AMBULANCE response times for emergency calls in Gwent were well below the national average, according to new figures.

Only one of the five council areas in Gwent hit or exceeded the target and another had the unenviable record of having the worst performance figures in Wales.

The Welsh Ambulance Service is failing to meet the Welsh Government’s eight-minute target response time to Category A, immediately life-threatening calls, in Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly.

The figures for September were released just a week after the Argus exclusively revealed just five ambulances were covering the whole of Gwent on October 17. Overall inWales, 64.2 per cent of emergency calls were responded to within eight minutes, which is below the Welsh Government’s target of 65 per cent for the fourth successive month.

In Blaenau Gwent almost half of emergency calls in September were not responded to within eight minutes, with 53.9 per cent arriving within the target time, giving it the worst response times inWales.

In Torfaen, 57.9 per cent of emergency calls were responded to within eight minutes, with 58.3 per cent in Monmouthshire and 61.8 per cent in Caerphilly.

Only Newport is achieving the target, with 68 per cent of emergency responses arriving at the scene within eight minutes.

Wrexham had the best response times, with 74.9 per cent.

William Graham, AM for South Wales East, said: “These figures are disturbing following the news that the Welsh Ambulance Service budget for this year has not been finally agreed and the revelation by the South Wales Argus that there have been days when there are just five ambulances to cover the whole of Gwent.

“It is a matter of great concern that in Blaenau Gwent almost half of the emergency calls fail to be responded to within the Welsh Government’s eight-minute target response time.”