James Evans is calling for improvements in ambulance response times for people living in his constituency.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS told Health Secretary, Jeremy Miles, at the Senedd that many people in his constituency feel abandoned when it comes to ambulance cover.

He said: “I've heard numerous cases from constituents, some of them waiting hours on the floor, waiting for an ambulance.

“The new way the system works is that a lot of the Powys ambulances are based in other parts of Wales, sometimes leaving my constituency and the whole of Powys with no ambulance cover whatsoever.

“I know this is especially felt when it comes to stroke services. We have to act fast in terms of stroke and making sure that people get that timely care.

“But many people in my constituency are facing over an hour-and-a-half just to get to the nearest hospital.

“We're seeing stroke services move further away. Hereford's going to Worcester, Merthyr down to Llantrisant and now Bronglais services could be moving further north or even further south.

“This is going to put more strain on people in my constituency. We don't even have the air ambulance anymore covering our area, which is a huge shame.”

Mr Evans asked Mr Miles what specific and urgent action he is going to take to make sure that the constituents he represents in Brecon and Radnorshire and the rest of Powys can have adequate ambulance cover to make sure that when they phone for help, help is on the way.

Mr Miles said he is encouraged to see that ambulance response times and ambulance patient handover performance have improved in recent months.

He told Mr Evans: “I expect ambulance response times to reduce further across Wales with sustained handover improvement.

“The average ambulance response time performance for people in the amber category in Powys has been the fastest in Wales for the past three months. We are seeing very good signs of progress in all parts of Wales.”

Speaking after the session, Mr Evans said: “Too many people in rural Wales feel abandoned when they dial 999. I have heard stories from some of my constituents who have been left lying on the floor for hours waiting for help and in some cases, there are no ambulances left in Powys at all. this is simply unacceptable.

“Stroke patients in Brecon and Radnorshire are facing journeys of over an hour-and-a-half as services move further away to places like Llantrisant and Worcester. Every minute counts in a stroke, and people living in rural Wales deserve the same chance of survival as those in our cities.

“We have lost our air ambulance coverage and watched emergency services centralise further and further away. Warm words about national averages don’t help the person waiting in agony in Builth, Crickhowell, Knighton or Ystradgynlais while no ambulance is available. The Welsh Government must urgently guarantee proper ambulance cover for rural communities. When someone calls for help, help must actually be on the way, no matter where they live.”