Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has used his last contribution in the Senedd prior to the election to reiterate the need for firm assurances regarding the future of emergency medical cover in areas affected by the closure of Wales Air Ambulance bases.
Concerns have been repeatedly raised in affected areas about how emergency response capability would be maintained when the bases close. A central issue is the question of whether Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) staffed by EMRTS critical‑care clinicians will be permanently stationed in communities losing air assets.
Mabon ap Gwynfor has consistently called for the vehicles to be stationed in Caernarfon and Welshpool following the decision to close the Wales Air Ambulance bases in both towns.
The closures, set to take effect this year, were approved by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee despite opposition from local health boards and campaigners.
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:
Rural communities already face longer travel times to hospitals and fewer nearby emergency facilities, so any change to existing air‑ambulance coverage inevitably causes concern. People in the communities I represent want reassurance that they will not be left with reduced access to critical‑care support, especially in areas where geography, distance, and limited road networks can add crucial minutes to response times. Rapid response vehicles are not a luxury - they are a lifeline for rural communities. When helicopters are taken away, the very least that people in north and mid Wales deserve is a guarantee that skilled crews can still reach them quickly in an emergency. Communities in Gwynedd, Ynys Môn and Powys deserve the same standard of emergency care as those in urban areas. Any uncertainty about future cover only heightens anxiety. People simply need to know that whatever changes are made, they won’t be placed at a disadvantage because of where they live.
Sian Gwenllian MS added:
In Caernarfon and the surrounding communities, people are deeply worried about what these changes could mean in real emergencies. They know that specialist crews can make the difference between life and death. The closure of the Air Ambulance base in Caernarfon has caused a lot of worry, and the uncertainty about the future provision of rapid response vehicles has left residents feeling vulnerable. They simply want to know that the level of care they rely on won’t be diminished.