 Unison said standby cover practice was 'unsafe' and 'unhealthy' |
The threatened withdrawal of standby ambulance cover at night could be withdrawn after an agreement was reached during talks. Trade union Unison had said it was "unsafe" for staff to continue on standby after shifts had finished.
The dispute affected Bala and Tywyn in Gwynedd and Knighton and Llanfyllin in Powys - the only Welsh ambulance stations not crewed full-time.
The ambulance trust said standby cover would eventually be "eradicated".
In a statement on Wednesday evening, the Wales Ambulance NHS Trust and Unison recommended that emergency cover was provided for 20 hours a day - thus extending cover into the early hours of the morning.
Currently cover is provided for 16 hours a day at Knighton, 18 hours a day at Bala, 17 hours a day at Tywyn and 18 hours a day at Llanfyllin.
Trust chief executive Don Page said "substantial progress has been made".
Unison Cymru Head of Health Dave Galligan said: "I am pleased that progress has been made in resolving the health and safety risk of standby cover working.
A provisional agreement to increase ambulance cover to 20 hours a day in each of the four stations will be beneficial for both staff and the community. "The trade union will be recommending acceptance on the basis that exact hours of coverage will be agreed on each station as a matter of urgency."
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