PLAID Cymru MPs and MSs in North Wales have voiced their concerns at proposals to close the Wales Air Ambulance base at Caernarfon Airport, with plans to centralise operations in the northeast.

MPS Hywel Williams and Liz Saville Roberts and MSs Siân Gwenllian and Mabon ap Gwynfor have written to the Chief Executive of the Wales Air Ambulance after the charity unveiled a shake-up of its national operations, which could see the closure of both the Caernarfon and Welshpool sites in favour of a centralised location in Rhuddlan.

Their calls have been echoed by Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth.

They question how the proposed new arrangement will strengthen safe emergency medical cover in Gwynedd’s rural areas, where people live at great distances from Ysbyty Gwynedd’s A&E department. 

The Plaid Cymru politicians joined campaigners at Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle on Saturday, including Cian Williams from Porthmadog who suffered a serious accident in Porthmadog ten years ago and whose life was saved by the Air Ambulance. 

Hywel Williams MP and Siân Gwenllian MS said: “The proposal is to close the Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases and establish a single, new base in the northeast of the country, whilst maintaining the current bases in South Wales as they are.

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“This proposal has caused significant upset in the Arfon area, with suggestions that the plans are predominantly a cost-cutting exercise that will result in yet another service moving eastwards, to the detriment of rural communities in Gwynedd and Ynys Môn.

“There are concerns that closing the base at Caernarfon would lead to delays in response times as the helicopter would need to travel from further afield – there are already longstanding concerns about Welsh Ambulance response times.

“Closing the Caernarfon base would only add to concerns about gaps in service provision for northwest Wales.

“The Air Ambulance has become an integral part of life in Arfon. Closing the base risks undermining this goodwill.   

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“If the Caernarfon bases closes, these highly trained and experienced people may seek to move elsewhere, inflicting a great loss on the NHS locally.”

Liz Saville Roberts MP said the service was “dear to us all”, and that “urgent clarity” was needed as to how the proposed new site would meet the needs of hard-to-reach communities.

“There are concerns that, under the new proposals, some communities in the southernmost part of Pen Llŷn appear to have no air ambulance cover whatsoever. 

“I have called on Air Ambulance managers to prove that the proposed change will not compromise the present availability and response times of the Air Ambulance to those communities which are effectively dependent upon the charity in emergencies.”

“That evidence has so far not been provided, and, therefore, I cannot support moving the helicopters from Dinas Dinlle.' 

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said he was “very concerned” about the plans, adding: “The Air Ambulance is vital in our emergency response to the most rural communities in Wales, and the obvious fear is that plans to centralise services will slow down the response to the furthest and most difficult to reach areas such as northern Anglesey.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said the move to centre the charity in Rhuddlan would likely “add an additional 20 minutes to a journey” to the end of the Llŷn Peninsula,Holyhead or south Meirionnydd.

“I have already asked the First Minister to publish in full, the data being used to argue in favour of this proposal,” said Mr ap Gwynfor.

“This is EMRTS data – a partnership between the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and the Air Ambulance - so it should be available for scrutiny without delay.”

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