NFU Cymru met with NHS Wales officials to discuss the future of the Air Ambulance service in Wales.

NFU Cymru met with the Chief Ambulance Services Commissioner, Stephen Harrhy, who is undertaking an independent review of the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Services – the highly trained staff on the Wales Air Ambulance service.

This has been an area of intense public interest locally after the County Times broke the news last year that the bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon could be closed and moved to a new North Wales site.

NFU Cymru said that the service “is the lifeline to our rural, isolated communities”.

Chairing the meeting, Sharon Hammond, NFU Cymru Brecon and Radnor County Chair said: “Access to the service is vital. Not only as an industry are we dealing with livestock, difficult terrain and machinery, but we very often work in isolation.

“The road network, through mid-Wales in particular, is challenging during tough weather conditions and the Wales Air Ambulance service is instrumental in getting access to medical help and fast.”

The availability of some accident and emergency units in hospitals throughout mid-Wales was also raised during the meeting as many in patients in Powys are transferred out of the county, with longer journey times for ambulances meaning a significant risk for those in need of help.

NFU Cymru said it was “heartening to hear” that there will be a new aircraft provider that will see an enhancement to night-time flying capability and that the lease has been extended for the Welshpool and Caernarfon bases until at least 2026.

Mr Harrhy said the meeting was part of his public engagement process to meet stakeholders in the community.    

“As part of the overall engagement approach across Wales, I have continued to meet with various stakeholders – I was equally appreciative of the time afforded to me by NFU Cymru,” said Mr. Harrhy.

“I have been grateful for the constructive dialogue in all sessions the public participated in, which has been very helpful to me and I have appreciated the time and interest given from participants on this matter. 

“The passion for the air ambulance service is clear and there is a common goal here to make a great service, even better for our communities in Wales. 

“I committed at the outset of this process to conduct a full and transparent engagement and I hope that participants feel that I have honoured this throughout phase one. I have been clear that no decision has been made and that listening to the public is shaping the way in which options for the future configuration of the service are developed and want to reaffirm that this remains the case.”

Ms Hammond added: “We are most grateful to the team to have met with us during the engagement. We need to ensure all areas of Wales have access to the right medical help at the right time, and time is of the essence.”