Politicians have expressed their outrage as a crunch meeting on the future of Welshpool's air ambulance base was left shrouded in mystery.

An extraordinary meeting of the Welsh NHS’s Emergency Ambulance Services Committee (EASC) which could include the final vote on the bases’ future was due to take place today (March 28).

But key figures in the campaign to keep the Welshpool base have not been told whether the meeting is going ahead this morning, no agenda has been added to the EASC meetings page, and no link has been published to allow the public to watch proceedings.

The meeting could include a vote on the future of the base despite assurances that the process would be open and transparent.

Involve the chief ambulance services commissioner Stephen Harrhy, who ran the public consultation and his team, the meeting was also expected to hear from the chief executive officers of the all Wales' health boards.

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Montgomeryshire MS Russell George, who has championed keeping the Welshpool base open in the Senedd, said: "What a shambolic process.

"Today is supposedly meant to be the day where The Emergency Ambulance Services Committee (EASC) is making its final decision into the future of Wales Air Ambulance provision, specifically on the recommendation before them to close Welshpool and Caernarfon's bases.

"EASC papers have clearly set out in there meeting earlier this month that the final decision will be made today (28 March 2024).

"There is no information available on the EASC website as to the time of this meeting, or how the public can watch the proceedings.

"The process started shambolically 18 months ago, and what we have now is a complete lack of information on the final stages of this process with a lack information and transparency.

"My message to the Welsh Government, and to Mr Harrhy, the Chief Ambulance Services Commissioner, is get your act together. This is an issue of such importance to the people of mid and north Wales, and radio silence is not good enough."

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Councillor Elwyn Vaughan, group leader of Plaid Cymru at Powys County Council, who has been one of the most vocal campaigners to keep the base in Welshpool, has voiced his disgust at the silence around the decision.

"The fact that this highly sensitive and important matter for Mid Wales residents is being discussed behind closed doors smells of the culture of a cabal dividing the spoils in secret whilst showing contempt towards the public who will be affected,” said Councillor Vaughan.

“It makes a mockery of the claim that the future of the Wales Air Ambulance is open and transparent and the meeting should be stopped for the cloak of secrecy to be lifted."

The County Times has reached out to the EASC for a comment on this decision but has yet to receive a response.