MONTGOMERYSHIRE MS Russell George is set to lead a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday on controversial plans to reorganise Wales Air Ambulance bases.

The long-running saga, covered in depth by the Cambrian News, has seen proposals put forward to close of Air Ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon, in a move that would see crews combined into a new North Wales base.

The proposals have been met with widespread concerns, with people across mid Wales questioning how moving a helicopter and road vehicle base further away from mid Wales would lead to an expansion of the service.

The proposals and data have been the topic of questioning by politicians in the Senedd, but on 11 November, Russell George MS is set to lead a Welsh Conservative debate on the Wales Air Ambulance bases reorganisation.

The debate is set to discuss the move and the concerns surrounding it, with the motion acknowledging petitions of more than 20,000 signatures calling for the retention of the bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon.

The Welsh Conservatives are calling on the Welsh Government to work with its NHS partners and the Welsh Air Ambulance Charitable Trust to ensure that the current bases remain in operation.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Mr George said: “The service provided by the Wales Air Ambulance to the people of mid Wales and other areas of Wales is invaluable, but there is deep concern about how the proposals to move the Welshpool and Caernarfon bases will strengthen cover in Mid Wales.

“We have seen both the First Minister, and the Health Minister attempting to distance themselves and deny responsibility for a proposal that has come from a service of the Welsh NHS.

“I hope that in this debate, we can highlight the clear concerns of people from Mid and North Wales, and that the Welsh Government will agree to work with its NHS partners and the Welsh Air Ambulance Charitable Trust to ensure that air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon remain in operation.”

Wales currently has four air ambulance bases – in Welshpool, Caernarfon, Llanelli and Cardiff – but the suggested reorganisation would see the bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon potentially replaced by a former North Wales Police helicopter base in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire. 

Wales Air Ambulance said the changes would allow them to “offer different medical shifts operational from a central north-Wales location to cover mid and north Wales”, with “modelling showing the changes would allow it to potentially attend 583 more missions a year and go from meeting 72 per cent of demand to 88 per cent of demand.”