LITTLE more than one-in-three emergency ambulance calls from Gwent were met in the target eight minutes in December, the service struggling to cope with unprecedented demand and appalling weather.

Publication of December response times was brought forward due to what the Statistics Wales website reported as "current public interest", and they make grim reading.

Of 2,563 calls Gwent-wide in December that triggered an emergency ambulance response, help arrived within eight minutes in 930 cases (36.58 per cent).

Within Gwent, performance varied. Torfaen recorded an eight-minute response rate of just 29.4 per cent, the worst in Wales.

Newport, with 40.4 per cent, was Gwent's best.

Assembly health minister Edwina Hart yesterday praised ambulance staff and other NHS Wales employees for their hard work and dedication.

She said the ambulance figures should be seen in the context of a difficult December, flu cases as well as the weather adding to the challenge.

There were more than 35,600 emergency calls, up 18 per cent on December 2009 and 23 per cent on November 2010.

But critics believe the Welsh Assembly Government should have been better prepared, and must learn harsh lessons.

Nick Ramsay, shadow health minister and Conservative AM for Monmouth called the December figures "a shambolic indictment of just how bad the situation facing the Welsh NHS has become."

"While the weather has played a part, we are seeing a sustained trend of ambulances failing to respond promptly to emergency calls," he said.

William Graham, Conservative AM for South Wales East, acknowledged weather, but said: "The continuing issue of patients waiting several hours for an ambulance is a result of a failure in management systems.

"We must ensure we learn from the difficulties arising during December."

Veronica German AM, Welsh Liberal Democrats shadow health minister, said: "I truly hope this is a lesson learnt for the Assembly Government. The NHS in Wales needs to be fully prepared for whatever weather comes our way.

"It is up to the Government to ensure our hard working NHS staff are well equipped and organised to deal with even the harshest of winters."