New 999 call centre to open in spring

Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter

Emergency ambulance call-handlers in north Wales will move into a new state-of-the-art home later this year – increasing the number of critical calls they can take.

The region’s 999 call-handlers – who handle all emergency ambulance calls across North Wales – will move from their current home in Llanfairfechan in Conwy – described as ‘old and tatty’ – to join their colleagues from the 111 response team at Ty Elwy in St Asaph in late spring according to the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST).

Work has been underway there for 18 months to transform the first floor into a cutting-edge call centre for the team.

Training facilities

As well as being able to respond to more calls faster, the team will also have access to a gym and on-site training facilities to support their personal development and well-being.

The 111 team moved into their new home at Ty Elwy in 2022 and for the past 18 months planning to move the 999 team seamlessly across has been underway.

At a WAST meeting last week, chairman Colin Dennis said: “It was great recently to go to Ty Elwy and see the work the team has been doing on the new 999 call centre, which is currently in unpleasant, old and tatty conditions a few miles up the road.”

State-of-the-art facilities

Jonathan Edwards, Assistant Director of Operations for Resourcing & EMS Coordination at WAST, said: “Moving the 999 contact centre to the Trust’s headquarters in North Wales is the latest phase of a programme to provide state-of-the-art facilities for our people.

“The Trust is now in the final stages of arranging the phased transfer of staff to St Asaph, and it is anticipated to go live in late spring.

“Transferring from Llanfairfechan to the Trust’s existing site in St Asaph is the culmination of 18 months of planning, investment, consultation and collaborative working with trade union partners, staff and stakeholders.

“Moving the centre will increase capacity for call handlers and will also provide staff with outstanding facilities.

“The Trust has retained our Welsh-speaking call handlers to ensure that communities and individuals can continue to contact us in their language of choice, which is important.

“We have also taken steps to enable many of our staff living in the far west of North Wales to work from home or from an alternative suitable Trust premises, maintaining their employment where it might otherwise have been difficult and ensuring we continue to employ local people.

“The new centre is shared with Integrated Care, Ambulance Care and our Resourcing Centre, which will enhance collaborative working within the service and increase resilience.

“Its proximity to both North Wales Police and North Wales Fires and Rescue Service will also help to build on our multi-agency response to incidents.”