Oxfordshire's ambulance service will not be merged with others in the south east, the Department of Health has decided.

But Oxfordshire Ambulance Trust chief executive John Nichols has warned that the service still needs to reorganise and modernise.

The Government had considered forming one large trust to cover Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

But it has now dropped the scheme following negative feedback during public consultation.

Mr Nichols said the trust had neutral feelings about the decision, but believed that the NHS as a whole would have to keep evolving to adapt to changes in society.

He said: "We need to have another think particularly about the reorganisation of ambulance services.

"I think it should be recognised by the NHS as a whole that we can't stand still.

"We do need to change and modernise in order to provide the level of health care expected by us. The dinosaurs didn't evolve and they went extinct."

News that the ambulance trust would not be merging with neighbouring organisations was announced yesterday by health minister Hazel Blears.

Oxfordshire Community Health Council celebrated the decision.

Members had attacked the plans, claiming it was not necessary to improve patient care.

CHC chief officer Linda Watson said: "We couldn't see why the improvements couldn't be made without merging the trusts.

"We told them that they could improve without reorganising.

"We are very happy with the result."