Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 20 September 2022.
Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. You will appreciate that Powys has no district general hospital, and large parts of Powys are extremely difficult to get to by road. A proposal to move the air ambulance base and crew from Welshpool has been met understandably with huge concern and opposition in my constituency. The people of mid Wales were left surprised and disappointed over the summer with the proposal from the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and the Welsh NHS’s emergency medical retrieval and transfer service. Can I ask what the Welsh Government’s view is on this proposal? Will there be a proper consultation, given the involvement of the Welsh NHS? Have you seen the data and analysis that sits behind this proposal, and would you and the Welsh Government be willing to make this information available? Despite the fact that the charity has said that they do not want funding from the Government, would the Government be prepared to consider funding so that there is an adequate air ambulance service in mid Wales with a base kept in mid Wales? You'll appreciate that this service is hugely valued and loved, which is why so many people donate to this charity, and this is why it has caused so much frustration and anger across mid Wales.