After years of campaigning and concern over inadequate provision, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has confirmed plans to refurbish the ambulance station in Monmouth. Monmouthshire has over many years borne the brunt of service cuts and downgrades and it’s time residents saw some investment.

In 2022, the ambulance service pressed ahead with cuts to provision at its stations covering Monmouth, Chepstow and Caldicot, removing the rapid response vehicles. These cuts went ahead in the face of a public opposition and a petition that my colleagues and I set up. This is in addition to other cuts in hospital provision, which have impacted on ambulance response times. Accident and Emergency services have been removed from Nevill Hall and the Royal Gwent and centralised at the Grange, which has struggled to cope with capacity. Other local health services have been downgraded or centralised, forcing Monmouthshire patients to travel further for treatment.

The station in Monmouth, which has operated out of a temporary portacabin for over a decade has been condemned for its poor conditions. It’s plagued by leaks, draughts, and unreliable plumbing, and is totally unfit for purpose, especially during the harsh winter months when frozen pipes have left paramedics without running water.

The ambulance service explored the possibility of a joined up emergency services hub and a shared base with Gwent Police and South Wales Fire and Rescue, but unfortunately, this was abandoned on grounds of cost. Then plans were drawn up for a new standalone ambulance station and plans were considered by the council’s planning department. These plans have now also been withdrawn, again on grounds of cost and the service is now looking to refurbish the existing station.

While it is disappointing that plans have been scaled back yet again, every day of delay is another day of paramedics working in unfit facilities. They do incredible lifesaving work every day and the least we can do is provide them with a habitable base. We’re now waiting for the ambulance service to progress its plans to a full refurbishment in this financial year. We have requested that the council does everything possible to ensure that it dos not hold up the project any further. This refurbishment marks a significant step forward for emergency provision in the county and is positive news for everyone who has fought for this investment, not least the fantastic lifesavers who will use this new base.