Press Release: CASH BOOST FOR AIR AMBULANCE

- Welsh Labour outlines review of ambulance services

NEATH AM Gwenda Thomas has today welcomed the extra investment by the Welsh Assembly Government in the Air Ambulance service in South Wales.

Welsh Labour Health Minister Edwina Hart has outlined a £337,000 boost for the service next year and outlined a review of the service and patient transport services across Wales.

The extra money follows a £77million Assembly Government modernisation fund for the ambulance service. £55 million has already been made available this year to upgrade ambulances, air ambulances and control centres with state-of-the-art digital radios to help improve response times.

People in Neath will also benefit from a £16 million investment for an extra 119 emergency ambulances and 67 patient care service vehicles.

Neath Labour AM and Deputy Health Minister Gwenda Thomas said:

"I'm very pleased that we have been able to make this extra money available for the air ambulance service – which further proves Welsh Labour’s commitment to modernising the ambulance service in Wales.

"Patients in my constituency and across Wales are going to benefit from extra ambulances and better response times thanks to the investment in new vehicles and state-of-the-art digital radios.

"I am also pleased that the Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced plans to review the air ambulance service by the end of year so that the Assembly Government can look at ways of funding this important service in future.’’

The AM also welcomed a review into the patient transport services. The review will bring local health and volunteer organisations to look at ways of improving the experience of patients who use the service.