WILTSHIRE Ambulance Service has been forced to draw up an action plan to improve poor emergency response times.

Earlier this year, a damming report from government health inspectors revealed serious flaws, and the service has failed to meet the target of answering Category A emergency calls within eight minutes.

There have also been operational problems which sometimes meant ambulance crews were unable to communicate with the control centre in an emergency. Poor management has also been blamed for the shortfalls which have left the service with a zero star rating a fall of two stars from last year's results.

To help stop the rot, the trust board is drawing up a comprehensive strategic plan for the next five years which will be subject to public and staff consultation.

A spokesman for the trust said: "Weaknesses in administration and management style were identified last winter by a CHI clinical governance review and since then an immediate action plan has been drawn up and work has commenced on it."

Despite the condemning CHI report, a NHS Modernisation Agency inspection praised progress made in areas such as the appointment of a risk manager.

Chief executive Dennis Lauder said: "Wiltshire Ambulance Trust was given extra funds in May, enabling us to make operational improvements which will show through in August and September."