WELSH Ambulance Trust bosses will be asked to explain the lack of emergency ambulance cover in Monmouthshire at a special meeting tomorrow.

Chief executive of The Welsh Ambulance Service Don Page will meet representatives of the county council, Gwent NHS Trust and the Community Health Council, to discuss funding and operation of the ambulance service.

The Argus revealed last month that parts of Monmouthshire are without emergency ambulance cover at night.

A night ambulance meant to serve Chepstow, Monnmouth, Bulwark, Tintern and Mathern, has regularly been deployed at the Coldra roundabout at junction 24 of the M4 near Newport.

Now the problem will be debated at the meeting of Monmouthshire Environment Select Committee.

Committee chairman Councillor Val Smith admitted "concern" about inadequate funding for proper provision of cover for Monmouthshire and Councillor Pam Birchall, cabinet member for Community Safety said the situation was "shocking".

Last month George Murphy, regional ambulance officer, south-east region, Welsh Ambulance Services reacted to criticism of the deployment, saying his job is to get an ambulance as quickly as possible to the next emergency call - which was likely to come from Newport.

The Assembly provided the Welsh Ambulance Services with £1million in the last financial year with an additional £2.5million expected this year.

Colin Hobbs, chief officer of Gwent Community Health Council, said: "I've no doubt that the Ambulance Trust will claim not to have sufficient funds to cover these communities adequately and I would back them on that."

He added: " We will also ask questions of the NHS Trust regarding the amount of time taken up by ambulances being stuck at the Royal Gwent Hospital whilst waiting to offload patients."

A spokesman for the Roy

"We cannot predict when they will come and during busy times, this ties up ambulances at the hospital."