THE woman charged with turning around Hampshire's beleaguered ambulance service steps into her new role today.

Claire Severgnini was recruited for the £70,000 a year top job at Hampshire Ambulance NHS Trust after chief exec Richard Mawson suddenly quit.

Ambulance bosses moved quickly yesterday to find a replacement after Mr Mawson, 46, announced his

sudden resignation at a trust meeting on Tuesday.

NHS Direct leader Mrs Severgnini, in her 30s, was picked to stand in for a year while board members search for a permanent replacement.

She'll be responsible for a £17m budget, 630 staff and 120 emergency vehicles.

She'll also have to co-ordinate responses to about 125,000 emergency 999 calls every year.

Mrs Severgnini's biggest challenge will be turning around a service which earlier this year was branded one of the worst in the country.

In a report, independent watchdogs pointed the finger at low staff morale, poor working conditions and weak communication between management and staff.

The trust has been dogged by staffing problems for years and has struggled to meet government target times for getting an ambulance to critically ill patients.

During Mr Mawson's 11 years at the helm, he came under increasing pressure to shake up a failing service and, in February this year, union leaders started calling for him to stand down.

He did so this week, citing personal reasons.

Now union leaders say his replacement has the tough challenge of revitalising a struggling service.

Hampshire Unison spokesman, Keith Sizer, who represents a large portion of the area's ambulance workers, said: "I think Claire will be very good at the job. I have known her very well for a number of years. She's very focused and I think she will be visible to the staff. I think she will get out to stations and meet the paramedics. Claire is hands-on. She's a good manager. You can talk to her and she will listen."

Mrs Severgnini, who has two children, joined the NHS trust in October 1993 as a personnel and training manager and acting director of human resources.

She was put in charge of the medical Internet and phone service, NHS Direct, in March 1999.

Sarah Murray, chairman of the Hampshire Amb-ulance NHS Trust, yesterday expressed regret at losing Mr Mawson and said she was "delighted to welcome Claire as acting chief executive".