WILTSHIRE Ambulance Service has received a disappointing zero star NHS performance rating due to its failure to achieve targets set out in a report in March.

The service has failed to meet the target of answering 75 per cent of emergency calls within eight minutes, as set out by the Commission for Health Improvement. The Wiltshire service managed just 67 per cent in the required time.

A spokesman for the Wiltshire Ambulance Trust said: "This and other failures in administration and management style were identified last winter and since then an immediate action plan has been drawn up and work has commenced on it.

"The trust is naturally disappointed to lose two stars."

Ambulance trusts are awarded three stars for top performance, but Wiltshire and Dorset failed to achieve any star rating, and were bottom of the West Country league of trusts.

In its report the Commission highlighted the problem of out of date ambulances, the inadequate radio system which meant crews could not always communicate with the control centre, and the lack of satellite vehicle monitoring systems, all of which contributed to poor performance. It also criticised the trust following complaints of bullying.

The trust board is now drawing up a comprehensive strategic plan for the next five years, but it will be two years before the satellite system is put in place as part of a rolling Government programme.

Chief executive Dennis Lauder said extra funds given to the trust in May to improve operations would not show results until August and September.

He said: "The Modernisation Agency and Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority are giving Wiltshire Ambulance Trust help to turn itself around and we are confident that we will build on improvement we have made already this year and achieve our operational targets in the near future."

A recent inspection by the NHS Modernisation Agency has identified progress in certain areas including the appointment of a risk manager and the creation of a human resource cell with a manager with whom staff can raise concerns in confidence.

Mr Lauder said the service was making improvements and the expansion of the First Responders team was a crucial part of rapid response times.

First Responders are unpaid military volunteers with first aid training who support the ambulance service. They attend emergency only incidents in special cars and deal with the situation before the ambulance gets there.

Mr Lauder said: "We have taken delivery of four new ambulances to replace older vehicles and four all-terrain vehicles for use by first responders who can reach patients off-road and elsewhere more quickly than fully crewed ambulances. They either treat a patient until an ambulance arrives or decide that an ambulance is not needed and free it up for another task."

Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, Lead Commissioners of Ambulance Services said it had recognised that the service needs to be improved and is working closely with the service to make operational and strategic connections across the system.

A trust spokesman said it was working hard to forge links with other agencies to develop a new care system in collaboration with hospital accident and emergency departments.

He said: "The Primary Care Trust is also arranging meetings with Avon and Gloucestershire Ambulance Services to develop a new strategic development plan to share learning and core skills between the services."