THE PEOPLE of Monmouthshire must get the ambulance service they deserve, council chiefs say.

As the Argus revealed earlier this week, an investigation by the county council into the failures of the ambulance service in Monmouthshire revealed a desperate lack of funding and failing response times.

The report revealed only 46 per cent of category A calls were answered within the national eight-minute target in March 2003, down from 52 per cent in 2002.

It also found only six ambulances are based in Monmouthshire, three of which are on 24-hour call for category A emergencies.

The report, a result of a year-long inquiry by the environment select committee, says that without additional funding response times will not improve.

Councillors debated the report this week, and cabinet member for community safety, Pam Birchall, said: "There isn't an organisation in the land that doesn't feel it needs more money but you can't keep throwing cash at something like this - the time comes when you need to work round the problems while you wait."

She congratulated the Royal Gwent Hospital on its initiatives to reduce the number of hours ambulances from Monmouthshire are stuck waiting outside while beds are found for patients.

She said: "The Royal Gwent is working hard to improve where it can and so must we. We won't stop asking 'why, when and how' until we are comfortable with the service we are provided with and believe me, the people of this county will get the service they deserve."

It was also agreed that as well as inviting management personnel from the Welsh ambulance service back to report in 2004, an ambulance driver should be invited.

Councillor Birchall said: "We need a look at what actually goes on on the ground, the view of the people we are trying to assist."

Ambulance bosses say things are already improving.

No one from the ambulance service was available to comment but regional officer George Murphy recently told the Argus: "We are currently in excess of 50 per cent of category A calls being answered on time.

"Our target for the region is 60 per cent by March, 2004."