A trade union has said a review of South West Ambulance should cover such subjects as “bullying and harassment” and “poor management practices”.

The GMB, which represents ambulance staff, has written to the boss of the South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SWAST) calling on him to clarify the scope of a review into the trust’s prevailing cultures.

The union also wants Professor Duncan Lewis’s review to look at the effects that “restrictive annual leave practices, rota implementation and chronic under-resourcing” could be having on sickness and morale.

The GMB has previously called on chief executive Ken Wenman to quit.

GMB regional organiser Gary Palmer said: "Although welcomed by GMB, the review does raise concerns that the current scope will simply gloss over the issues currently being experienced by GMB members and staff within the trust.

"This move by SWAST has the real possibility of being a great opportunity for the organisation to re-build some sort of trust with staff; but to do that it must be about things that staff see as an issue, and not just what the trust want to appear to be concerned about if they really want to culturally and physically improve staff conditions.

"I do personally think it’s too late for the chief executive to turn it around though in regard to the part he has generally played in the past by ignoring the calls for help from those that have given most to the service and yet receive least in return. Change in approach and leadership together might be required to bring about a move to seeing improvements at the trust.”