Healthcare in the West has improved dramatically over the past year, according to a report released today.

Despite this, people are still being let down by the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS), which remains among the 20 worst performing trusts on the country.

It under-achieved in all of its call handling targets, while Wiltshire PCT was also bottom of the pile after it too was labelled "weak" in its quality of service. It failed to deal with A&E cases within the target four hours.

The annual NHS Health Check, carried out by the Healthcare Commission, revealed more than 85 per cent of West healthcare providers have improved their quality of service.

This included the Royal United Hospital in Bath which has jumped from a "weak" trust to a "good" trust and Bath and North East Somerset PCT which moved from being labelled "weak" to being dubbed "fair". This is the first time the trust has achieved such good marks since the health check was introduced in 2006.

A spokesman for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, which moved from "fair" to "good", said it hoped to achieve an "excellent" rating next year.

A handful, including the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) in Bath, have slipped down the table – providing a poorer quality of care than in 2006/07.

A total of 12 trusts were shown to provide the same level of care as they did last year.

Flying the flag for healthcare in the West is Dorset, where all three trusts were classed as excellent.

Joining Dorset in the top 100 was Yeovil District Hospital and Somerset Partnership NHS and Social Care Trust.

Just two years ago, seven out of every 10 trusts in the West were classed as "weak" or "fair".

The latest figures have seen this more than halved.

The number of West trusts rated as "excellent" for use of resources has also doubled over the past year.

Sir Ian Kennedy, of the Healthcare Commission, said: "This is a broad and demanding assessment so we pay tribute to those trusts that have done well.

"It is a team effort: the cleaner, the porter, the nurse, the doctor and the manager have all played their part. Patients have benefited.

"Waiting times for cancer treatments, once a significant problem for the NHS, have come right down and ambulances are responding faster than ever to calls in life-threatening situations."

Liz Redfern, spokeswoman for NHS South West, said: "The results this year clearly show that, aside from very few areas, patients in the South West can receive very good care, treatment and services."

GWAS said it recognised the need to improve and claimed its new management team, which includes troubleshooter Anthony Marsh, will ensure the ratings rise next year.

Chairman Tony FitzSimons said: "As a service we are committed to delivering the highest standards of patient care and meeting national targets."

And Peter Hill, of the RNHRD which slipped two places from "excellent" to "fair", said: "The trust is in a challenging financial position, but it is one that we are confident of managing and we are heading in the right direction."