A FORMER ambulanceman has branded the failings of Dorset Ambulance bosses to listen to their own staff as deplorable.

And he is calling on the board of directors to visit ambulance stations and speak to crews to hear their concerns and problems.

But board chairman Trevor Jones believes a truly independent report was needed to uncover the full extend of problems because staff would not have spoken out so freely to the board.

It follows a critical report by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) earlier this week that uncovered an "oppressive" culture which left staff fearful of speaking out.

The Echo exclusively revealed a whistle-blowing letter from Poole Ambulance station last month in which staff spoke of being "completely demoralised" and alleged 999 response times were being fiddled.

A separate inquiry into the 999 records is currently being conducted by Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority.

Ron Whittaker served as an ambulanceman for 26 years and was based at Poole Ambulance station until 1993.

He said: "I find it deplorable when I read the comments about management and staff. There has obviously been a serious breakdown in communication.

"The buck has to stop with the board. The chairman of the board should have seen this coming."

Mr Whittaker, who is also a Bournemouth councillor, has been told that staff rarely get the opportunity to speak to the board members.

But Mr Jones, who heads Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust's board, said: "Both I and the other non-executive directors have spent a lot of time talking to the staff of the Trust.

"We visited a lot of ambulance stations over the past 12 to 18 months and detected growing unhappiness.

"The way in which CHI operates enables them to get evidence which is difficult for anybody in the Trust to acquire. People will be franker to external reviewers than they ever will be to people within the organisation."

He added: "We are very glad the CHI came to us when they did.

"Everybody co-operated with them and they have been able to establish the depth and extent of the problem.

"Their conclusions will help us to improve matters considerably."