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Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Update

An update on the ongoing work to review and improve the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS), following recent discussions at the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) – January 2026.

At the last meeting in November 2025, the Joint Committee received an update on EMRTS after the conclusion of the Judicial Review. With the legal process now complete, the Committee agreed to restart work on Recommendation 4, which focuses on ensuring that emergency ambulance services best meet the needs of communities across Wales - particularly remote rural and coastal areas.

At the most recent Joint Committee meeting on 27 January 2026, Committee Members reviewed progress and agreed the next steps.

Work has progressed in two key areas since the last Joint Committee meeting:

  1. Reviewing Rural Emergency Ambulance Response Models
  2. Wales Air Ambulance Charity - Transition and Timeline Planning

Joint Committee Members have reaffirmed their commitment to transparency and to ensuring community voices continue to shape the work ahead.  They stressed that no final decisions will be made on Recommendation 4 until more detail is available on future air ambulance base arrangements, and updated proposals will be incorporated into the NWJCC’s Integrated Medium-Term Plan (IMTP) for 2026-29.

Communication and engagement with the public, stakeholders, community groups, and service users will also remain at the centre of this work.

A recording of the Joint Committee meeting held on 27 January 2026 is available here and further clarity on timelines for future EMRTS arrangements is expected in February 2026.

All updates and supporting information reported to the Joint Committee will continue to be published on the NWJCC website .

Visit their website for more information.

 

5/2/26