March 2026
Campaign to Save Welshpool’s Wales Air Ambulance Base
The Welshpool Air Ambulance base is scheduled to close in 2027, though a specific date has not yet been determined since it depends on when a new proposed facility in northeast Wales becomes operational.
Late last year, we received the disappointing news that the Court of Appeal denied a hearing regarding the closure. This decision meant that as a campaign team, we had exhausted every legal path available to challenge the decision.
While the result was deeply disheartening, I remain convinced that, as a Campaign team that had fought this, we were right to do everything within our power to contest the decision.
The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC), a department within the Welsh NHS overseen by the Welsh Government, made the decision to adopt recommendations from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, which included permanently closing air ambulance bases in both Welshpool and Caernarfon.
From the very beginning, we have consistently challenged the facts and rationale put forward for these changes. We have pressed decision makers to explain why they consider it acceptable for 40 communities to receive a slower emergency response, and why an increased unmet need in Mid and North Wales should be tolerated. These are questions that have never been satisfactorily answered.
It remains my firm belief that the closures of the Welshpool and Caernarfon Air Ambulance bases were decided using flawed and incomplete information. The decision-making process suffered from bias and misinformation. Still, the core issue persists, people in Mid Wales have not asked for special treatment, only fairness. Residents in Mid and North Wales are entitled to receive the same level of care and rapid emergency response as those in urban areas.
Now, we must look ahead and consider our next steps.
As part of the proposed changes, a range of so-called ‘mitigation’ measures were announced, including the deployment of additional road vehicles for areas of mid and north Wales. However, we firmly believe these steps fall far short of what is truly needed to safeguard vital services.
There are now plans by the Wales Air Ambulance charity to establish a new base in Rhuallt, Denbighshire, which would replace the facilities in Welshpool and Caernarfon. Publicly released plans suggest limited nighttime operations from this new site, raising further concerns about its ability to serve mid and north Wales effectively.
We already know that many communities in mid Wales will experience longer response times, and there are still unanswered questions about how well the new arrangements will address the needs of both mid and north Wales.
After the legal challenge ended last year, as a campaign group met with the Chair of NWJCC as we looked to continue holding decision makers accountable for promises that no bases would close until all additional resources were fully in place. That meeting failed to provide the reassurance we sought, and a further meeting has been agreed to receive updates about the ‘additional road vehicles’ and hopefully gain more insight into the proposed new base.
Finally, I want to acknowledge everyone who has worked tirelessly to prevent the closure of the mid Wales base, whether through petitions, fundraising, or public campaigns. This remarkable collective effort truly highlights the strong sense of unity and passion across mid Wales.y within our communities.