Ambulance response times in Powys have been criticised in a new hard-hitting report.The Welsh Ambulance Service has now been given six months to improve – or face “serious action”.

Health minister Edwina Hart told the Welsh Assembly yesterday the service’s performance was “unacceptable” and she expected to see “substantial improvements” by the end of the year.

She said: “I have supported the Welsh Ambulance Service in taking forward its modernisation plans through the provision of additional capital and revenue funding.

“I want to satisfy myself I am getting the most value out of the investment I have made in the service.”

Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik welcomed the announcement.

“The service in Powys has been leaving lives at risk for a long time and it could be a matter of time that we have a death in the county because of this, unless something it done,” he said.

Mrs Hart said targets have also been set down on the length of time it takes to hand over patients at hospitals in a bid to eradicate long queues of ambulances outside accident and emergency departments.

She was telling the Assembly her findings from a series of reports into the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, which also found the number and speed of changes within the service had a serious effect on staff morale, with a “strong perception of a bullying culture”.

Mrs Hart ordered an update into the service in the wake of persistently poor response times on 999 calls.

The Welsh Ambulance Service today welcomed the outcome of the Ministerial Review which, it said, shows the service has made good progress, but admitted it still had major challenges to address.

Service chief executive Alan Murray said he welcomed the report.

Mr Murray said: “We will be issuing a plan in response to the review once we have had time to look at the minister’s statement.”

By Andrew Morris