A SPECIAL task group has been set up to improve ambulance response times.

Bosses at Wiltshire Ambulance Trust are desperate to turn things around following its zero-star rating by the Healthcare Commission in July.

Currently, around one in three crews answering a 999 call fail to arrive at the scene within the target time of eight minutes set by the Government.

Top bosses will now work closely with both county and district councillors to thrash out a plan-of-action.

Chief executive Tim Skelton welcomed the decision, but stressed progress is being made.

"The rating was disappointing and I agree that there is room for improvement," said Mr Skelton.

"But we are committed to improving standards and there are already lots of plans in place.

"This time last year fewer than 50 per cent of Category A calls were answered within eight minutes. Now that figure is in the high 60s.

"The Government has said that it wants us to reach 75 per cent and I am confident that we will make up that few extra per cent soon."

Mr Skelton said that the trust has recently undertaken a major recruitment drive boosting frontline staff numbers by around 10 per cent.

"We have 200 ambulance crew workers in the county and we have recruited an extra 27," he said.

"These people are currently undergoing training and should be on the streets by November. We have also brought in a new performance manager in the Ambulance Control department."

On top of that, Mr Skelton added, new technology is in the pipeline to save vital minutes for crews.

He said: "In March we will have a state-of-the-art automatic vehicle location system. This will enable control-room staff to pinpoint the exact location of crews.

"At the moment staff have to rely on calls from crews. The new technology will make for more effective deployment."

Last year the Adver reported that an ambulance crew took more than an hour to reach Sunil Madhani after he suffered a heart attack.

His brother, Manoj, 34, of Rushey Platt, Swindon, said: "The figures come as no shock. What happened to my brother wasn't a one-off.

"I often hear how people are made to wait for unacceptable lengths of time after calling for an ambulance.

"We pay so much in taxes and then see our money being wasted on things like the clock in Swindon town centre."

Kevin Shoesmith