Details of possible new critical care service in Powys to be provided in the new year

A meeting of the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee on Tuesday supported plans for the critical care services in rural and remote areas.

It agreed that a timeline for the road-based enhanced services as a mitigation measure after the closure of the Wales Air Ambulance bases will be presented in January.

Made up of high level representatives from health boards across Wales, the members called for a clear timeline to be presented to their next meeting in January and were unanimous in support providing additional RRVs to meet the need in Mid Wales

The JCC approved the development of a commissioning proposal for bespoke road-based enhanced and/or critical care services in rural and remote areas in April 2024, after they agreed to close the Welshpool and Caernarfon air ambulance bases.

But they said the plans had to be put on hold while legal challenges to the proposal to close the base went through court. 

A Judicial Review took place in January and February and the High Court reached its decision that the NWJCC had acted lawfully and rationally in June 2025.

The legal challenges came to an end on October 15 when the Court of Appel ordered that permission to appeal the decision to close the air bases was refused

Early suggestions indicate there would be at least one ambulance base in Powys with another stationed in the West of Wales.

Plans for the new RRVs were specifically designed to respond to the concerns raised during the public engagement when proposals for the closure Welshpool base. 

NHS Wales said that proposals would tackle issues related to “the core ambulance response for conditions that do not reach the threshold for patients to receive an Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) highly specialised prehospital critical care response”.

Welshpool County Councillor Graham Breeze said: “Delighted this morning to sit in on a NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) meeting and hear support for increased rapid response vehicles (RRV) following the decision to close Wales Air Ambulance bases at Welshpool and Caernarfon.

“The JCC is made up of high level representatives from health boards across Wales and there was total support at the meeting to honour a commitment made back in April 2024 in Recommendation 4 of the proposals to provide additional rapid response vehicles following the closures.

“Continuing with the recommendation was integral to the Judicial Review decision to give the go-ahead for closure of the bases in North and Mid Wales.

“As a Welshpool County Councillor I am still bitterly disappointed that the Mid Wales base will be closing and along with members of the Save Welshpool Air Ambulance Base will continue to fight to ensure that the promise of additional road vehicles will be met.

“Health board bosses today called for a clear timeline to be presented to their next meeting in January and were unanimous in support providing additional RRVs to meet the need in Mid Wales and I welcome that commitment.

“I look forward to the JCC’s next meeting in January when a detailed and time-lined proposal will be an agenda item.”

Llais, a Welsh Government organisation which advocates the views of communities and patients, said they recognised that recent developments and communications from different organisations have left many people in rural communities uncertain about the future of enhanced road-based critical care services following the conclusion of a judicial review process earlier this year.

A spokesperson said “The responsibility for making and communicating decisions about these services rests with the NHS and the Joint Commissioning Committee.”

They urged the committee to clarify if plans for the bespoke road-based service remain unchanged, when it will be introduced ad how it relates to the move of the air ambulance bases.

The NWJCC’s next meeting is expected to take place on January 27