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.”
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 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.