Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases will close, it has been decided today.

A meeting with Wales’ seven health boards took place this morning following a proposal to get rid of these air ambulance bases in favour of one, probably in Ruthin. Campaigners say lives will be lost if the bases close, but the decision has been made to go ahead with their closure.

Responding to the news Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts and MS Mabon ap Gwynfor, alongside fellow party politicians Hywel Williams MP, Sian Gwenllian MS, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said: “Today’s decision to rubber-stamp the closure of the Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases in favour of centralising the service in northeast Wales goes against the interests of communities across northwest and mid Wales.

“'We have far from been assured that the areas most at risk from these plans such as Pen Llŷn, south Meirionnydd, Ynys Môn, and mid Wales won’t be left with a slow-track and substandard service.

“'Considering some of the questions about the data being used as a basis for the proposal, it is not unreasonable for people to have serious concerns that we will have a significantly inferior service if the Caernarfon and Welshpool sites are closed.

“Neither have we been provided with sufficient information on what the implementation of these recommendations would look like and the steps that would be taken, for example, to develop the road-based service referred to in recommendation 4.

“Llais made it clear that more time and information was needed to reach an informed decision, and so the committee’s decision to shoehorn the proposals through without affording health boards adequate time to consider the impact of the recommendations is both worrying and disappointing.

“We have not been provided with compelling evidence that would convince us that closing both Caernarfon and Welshpool bases won’t lead to a significantly poorer service.

“It's regrettable that the views of frontline EMRTS clinicians, campaigners, and overwhelming opposition from the wider public have been summarily disregarded. It should be appreciated that the Wales Air Ambulance charity is nothing without public support.”

The politicians have vowed to continue to fight for the bases to stay open. They added: “This is not the end of the fight. We will continue to work with local campaigners to explore all possible options to challenge this short-sighted and centrally driven decision.

“People living in northwest and mid Wales should not have to suffer measurably worse outcomes based on flawed data which has not been independently verified.”

Gwynedd Councillor, Llio Elenid Owen who represents the Groeslon ward which includes Dinas Dinlle Air Ambulance base said: “The news today regarding the closure of Dinas Dinlle, Caernarfon’s Wales Air Ambulance service is bitterly disappointing and heart wrenching.

“The whole community has worked tirelessly to convey the importance of this crucial service in my Ward which serves the whole of Gwynedd.

“We will lose a valuable resource, jobs and expertise from the area. Today is a tragic day for this community, for the surrounding area and for Gwynedd.”