Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Dwyfor Meirionnydd Liz Saville Roberts and Senedd Member Mabon ap Gwynfor have welcomed news that a Judicial Review will now be conducted into the decision to close Wales Air Ambulance bases in Caernarfon and Welshpool.
The High Court has granted permission for the case to proceed to a full hearing before a Judge who will examine the decision-making process which led to the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee rubber stamping the closure of the bases in favour of moving the service to a site in northeast Wales.
Commenting on developments, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS and Liz Saville Roberts MP said:
This is a significant step forward in the fight to keep the Air Ambulance flying from Caernarfon and Welshpool and testament to the resolve of all those involved in the campaign to safeguard a service that is dear to us all. Securing a Judicial Review is by no means an easy ask. We have far from been assured that the areas most at risk from plans to close both bases such as Pen Llŷn, south Meirionnydd, Ynys Môn, and mid Wales won’t be left with a slow-track and substandard service. It is not unreasonable therefore for people to have serious concerns that we will have a significantly inferior service with the closure of both Caernarfon and Welshpool sites. We remain steadfast in our view that both Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases must be retained as operational bases for the helicopters.
Sian Gwenllian MS added:
This is a very important development in the campaign to retain the Air Ambulance base at Dinas Dinlle in my constituency. The arguments campaigners made against the closure were robust and compelling: from the safety and health of local people and the effects of slower response times, to the added pressures upon the area’s tourism sector. The proposed move of the Air Ambulance to the northeast is part of a wider pattern of moving services away from the north west to the detriment of local people. I applaud the efforts of everyone who have ensured this judicial review and I will continue to fully support the campaigners with the next steps.
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