NEW EMERGENCY vehicles are being introduced to Gwent in an attempt to cut ambulance response times.

High Dependency Ambulances are being touted as the best way of dealing with life-threatening call-outs - by concentrating on incidents where lives are at risk.

Two Gwent ambulance staff have so far undergone training with the new ambulances.

Rob Panniers and Roger Hughes from Tredegar are the first in what is planned to be several ambulance employees learning to use the vehicles.

The latest figures from the Assembly show response times to emergency call-outs have generally worsened across Gwent when trying to meet eight-minute targets for emergency call-outs.

Blaenau Gwent is the only Gwent borough to have cut response times - with 62.8 of ambulances arriving at emergency scenes within the eight minute time-frame - an increase of 2.1 per cent from two months previous.

These new 'emergency only' ambulances will be equipped to a higher clinical level than traditional ambulances currently in operation and it is hoped existing ambulances will be freed up to get on with their job.

Welsh Ambulance Service Trust chairman Stuart Fletcher who said: "The advent of these vehicles represents another step in the modernisation of the Service."

Mike Cassidy, Deputy Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "The new service will keep emergency care within the local area by freeing up emergency vehicles, which clearly if they are tied up taking someone to hospital are not available to deal with emergencies."

Blaenau Gwent MP Dai Davies said he welcomed any initiative that would cut response times: "Any advancement on the current system would be welcomed and would get my full support.

"In an area that has several health problems including heart problems and an ageing population, a modern ambulance service is vital."