Monmouthshire’s Council Leader Richard John has held talks with the chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service over growing concerns about the impact on local residents of the removal of the rapid response vehicle.

The meeting was offered by CEO Jason Killens and Estelle Hitchon, director of partnerships and engagement, as a response to criticism of plans to remove the rapid response vehicle from Monmouth Ambulance Station, leaving it with just one ambulance.

The plans are part of a Wales-wide roster review, which the Welsh government has asked to be implemented from September 2022.

Richard said: “I’m grateful to Jason and Estelle for giving their time to meet with me and hear my concerns. They talked me through a presentation setting out the aims of their review, which is primarily to ensure ambulance capacity meets patient need. Over the last seven years there has apparently been a relative drop in demand for night-time cover but an increase in need for daytime callouts. While the meeting was constructive, I unfortunately didn’t get the reassurances I was seeking about ambulance provision at Monmouth and Chepstow. Their justification for removing the rapid response vehicles from our stations is that there is a relatively low level of immediately life-threatening red calls and they consider money would be better spent on new emergency ambulances, which can, unlike the RRV convey patients to hospital.’’

“Across Gwent they have plans to recruit 53 additional ambulance staff and increase the number of vehicles, but crucially there is no commitment for these ambulances to be based in Monmouthshire. They will be based outside our county in the larger centres of population and available to travel into Monmouthshire when required. I don’t think this is good enough given the significant travel times in a rural area.

“On a brighter note, I was informed that there will be money to improve the facilities for paramedics in Monmouth because at the moment they’re operating out of an outdated portacabin, but long-term they need a proper base that’s fit for purpose.

“While I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear first-hand of their plans and objectives of this review, I remain concerned about the impact of these changes on patients. I’m also concerned that the timing is completely wrong. Several days ago the new flagship Grange Hospital was condemned by the Health Inspectorate of Wales for failing to ensure ‘an acceptable standard of safe and effective care’. The average waiting time at A&E at the Grange is over six hours and some patients are waiting more than double that. Cutting back on ambulance provision in Monmouthshire at a time like this would be deeply irresponsible.

The meeting was also attended by Peter Fox MS and Laura Jones MS.

The meeting comes as the number of signatures on the petition against the downgrade to the ambulance station rises as volunteers took to Monnow Street over the weekend. Cllr Richard John joined organisers Terry Kirton and Lorraine Allman along with volunteer Jackie Partington on Friday morning in collecting signatures opposite the Shire Hall.

Richard said, “I’m so grateful to Terry, Lorraine, Jackie and the many other volunteers who helped collect signatures over the weekend. They did a brilliant job and have done their community proud. I’m sure that if this petition is successful – and I desperately hope it is – they will have helped save many lives. It’s precisely this sort of community spirit which makes Monmouth such a fantastic place to live. I would again urge anyone who has yet to sign the petition to please do so, because you never know when you may need the help of our selfless emergency services.” The petition can be signed online here: https://www.change.org/p/patsy-roseblade-removal-of-rapid-responce-car-from-monmouth