Latest Welsh Ambulance response times should ‘set emergency lights flashing for Welsh Government’ Jane Dodds says

Responding to the news that Welsh ambulance response times have hit their slowest on record ever for red calls Jane Dodds MS said:

“When someone is in a moment of crisis and chooses to call 999, they want to know that there will be someone at the other end of the line able to help them.

“These figures should set emergency lights flashing for the Welsh Government. Labour has often used the pandemic as an excuse but ambulance services were struggling in Wales long before COVID.

“It is especially appalling that once again those in rural areas like my own region will bear the brunt of this crisis, in Hywel Dda Health Board a staggering 61% of red calls are not being answered within target times, in Powys it is 59%.

“The significant delays in ambulance response times are most often due to backlogs at A&E departments resulting in patients having to wait in ambulances outside.

“What we need to see is real investment in primary health services in local communities, including our GPs to prevent these build-ups at emergency departments and to prevent people from falling into such ill health they require emergency treatment.

“Just this month we revealed Labour aren’t hitting the 200 GPs a year target Wales needs.

“Labour must get a better handle of this crisis as soon as possible. Swift action might be the difference between life and death.”