MADAM, Mr Wilton raised an important question last week. He asked how the ambulance service in Wales was so poor in terms of performance targets then reflected on Labour saying that response times would be met six months ago. Recent figures have shown an improvement and the people who work in the service deliver a vital and ethical service. Sadly, the problems concerning the ambulance service date back many years and are complex. In 2012 we had a meeting at Drybridge House where people from Monmouth shared their stories. It was revealed that Monmouth suffered one of the worst response times in Wales and, after looking closely, it was clear that the problems could be traced back decades. Local representative after representative told me they had been dealing with this problem year after year. It became clear that both political and public pressure did make a difference. At that time Monmouth was not receiving a 24 hour ring-fenced vehicle. The chairman of the Welsh Ambulance Trust was foolish enough to write to the Beacon saying that Monmouth did. This was proven incorrect and illustrated the lack of cohesion within the management structure of the service. Later, the McClelland Report in 2013 revealed that there was a 'culture of fear' in the service which was having an impact on staff morale, and the service on the whole. Furthermore, an increase in call volume year on year and financial pressures limited the services ability to deliver. Unnecessary calls were also a concern reaching a whopping 30,000 in 2014. This included calls for issues such as hiccups and prank calls. Every response call costs around £200. Therefore, the service faces internal and external pressures but it appears to be more open these days with a new group of leaders in place. Yet, more needs to be done. On one hand I would argue that people who misuse the service should be fined. Also, the Choose Well Wales campaign is important because it educates the public about how to deal with health concerns; they provide leaflets and I recommend that councillors and concerned residents support it. More generally it is vital the opposition parties work together to scrutinise the, quite frankly, disappointing Welsh Government. Mat Davies (Monmouth)