Fresh Twist in Controversial Plan to Shut Two Welsh Air Ambulance Bases
In a fresh twist, the High Court has granted permission for campaigners to challenge the re-organisation of the Wales Air Ambulance service. The proposed reorganisation involves the closure of bases in Welshpool in Powys and Caernarfon in Gwynedd to make way for a new single base. This move was approved by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) back in April.
Campaigners who oppose the closure have now been given the opportunity to challenge this decision, with a full hearing potentially scheduled within the next two months. Solicitors representing the campaigners argue that the JCC’s approval of the plans, put forward by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS), was unlawful.
According to BBC News Wales, Lucy O’Brien from the law firm stated, “Our clients are pleased that the court has agreed that there is an arguable case that the JCC decision was made unlawfully. Many residents from rural and coastal areas of mid and north Wales are concerned that their access to air ambulance coverage will be diminished by the JCC decision.”
Reacting to the news of the court granting permission to challenge the reorganisation, Welsh Conservative Russell George MS, shadow minister for Mid-Wales, expressed his concerns. He said, “The re-organisation of the Air Ambulance Service could leave people living in rural areas extremely vulnerable. The reconfiguration process has been marred by bias, misinformation, and misdirection.”
WalesOnline has reached out to the Welsh Government and JCC for comment on the matter. The re-organisation of the Wales Air Ambulance service continues to be a contentious issue, with stakeholders on both sides of the debate awaiting further developments.
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