In April 2024 we reported on the Wales Air Ambulance Charity welcomed an NHS Wales decision to move forward with improvements to the service it provides after an independent review identified three key shortcomings

• On average, there are 2-3 people every day in a life or limb-threatening situation who need the service, but who currently do not receive it (known as unmet need).
• North Wales and the northern parts of Mid Wales are disadvantaged at night as the service currently only has one overnight crew, based in Cardiff, covering the whole of Wales.
• The service’s highly skilled medical teams based in Welshpool and Caernarfon are underused.

The reorganisation was approved by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) – a group comprising of the seven health boards in Wales.  The recommendations were that the current crews and existing assets at the Caernarfon and Welshpool bases would merge at a yet-to-be-announced location in the middle of North Wales, near the A55 road. Reflecting demand in the regions, one crew will operate 8am until 8pm. A second crew will operate between 2pm and 2am.

However, the public perception in mid-Wales – particularly around the Welshpool base – was that they were losing the effectiveness of the service, and a well-organised campaign followed.  Many campaign banners are visible for anyone driving in that area today.

In recent weeks campaigners battling to stop the closure of the two bases have won the right to put their case before the High Court, with the expectation that could happen before the year end.

A spokesperson for the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee said: “We acknowledge the decision by the Administrative (High) Court to approve a judicial review into the decision made by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) on 23 April 2024 in relation to the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) Review.  We respect the legal process and will cooperate fully. As the matter is now before the court, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”