WILTSHIRE County Council has launched an investigation into how Wiltshire Ambulance Service intends to improve its service to residents.

The service received a zero star rating the worst possible for the second successive year in national performance ratings and has been criticised for not reaching health service targets.

The most notable of these was reaching just 55 per cent of life threatening emergency calls within eight minutes compared to a Government target of 75 per cent. However last month the service increased its response times to 68 per cent.

The Gazette also revealed earlier this year that the service planned to concentrate its resources in big towns so it could meet targets.

Tim Skelton, chief executive of the ambulance trust, outlined how the service was improving when he attended a meeting of the county council's health overview and scrutiny committee but members still had concerns and now a task group has been set up to examine the workings of the ambulance service.

A spokesman for the committee said: "The concerns members had related specifically to response times, the capacity of the service to reach those in rural communities and how the trust will continue to improve performance in respect of their key objectives for 2004/05.

"The task group is keen to review all evidence in an objective and collaborative way to ensure they work with all partners to gain the best insight into the service."

This will include interviewing external witnesses, including Mr Skelton, obtaining the views of the service commissioners the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, as well as the views of ambulance staff.

The task group comprises county councillors and district councillors from Kennet and North Wiltshire.

Mr Skelton welcomed the probe by the committee. He said: "The more people who understand the challenges that the ambulance service faces the better."

The task group wishes to hear from residents as part of the review and submissions are required by September 8.

Anyone with views is asked to contact Jo Naylor, health scrutiny officer at the county council, on (01225) 713004 or by e-mail on jonaylor@wiltshire.gov.uk