SIR,

On 30th January recent figures regarding performance targets in Wales were released.

They proved that response times within eight minutes for category A (life-threatening) calls in the constituency of Monmouth were 54 per cent last December.

However, I have applied through the Freedom of Information Act to establish the response times for the town, which were probably lower.

We should know what those times were within the next month or two. Unfortunately, the same day that the figures were released in January I discussed the issue on the radio show 'Good Morning Wales' with the former chair of the Welsh Ambulance Trust, Roy Norris. He rightly pointed out that the performance targets failed to highlight the underlying difficulties the service faced.

He was quite right. The NHS in Wales, like England, but thankfully less so, suffers from fragmentation with most parts pressured to reach performance targets.

Unfortunately, the management of hospitals directly effects ambulatory care. This is because paramedics must wait for their patients to be handed over at hospitals. If the hospital is over-stretched, it directly impacts on ambulance times.

A close look at the structure of NHS bodies reveals that they were established in a similar way to European agencies and business departments I studied in the past.

This was very surprising to me. Moreover, they exist in an environment which, in some circumstances, fosters competition rather than co-operation.

This sad reality impacts on processes which aim to establish failures akin to the ones this town has witnessed.

This town, and the constituency has expressed that it values the NHS countless times in the past. I still believe that it is the greatest post-war policy any government followed through with.

But there are problems, and representatives must have the back-bone and sheer guts to stand up for it. Not when an opportunity for political capital arises, but with real passion and consistency.

To be fair, the Welsh government has done a lot to roll back the reforms in the NHS in the 80s which attempted to install the logic of the market in the NHS.

And they have rejected the appalling private finance initiative projects. But they need to do more. This is difficult when the Welsh budget has been cut by seven per cent, and difficult decisions have to be made.

But honesty is the greatest resource for democracy that we have. Therefore, a cross-party scrutiny inquiry which looks into the clear void of accountability in the ambulance service, and its partners, is central to improving the system.

At the end of the month I will be seeking the support of Abergavenny town council in achieving this aim. Hopefully they will join Chepstow and Monmouth town council which recognise that an inquiry is vital.

For the 450 people who signed the petition a year ago calling for such an inquiry, we should know whether we were successful once the ambulance review is completed in March.

Mat Davies

(Monmouth)