WEST Wiltshire Primary Care Trust admits it is not making the grade and is striving to improve its performance.

Plans have already been put in place to ring in the changes and lift the trust from its zero- star rating.

Chief executive Donna Stiles said the result was "devastating" but is confident about a marked improvement over the next 12 months.

The trust failed to meet three of the government's nine key targets because of excessive waiting lists, but claims to have slashed times for inpatients from 15 to 12 months and, by the end of the year, aims to reduce waiting times for outpatients from 21 weeks to 17.

Ms Stiles said: "Clearly access is a problem. Waiting times are a key part of care.

"The majority of patients we treated at the RUH were well within waiting times but there were a few which were not earlier in the year and we know this is not acceptable.

"We believe strongly that we have the ability to turn things around and receive stars next year.

"The zero rating is not a reflection of the performance of the staff or the commitment shown this has been excellent."

To help raise standards the PCT is working closely with other trusts and has developed its own performance improvement plan.

Results from a three-month consultation process with nurses, GPs, town councillors, patient watchdogs and residents will help mould changes to west Wiltshire's five community hospitals to improve efficiency and modernise services.