Serious concerns have been raised about ambulance response times in rural Wales following the tragic death of a woman earlier this month. Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts has called for an urgent investigation into the emergency services' response to the incident in Barmouth, Gwynedd, on Sunday, July 10.
Mrs Saville Roberts said North Wales Police were called to two separate and unconnected incidents in the seaside town with officers choosing to remain with the female casualty until an ambulance arrived. However she claimed it took an hour for an ambulance to arrive from Machynlleth which is 26 miles away. She explained that no crews were available in ambulance stations at Barmouth itself and neighbouring Dolgellau which meant a vehicle had to navigate "slow, rural roads" to reach the patient who could not be saved.
The MP has also sought clarity on what plans are in place to deal with the influx of visitors to the area over the summer months to ensure staff are on hand to deal with emergency calls. Her comments were made in a letter to the chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST), Jason Killens, and chief constable of North Wales Police (NWP) Carl Foulkes.
