An ambulance service chief has told the Cambrian News there are currently no preferred options when it comes to the future of Wales Air Ambulance bases.

Politicians said last week that the two options favoured by Optima are Option 4 of merging the service at Rhuddlan, changing shift patterns, and adding a rapid response vehicle, and Option 6 of keeping bases at Caernarfon and Welshpool, changing shift patterns and adding a rapid response vehicle (RRV).

But Stephen Harrhy, the Chief Ambulances Services Commissioner who is leading the independent engagement, said

Phase 2 is still a ‘listening’ phase and there is not a proposal or a recommendation/preferred options made and therefore nothing has been ‘accepted’.

He said: “Firstly I would like to thank the public and stakeholders once again for their contributions in Phase 2 of the engagement about this matter so far. This has been important to me as we work through this process and the passion and pride for the service is absolutely clear to me.

“This second phase engagement gives me an opportunity to share what has been heard in Phase 1 and demonstrate how this feedback has been applied to the options developed.

“I stressed at the end of Phase 1 of the EMRTS Service Review engagement that no decision had previously been made on this issue and that remains the case.

“At this stage there is no ‘preferred’ option, and therefore no ‘recommendation’. Rather, I am encouraging the public and stakeholders to comment on the options developed where I am still listening to feedback before going through an evaluation process that will eventually lead to a recommendation for the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee to consider and ultimately decide on.

“I look forward to receiving public comments on these options by 12 November, through a range of ways that are detailed on the EASC website.”