Welshpool Air Ambulance base safe until 2026!

While the long term future of Welshpool’s Air Ambulance base remains uncertain, news has broken this afternoon that it will be going nowhere before 2026.

The Charity has extended its contracts with Caernarfon Airport and Welshpool Airport, where two of its operations are currently based, until at least 2026, bringing some relief to campaigners fighting to stop their closure in favour of one central base in North East Wales.

Dr Sue Barnes, the Charity’s Chief Executive, said: “Our aim is to protect our services for the people of Wales while continually seeking improvements in service and availability.

“Proposed service improvements are the subject of a public engagement led by the Chief Ambulance Services Commissioner, to which we will contribute via an independent submission. However, time is moving on and with Gama Aviation (new aviation partner) taking over on January 1, 2024, pragmatic decisions have had to be taken.

“Given the need to ensure continuity of service and mindful of the need to give our airbase landlords some commercial certainty, we will commence our new aviation contact with our current four-base model.

“This will allow the Commissioner to conclude the process while allowing us to protect our lifesaving service.”

A public consultation regarding the proposed closure of Welshpool is expected to start soon.