A CONFIDENTIAL report following an investigation into the state of Dorset's ambulance service is being studied by bosses.

It comes in the wake of claims that staff are "completely demoralised" and the calling into question of the accuracy of 999 response times.

The independent inquiry's findings were presented behind closed doors to chiefs of Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust yesterday.

It is not known when or if the report's findings will be made public.

The ambulance service was slated in a highly critical report by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) in October which revealed that staff were fearful of speaking out.

A whistle-blowing letter to the Echo in September spoke of concerns about the way the service was being managed, how 999 response figures were collated and a culture of "defensiveness and blame."

So concerned was Somerset and Dorset Strategic Health Authority that it began its own independent inquiry into the service as the CHI review began.

An independent team made up of three health authority personnel from outside the area has now completed its report.

A spokesman for Somerset and Dorset Strategic Health Authority said: "They were given a free rein to investigate and have completed a confidential report.

"We will not be making anything public until we have had time to discuss this with the ambulance trust's board, although we will make some statement about what the review team has found later."

The meeting between the health authority and the ambulance board members was due to take place yesterday.

Roger Ferre, acting chief executive of Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust, said: "This report is of great interest to the ambulance board.

"We welcome the independent review and will be interested to see what it has found."