NHS chiefs have launched a probe into the working culture at the South West’s ambulance service.

The “cultural review” will be led by the University of Plymouth’s Professor Duncan Lewis, who was last year commissioned to investigate bullying claims at another ambulance trust

A union boss has written to the chief executive of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), asking him to clarify whether the new review will look at organisational bullying, harassment and management failings.

It is understood that the scope of the review is yet to be set by SWASFT and Unison, the service's recognised union.

Gary Palmer, GMB regional organiser, said that the review offered a “great opportunity” for the trust to “re-build some sort of trust with staff”.

“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,” he said.

“I can assure the trust that our members would love to see a cultural review which enables them to finally feel that their employer respects, values, cares about and rewards everything they do for the trust and service as a whole.

“But, probably, they are more likely to see further smoke and mirrors, to maintain an out-dated management approach rather than a clear path to improvement and positive future for all, but you never know.”

A spokeswoman for South Western Ambulance Service said: “The chief executive of SWASFT has been really clear that the result of this review will be fully published, jointly owned by Unison and SWASFT, and all recommendations will be fully implemented under his leadership to ensure that SWASFT is the best organisation to work for that it can be.

“We will demonstrate that we value our staff enormously and that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our staff are supported to do the job they love.”

A previous review by Prof Duncan Lewis – into bullying allegations at South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB) – prompted strong words from the Plymouth academic.

In his 2017 report, he said: “Common decency is a right, not a privilege, and harassment or bullying, including sexual harassment, must end now.”

He said that 42 per cent of staff had experienced bullying, warning: “Whilst it is possible sexual harassment might not have been known to the executive because employees are fearful of speaking out against a macho boys club culture in Kent and in other parts of SECAMB, ignorance is no defence.”

His new review – into South Western Ambulance Service - follows strong criticism from GMB about working practices at SWASFT. In November, the ambulance union members wrote an open letter to the public, apologising for “not getting to your loved ones quick enough”.

In the letter, the union – which claims to represent 13.5 per cent of SWASFT’s staff – wrote: “We’re sorry it appears that SWASFT deployments and performance targets are more important than patient care.”

Responding to that letter, SWASFT chairman Tony Fox said that ambulance service workers were doing an “excellent job” during a time of significant pressures. He added that national staff survey results showed SWASFT had the “best results” for engagement with staff, health and wellbeing of staff and resources available.”