Less than half of life-threatening ambulance calls in Powys have been reached within eight minutes this year, according to Welsh Government figures.

Just 46.8 per cent of ambulances arrived at red calls - those where someone is in an immediately life-threatening condition - between January and September, some way below the target of 65 per cent.

This year’s figures are around nine per cent lower than those achieved during the same nine-month period last year, where 55.5 per cent of red incidents were reached within the target window.

July this year was one of the worst months on record for life-threatening ambulance responses in Powys. Out of the 158 red calls requiring an ambulance across the county, just 63 (39.9 per cent) resulted in emergency response on the scene within eight minutes.

Across Wales, just over 3,500 red calls were made during September, with half of these being reached inside the target time.

Emergency calls for ambulances are graded into three categories, with red being the most serious. Calls categorised as “amber” are serious but not life-threatening, and “green” are less urgent.