CATEGORY A CALLS 65% target within eight minutes 36% arrived with eight minutes 40% within nine minutes 45% within 10 minutes Ambulance response times in Llanidloes

A target has been set for 65% of ambulances in life-threatening cases to arrive within eight minutes, but only 36% in Llanidloes reached it.

The town council said it wanted improvements made.

The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said the target was a challenge but response times had improved.

In the Llanidloes area between November last year and April, just 36% of category A calls were reached within eight minutes; 40% were reached within nine minutes and 45% within 10 minutes.

The Wales average for meeting the eight-minute objective is currently 57.5%.

In south east Wales, the figure is lower at 54.5%, while in the Vale of Glamorgan it is 40%.

Only north Wales meets its response time goal.

Llanidloes mayor Robert Parker-Munn said: "Targets are not being met and we feel that this is putting lives in danger."

His sentiments were echoed by Llanidloes GP Dr Stephen Lesley, who said mid Wales was "skating on thin ice" because of the response times.

The ambulance trust said that the eight-minute response target remained a challenge.

However, it added that the situation had improved during the last 12 months despite an increase in demand.

It's a basic human right to have ambulance coverage to ensure people's safety Town mayor Robert Parker-Munn

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesman said it was investing in the service.

"Since 2002-03, an additional �3.5m per year has been invested to specifically improve ambulance response times," he said.

"This year's target specifically require there to be improved performance in all geographic areas which are currently below our target to respond to calls that are immediately life threatening."

'Operational matter'

Currently, an ambulance covers Llanidloes for 18 hours a day between 0800 and 0200 BST.

For the remaining six hours, paramedics from either Newtown or Machynlleth - a 20 and a 40 minute drive away respectively - are on call.

"We want 24-hour ambulance coverage," said Mr Parker-Munn.

"We've been told statistics show that there are not enough emergency calls in Llanidloes to justify round-the-clock coverage.

"But it's a basic human right to have ambulance coverage to ensure people's safety."

He wants to meet health minister Dr Brian Gibbons within the next fortnight.

The assembly government spokesman said changes to ambulance cover in Llanidloes were an operational matter for Health Commission Wales (HCW) and the ambulance trust.

He added that HCW and the trust met the town council in December to discuss how things could be improved.

He said: "It would not be appropriate for the minister to consider a meeting with the campaigners in Llanidloes until that process has been completed."