WILTSHIRE'S troubled ambulance service is on the mend, according to a report by a special county council task force.

The scrutiny task group of councillors was set up last August after the ambulance service received a zero-star rating for the second year running from the Healthcare Commission, and was named among the worst in the country for response time.

Now, after months of investigating the ailing service, the task group has reported improvements - though it says there is still a long way to go.

Independent councillor Philip Allnatt, who chaired the group, said: "It is a good-news story and they are making headway in a wide range of areas."

Mr Allnatt said the service was on course to meet the national target of reaching 75 per cent of urgent calls within eight minutes.

At one stage, the Wiltshire figure was just 50 per cent.

In its report, the task group has made 20 recommendations, from measures to improve performance to ensuring that there is a minimum requirement for essential equipment on all frontline ambulances.

These include installing an automatic vehicle location system and appointing "at the earliest possible opportunity" a nurse or paramedic at the call centre to give advice.

Mr Allnatt said: "I'd like to express my confidence in the dedication of the men and women who work for the Wiltshire Ambulance Service.

"I would now expect the strategic health authority and the Wiltshire Ambulance Service to consider how the recommendations made in this report fit in with the agreement to improve the service - particularly when reviewing closer working and integration with other ambulance trusts."

Acting chief executive of Wiltshire Ambulance Trust Tim Skelton said: "I welcome the report and am delighted the group recognised the good work done by the staff.

"Some of the recommendations are already being implemented, such as the first responder schemes, which are certainly helping us to meet our targets for response times."

Mr Skelton said the service achieved in February its key target of within-eight-minute response to 75 per cent of urgent calls.

He also revealed that the service was on the verge of securing funding to ensure its fleet of ambulances was equipped with automatic vehicle location systems, which enable crews to reach their destinations quicker.

As part of its report, the task group called on health secretary John Reid to make it a criminal offence to make hoax 999 calls for an ambulance.