Ambulances heading for another zero rating despite improvements

A year ago, inspectors gave Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust was one of only five trusts across the country to get the lowest possible rating.

Since then, there has been a management shake-up and an action plan to get back on track.

Newly-appointed chief executive, Claire Severgnini, said last July that while she hoped for a better star rating this year, it would be 2005-6 before there was a dramatic improvement.

Speaking at a board meeting on Tuesday, she said: "We do not know and cannot predict our star indicators. We will be advised in mid-July. There will be a choice between zero and one.

"On an extremely positive note, we have always said we needed to create an organisation that can create improvement and we are well on our way to doing that."

A report showed that the service was currently forecast to hit seven out of 18 targets.

These included response times for 999 calls and urgent ambulance requests from GPs, as well as child protection policy and clot-busting treatments for heart attack victims.

Last month, the trust achieved the "Improving Working Lives" target but, under Commission for Health Improvement rules, it was too late to be included in this year's rating.

Inspectors, who spoke to members of staff, found there was "a refreshing change brought about by the new chief executive and her team" and "more generally an openness to engage staff and include their issues on the agenda."

For example, the recent "We are not a Taxi Service Campaign" to highlight the problem of people dialling 999 for non-emergencies.

But it is not all good news. The ambulance trust is forecast to be £1.8m in the red by the end of the financial year. Local hospital and primary care trusts hold the purse strings.

Chairman, Tony Barron, warned: "Historically, there has been significant underfunding of this trust which has to be addressed - otherwise we will have to look at the services we provide."