Calls have been made to bolster paramedic numbers in Wales as response times reach record highs.

According to figures from Health Secretary Jeremy Miles - outlined in a letter to Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds - only 20 of 67 paramedic graduates in Wales this year will be hired, despite the Welsh Ambulance Service requesting 86 Paramedics to be trained and paid for through Welsh Government funding.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the Welsh Labour Government to “urgently intervene and create more posts so as to prevent the time and money spent training much-needed qualified Paramedics from being wasted.”

According to the latest data, 51 per cent of red calls, the most life-threatening incidents, are not being met within the Welsh Government’s target times.

Meanwhile, 33 per cent of amber calls, which include conditions like heart attacks and strokes, are taking longer than an hour to respond to.

Ms Dodds said: “With record response times across Wales, the Welsh Government have an opportunity here to get more trained Paramedics responding to incidents.

“We cannot afford to lose these highly skilled professionals, especially not at a time when the NHS is under this much pressure.

“It is shocking, despite funding 86 Paramedic Students to be trained, that less than half will be recruited.

“At a time when Paramedics are desperately needed to help improve Ambulance response times, that so few are to be hired is a scandal.”

“The Welsh Government should now step in and ensure that these trained and qualified Paramedics are hired to relieve the strain on the Welsh Ambulance Service.”

Mr Miles that there was a “range factors” contributing to the gap between vacancies and graduates, including “clinical skill mix adjustment, resource constraints, reduced turnover of existing paramedics and the regrading of roles within the service”.