A FORMER watchmaker has pledged to make the ambulance service run like clockwork in South East Wales.

Grant Gordon, who has become regional director of Wales' busiest area, faces a difficult challenge.

Figures for January released in March showed that south east Wales had the worst response times in Wales despite major improvements in traditionally low-performing areas such as Monmouthshire.

In January, emergency crews were on the scene at just over 51 per cent category A calls - the most urgent - within the target eight minutes. This was better than the 42.6 per cent recorded the previous month.

In other areas in January, Newport reached 56.4 per cent and Blaenau Gwent recorded 55.7 per cent.

Nowhere in Gwent was reached the Assembly target of 60 per cent.

Mr Gordon, 44, began his working life as a toolmaker with Timex in his native Dundee.

The father-of-three joined the Scottish Ambulance Service when he was 21 and worked his way up through the ranks from an ambulance care assistant to general manager for the east central division.

Mr Gordon, who will also take on the role as deputy director of operations with the Welsh Ambulance Service, described staff throughout Wales as first class and vowed to listen to what they had to say.

"I want to staff on the road and managers to feel good and proud about themselves. It's a partnership, but the buck stops with me," he said.

Welsh Ambulance Service chief executive Alan Murray said they were delighted to get someone of his calibre to join what he believed was a very strong team.

He said: "He will bring his experience across all aspects of the service and also his wholehearted enthusiasm and commitment to the cause of providing Wales with a modern, 21st century ambulance of which we can all be proud."