Click here for all our analysis on the upcoming budget setting processes.

NEWS POLITICS HEALTH

Air Ambulance fight heads to court this week

As the campaign to save the Welshpool Air Ambulance Base enters a critical phase, Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, has said there is good reason to feel positive about the outcome of the challenge.

8 hours ago   2 minutes read    200 views

The image for Air Ambulance fight heads to court this week
 
Share            Listen to the story

As the campaign to save the Welshpool Air Ambulance Base enters a critical phase, Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, has said there is good reason to feel positive about the outcome of the challenge.

A campaign challenging the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee’s plans to centralize air ambulance services will be heard in the High Court hearing this week. The hearing will take place on Wednesday and Thursday (22nd and 23rd January) in Cardiff following an application for judicial review that was issued last year.


  Other Trending Stories

The closure of the Welshpool and Caernarfon Air Ambulance bases has faced widespread opposition from people across mid and north Wales. Campaigners argue that this reconfiguration will lead to slower response times for critical care in rural areas.

Campaigners have raised concerns about the proposed Rapid Response Vehicles as an alternative, labeling it deeply unsatisfactory and inadequate. They highlight issues such as lack of clarity on the system's functionality, funding, and vulnerability to rural challenges.

The upcoming hearing will offer an opportunity to scrutinize the decision of the Joint Commissioning Committee. Legal representation will be provided by Watkins & Gunn’s Human Rights and Public Law team, with campaigners hoping for transparency and a reversal of the plans.

Commenting ahead of the hearing, Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George said:

"This decision has shaken the trust of communities in Wales who rely on the service of the Wales Air Ambulance to attend and treat people at a scene, and ensure people are transferred to receive further critical care treatment in a timely manner. The Air Ambulance is a lifeline for rural Wales, and the closure of the Welshpool base would be a devastating blow."

"As a member of the campaign team, we continue to work to challenge the decision. We were encouraged that a judge allowed a case to be heard in a Court hearing. The legal team that that we have been working with will argue that the JCC’s decision lacked transparency, failed to consider the unique needs of rural communities, and challenge the process that led to the decision."

"The process lacked transparency, and the proposal to replace air ambulance services with road-based alternatives is both impractical and poorly conceived. One extreme weather event or road closure could have catastrophic consequences for those that need urgent medical attention."

"I believe that the proposals to the close the Air Ambulances base in Welshpool were based on flawed information, and the process has been filled with bias, misinformation, and misdirection. The legal team will present this argument."

"As a campaign team, we continue to believe that large parts of mid Wales will experience slower response times if the Welshpool base is closed, and at times won’t receive a timely critical care response at all if the proposed changes proceed."

"It is of course not possible to say if the legal challenge will be successful. A judge will hear the arguments and make a determination at a later date. Based on the evidence, research, and the work of the campaign team, working alongside the legal team presenting the case, there is good reason to feel positive about the outcome of the challenge."

"We in mid Wales are not asking for preferential treatment, we are asking for fairness, the people of mid Wales deserve the same standard of care as those in urban areas."

Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, thanked everyone who has contributed to the fight, expressing appreciation for the support extended by the community and the legal team at Watkins & Gunn ahead of the hearing.

You've viewed 1 stories so far!

All About Newtown is an independent not-for-profit online news and information service for the town of Newtown in Mid Wales. We provide ad-free content, so rely on reader subscriptions and donations to run.

  Donate via PayPal

Related or similar stories based on this one

Image for the article More cash demanded for air ambulance
More cash demanded for air ambulance

1 year ago

Image for the article Air Ambulance legal challenge advances further
Air Ambulance legal challenge advances further

3 months ago

Image for the article Legal challenge to air ambulance closure
Legal challenge to air ambulance closure

5 months ago

Business of the Week
Robert Owen Community Banking

Kerry Road

Follow us

Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Google News

     

Trending
Opinion: my confidence in the Cabinet is non-existent

1 day ago

See what's on next week in our area (W04)

22 hours ago

Air Ambulance fight heads to court this week

8 hours ago

Donate to us

We're a not-for-profit community interest company and have no corporate owners. We'd appreciate anything you can give to keep us providing free content.

  Donate via PayPal
Upcoming Events
Digital Friends’ Group

23/01/25 09:30am

NFS Foodshare

24/01/25 10:30am

Newtown Twinning Film Night and Social

24/01/25 06:00pm

Latest Stories
Air Ambulance fight heads to court this week

8 hours ago

See what's on next week in our area (W04)

22 hours ago

Opinion: my confidence in the Cabinet is non-existent

1 day ago