Notice of Motion by Councillor Llio Elenid Owen
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of
the Constitution, Councillor Llio Elenid Owen will propose as follows:-
“The
Wales Air Ambulance (WAA) is a vital emergency medical service and it is
totally essential for the residents of Gwynedd. Closing their existing sites at
Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool
and centralising it in north-east Wales will slow down the emergency response
to the furthest and most difficult to reach areas. This is extremely concerning
for our residents here in Gwynedd. This will also mean that another
exceptionally important service is moving from north-west Wales to the
north-east, to the detriment of our rural communities.
The
rural nature and secluded roads of our areas here in Gwynedd means that saving
lives is challenging, and relocating the WAA will make this an even greater
challenge.
This
invaluable service must be safeguarded.
I
therefore propose that Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Wales Air Ambulance and
relevant bodies to keep the centres at Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool, and build on the services in their
current locations.”
Additional documents:
Decision:
That
Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Wales Air Ambulance and relevant bodies to retain
the centres at Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool, and builds on the services in their
current locations.
Minutes:
(B) Submitted - the
following notice of motion by Councillor Llio Elenid Owen in accordance with
Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-
That Cyngor
Gwynedd calls on the Wales Air Ambulance and relevant bodies to retain the
centres at Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool, and builds on the services in their
current locations.
The member set out the context to her motion,
noting that:-
·
We as councillors were
eager to clearly state our support and gratitude, as local people, to the Wales
Air Ambulance charity. The
work they did in order to provide emergency care in our communities was totally
invaluable. The Wales Air Ambulance had an important role to play here in
Gwynedd, it was one of the charities that was closest to people's hearts,
particularly in my local community in the Dinas Dinlle area.
·
The Wales Air Ambulance (WAA) is a vital emergency medical service and
it is totally essential for the residents of Gwynedd. The rural
nature and road networks means that saving lives in Gwynedd is challenging at
the best of times. Relocating the service to north-east Wales would without a
doubt mean even more of a challenge to the area.
·
It
was understood that this was not entirely in the hands of the charity. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer
Service (EMRTS Cymru) and the Emergency Ambulance Service Committee played a
part in this proposal and plans, and the opportunity to meet with the Air
Ambulance Chief Executive was welcomed to understand their view and
position.
·
Challenges
already faced the Wales Ambulance Service, and there were whole communities
here in Gwynedd that are totally reliant on the charity in an emergency. How will changes to the Air Ambulance impact
the service provided to the residents of Gwynedd? Will this mean slowing down the emergency
response? Will there be a risk of losing
lives? Was there certainty that there
will be no adverse impact to reach residents?
·
The
Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service notes that the changes to the
service will reduce the geographical unfairness to patients with critical care
needs, however it was not understood how exactly relocation would achieve this,
and it was difficult to see how this could lead to nothing more than a longer
waiting time for emergency care in some areas.
·
The relocation proposal
notes that it will be possible to respond to the demand and go out 580 times
more a year, however there were real misgivings regarding the reliability of
the data used to try and justify this. This had been reiterated by our Members
of Parliament, and there were too many unanswered questions. To this end, the Plaid Cymru Members in the
Senedd had called on the First Minister to commission an independent analysis
themselves of this data.
· The whole purpose of the Air Ambulance was to serve the most rural areas, and there was no sense at all to move the service from Dinas Dinlle, or from Welshpool, on the outskirts of some of ... view the full minutes text for item 14