Letter: Closure of Powys Air Ambulance base makes no sense

Dear Mr. Harrhy
Thank you for holding your update meeting last Friday 13th.Oct. at Newtown High School and as you requested feedback, I’m appending below the following points for your kind attention:

1. Response Times- From the data you supplied last week, I understand that the “overall response duration - is listed as being quicker if both bases (in Welshpool and Caernarfon) are retained and a vehicle is added. “ [ I quoted to you from the “County Times” issue of 13th. Oct. page 7]. Surely therefore there is no need to close Welshpool and Caernarfon and merge them at Rhuddlan as response times are such a major life-saving consideration ?

2. Rhuddlan-This base is less than five miles from the north coast of Wales (just south of Rhyl) whereby the vast majority of call-outs would always be to the south.

Conversely Welshpool is very centrally placed in mid Wales with flights to all points of the compass.

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Furthermore to fly to our area, currently covered by Welshpool airbase, Rhuddlan based helicopters will have to fly over the Berwyn Mountains, some 2,000/2,600 foot high. This could of course lead to serious delays during inclement weather etc?

3. Financial considerations. I also asked you at the meeting that if Welshpool and Caernarfon were to be closed, what would be the cost of refurbishing/upgrading Rhuddlan? I was extremely surprised to hear you didn’t know! Surely the detailed exercise you have been conducting for some time now would have evaluated such a major cost consideration ? May I please have that figure soon ?

4. Delayed Road Ambulance Responses - Please advise how much “weighting” have you applied to the very serious deterioration of this service experienced in this county (and elsewhere) over the last few years?

This has resulted in many serious cases waiting protracted hours for ambulance pick ups and then having to face further long delays outside hospitals when they finally arrive?

You will have gathered from the really serious concerns that members of our Community have expressed at many of the meetings you have held, that we strongly feel the retention of both Welshpool and Caernarfon bases are essential.
Your Air Ambulance service with it’s rapid response has saved many lives - please don’t take this essential service from us.

I look forward to receiving your responses on these critical areas of concern.”

Surprise, surprise to date I still haven’t received any response!

Your readers may be concerned to know that the deadline for responses to the Commissioner expires this coming Sunday, 12th November so those concerned should contact them asap. 
Michael Halsey