigate some of the complex system challenges which continue to place intense pressure on emergency care staff and services.

The £3m is on top of the £25m recurrent funding.

The Welsh Government said the additional emergency ambulance staff “will be deployed in a targeted way across Wales in the areas which are under greatest pressure and where there is the greater clinical need.”

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “We are providing this additional funding as we recognise the immense pressures the ambulance service is under to respond to the most seriously ill and injured people.

“By increasing staff capacity in the short term we can improve response times and ensure better care for people who have been waiting too long for an ambulance.

Jason Killens, Welsh Ambulance Service chief executive, said: “Extreme pressure remains across the urgent and emergency care system, and we continue to work with partners to find solutions to the complex and long-standing issues.

“In the meantime, we’re growing our workforce to put us in the best possible position to meet rising demand.”