WILTSHIRE Ambulance Service has been condemned in an official report for having autocratic management and out of date equipment.

The Commission for Health Improvement review also said ambulance staff have complained of bullying.

It said: "Many staff do not feel valued or supported and morale within the organisation is low.

"Staff feel that management in parts of the trust is autocratic and CHI received some reports of bullying and other inappropriate behaviour."

The review, which took place between August 2002 and February 2003, also high-lighted shortcomings in the equipment used by Wiltshire Ambu-lance Service.

It said that the radio system is inadequate meaning ambulance crews can't always communicate with the control centre in an emergency.

And it said that the trust has no accurate way of knowing which ambulance is the closest to an incident because it doesn't have a modern satellite vehicle monitoring system.

On a positive note the report said: "The trust's staff are committed and enthusiastic and ambulance crews are well respected by local stakeholders."

Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust employs 300 staff at nine stations around the county.

Chief executive Dennis Lauder said he welcomed the report because it has identified where the trust needs to improve.

He said: "I'm disappointed that there's reference to bullying of staff.

"There's been no physical bullying of staff - it's really about management style.

"We have to perform to a certain standard and if people are not doing that, managers have to address it and may be heavy handed.

"We are a uniformed service and there is a rigid structure within the service and maybe that doesn't fit in with NHS methods."

He said new staff have been recruited to help address the problems highlighted, including a human resources manager who staff can raise concerns with in confidence.

Mr Lauder agreed that equipment was out of date but said matters would improve with the opening of a new call centre at Devizes in June.

Satellite vehicle location equipment is expected to be installed in two years time as part of a rolling government programme.

He said: "Hopefully this report will put us higher up the agenda in the NHS."

Wiltshire Ambulance Service is just below the government target of responding to 75 per cent of calls within eight minutes.

It's average for the year is around 67 per cent.