PLAID Cymru responded to the decision to push ahead with the closure of Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases.

Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases will officially close after 2026 after a final vote by health boards.

In a meeting of the Welsh NHS’ Joint Commissioning Committee, it was voted that the bases will close and be merged into a new site in North Wales – probably in Rhuddlan - despite opposition from politicians and the public.

In a majority decision the committee voted for the bases to be closed, with Powys Teaching Health Board being the only board to note its opposition to the plans.

After the decision, Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Hywel Williams MP, Sian Gwenllian MS, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said: "Today’s decision to rubber-stamp the closure of the Caernarfon and Welshpool Air Ambulance bases in favour of centralising the service in northeast Wales goes against the interests of communities across northwest and mid Wales.'

"We have far from been assured that the areas most at risk from these plans such as Pen Llŷn, south Meirionnydd, Ynys Môn, and mid Wales won’t be left with a slow-track and substandard service.

"Considering some of the questions about the data being used as a basis for the proposal, it is not unreasonable for people to have serious concerns that we will have a significantly inferior service if the Caernarfon and Welshpool sites are closed.

"Neither have we been provided with sufficient information on what the implementation of these recommendations would look like and the steps that would be taken, for example, to develop the road-based service referred to in recommendation 4.'

"Llais made it clear that more time and information was needed to reach an informed decision, and so the Committee’s decision to shoehorn the proposals through without affording health boards adequate time to consider the impact of the recommendations is both worrying and disappointing.

"We have not been provided with compelling evidence that would convince us that closing both Caernarfon and Welshpool bases won’t lead to a significantly poorer service.

"It's regrettable that the views of frontline EMRTS clinicians, campaigners, and overwhelming opposition from the wider public have been summarily disregarded. It should be appreciated that the Wales Air Ambulance charity is nothing without public support.

"This is not the end of the fight. We will continue to work with local campaigners to explore all possible options to challenge this short-sighted and centrally driven decision.

"People living in northwest and mid Wales should not have to suffer measurably worse outcomes based on flawed data which has not been independently verified."

The plans to close the bases have been met with opposition from members of the public and politicians.

Gwynedd Councillor, Llio Elenid Owen who represents the Groeslon ward which includes Dinas Dinlle Air Ambulance base, added: 'The news today regarding the closure of Dinas Dinlle, Caernarfon’s Wales Air Ambulance service is bitterly disappointing and heart wrenching'

'The whole community has worked tirelessly to convey the importance of this crucial service in my Ward which serves the whole of Gwynedd.

'We will lose a valuable resource, jobs and expertise from the area. Today is a tragic day for this community, for the surrounding area and for Gwynedd.'