Agenda item

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.”

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.

(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 the most far-reaching and rural areas in Wales, and to move it to a more populated area near the A55 dual carriageway in the north-east.

·                The lives of our residents in the countryside are just as important as the lives of residents in the towns of Wales, and there should be no change to the service that will compromise this.

·                There was very strong local support to retain these sites in their current locations and all the residents that have attended recent public meetings, and all who have discussed and sent message of concern, are witness to this.

Several members expressed their support to the proposal. It was noted that:-

·         The ambulance often had to go round Dolgellau to reach patients in the Llanbedr area, because of the lack of a by-pass to the village, and it was therefore essential that the helicopter could go there.  

·         The relocation proposal notes that it will be possible for the helicopter to go out 580 times more in a year, however, the figure was bound to be higher as the service will be located in a more populated area.

·         It was sad to hear the First Minister of Wales stating, in response to Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, that this was a matter for the charity, however, if this was a matter related to the Government in any way, they should state clearly that they would bring pressure to bear. 

The Leader noted:-

·         That there was a very positive meeting with the Chief Executive of the Air Ambulance and another officer, the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being and Councillor Llio Elenid Owen.

·         It was evident from that discussion that there was a serious lack of communication, and there was a more complex background to the arrangement than what was initially thought. 

·         The decision was not entirely in the hands of the Air Ambulance Service itself, and there was a need to establish the facts, get the data out clearly and assess the situation, i.e. if there was a need for change to improve the service, this should occur on the grounds of robust and clear evidence.

·         There was a risk that the charity itself would suffer because of all the arguments surrounding the service, and he was eager to collaborate as much as possible with them to convey the correct messages.

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-

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.