The number of ambulance staff on duty in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area fell below contracted levels on 280 days out of 365 last year, shock figures obtained by Plaid Cymru reveal.
Information obtained by The Party of Wales under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that in one month – January 2014 – there was not a single day when the staffing numbers met the rostered levels.
The first three months of 2014 also highlight a deteriorating picture of staffing levels compared to the first quarter of 2013.
Lindsay Whittle Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East, said: “These are quite shocking figures. There were just 85 days during 2013 when staffing levels for ambulance staff in Aneurin Bevan were at the levels they should have been. This compares to 226 days in the neighbouring Cwm Taf Health Board.
“And what is particularly worrying is that in the first three months of 2014 on 74 days out of 90 the expected staffing levels were not met.
“There will obviously be times when shifts will not be covered for reasons such as sickness and annual leave but the position in Aneurin Bevan cannot be acceptable. This indicates a service that is being stretched far too thinly.”
Steffan Lewis, Plaid Cymru’s candidate in Blaenau Gwent at next year’s UK General Election, said: “People in Blaenau Gwent and the staff of the ambulance service are right to be concerned about the situation. Staff will feel under increasing strain if the staffing levels are reduced on an almost daily basis.
“What is clearly needed is action to fill the vacancies of frontline staff within the ambulance service so the service delivered is what people expect. Along with poor response times on emergency calls, this is another example of the problems faced by the ambulance service.”
