First Responders playing a vital role in our communities

The Minister had a chance to meet and talk with members of the Llandudno Junction team, which is made up of Welsh Government staff, as well as First Responders from the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay teams.

Community First Responders are volunteers who are trained by the Welsh Ambulance Service to administer basic first aid, oxygen therapy and the use of a defibrillator. They respond to emergency calls in their local area through the 999 system in conjunction with the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The Llandudno Junction team based at the Welsh Government's office in the town was established in November last year with a team of six Welsh Government officials, this has increased in the last month to ten, and having recently secured a second defibrillator, can now run two teams from the office.

The Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Community First Responder Team have been in existence for over four years.

Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:

"Having First Responder teams in our communities is absolutely vital.

"These volunteers can often be first on the scene to a patient in need and provide life saving treatment before the arrival of an ambulance, further increasing the patient's chance of survival.

"I have been heartened to hear the teams' stories here today. It is clear that they are making a real difference to people's lives in the local area."

Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, Elwyn Price-Morris, said:

"Community First Responders are an important and valuable partner of the Welsh Ambulance Service and play a vital role alongside frontline ambulance staff in making sure patients receive help quickly and efficiently.

"They are essential to improving the "chain of survival" and the faster life support skills get to a patient facing a life threatening scenario, the better the outlook is.

"We continue to encourage local teams to develop and build resilience within local communities."

Approximately 1,500 people have been trained as Community First Responders in Wales by the Welsh Ambulance Service.