THE ambulance service covering much of North Yorkshire and Teesside has plummeted to a zero score in health performance tables.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service was given a no-star rating, signifying the poorest level of performance. Last year, it was awarded two stars for performing well overall.

Meanwhile, Richmondshire and Hambleton Primary Care Trust clinched a three-star rating - the highest attainable - for its mental health services. The score placed it in the top five PCTs in the country which provide their own mental health services.

There was disappointment, however, that the PCT was awarded only one star for its general performance in spite of ranking above average for 23 of its 36 indicators. Officials blamed errors in data supplied to the Department of Health.

Financial problems and failing to meet a response times target by the slimmest of margins were blamed for the ambulance trust rating.

Chief executive Jayne Barnes said the star ratings represented a snapshot of the organisation, based on its performance over the last financial year, and improvements were already underway.

"Since then, we have made significant improvements," she said. "Our Category A response times - a target of 75pc of life-threatening calls responded to within eight minutes - are currently at 74.8pc despite an unremitting rise in our accident and emergency workload.

"In 2000-01 we were recording only 52.8pc for Category A calls, so we have made a remarkable improvement. That convinces me we are on the right path."

Financial difficulties also contributed to the service's no-star ranking. Mrs Barnes said the trust had broken even but needed a small amount of support from health commissioners to deliver a better service.

"We are actively working with our NHS partners to address this matter but it will take time and there will, no doubt, be further challenges ahead."

The ratings, published on Wednesday, made no criticism of the clinical care ambulance service staff provided. "In fact, a recent commission for health review praised staff for their commitment and for the dignified and respectful way they treat patients," said Mrs Barnes.

Following this review, Tenyas began working with the performance development team, part of the NHS clinical governance support team, to improve its standing.

David Bolam, chairman of Northallerton community health council, believed the ambulance service problems stemmed from the merger of North Yorkshire and Teesside services four years ago.

"Tees is completely different from North Yorkshire and the merger was difficult and is still having a knock-on effect," he said. "However, I believe they are entering a period of stability now. They have the commission's support team in and they are like a hit squad and will hopefully pull it round."

PCT officials described as "outstanding" its three-star rating for mental health services, as the organisation only came into being in April 2002.

Areas where outstanding performance was registered included care plans for patients, transition of care between different sections of the service, a staff opinion survey and junior doctors' hours.

Officials were disappointed that only one star was awarded for the general performance of the PCT, which had hoped to receive at least two stars.

Slips of the pen in submitting information to the Department of Health were blamed. The PCT wrongly reported that it had no plans to install single telephone access for patients to contact GPs by December 2004; in fact, its approved plans included such provision.

Incorrect information was also given about access to primary health care professionals.

The mistakes were not discovered until after the deadline for amendments and it was not possible to correct them.

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