- Ambulance service
Medical Response Services
Report from 7 August 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Patient transport services
Our view of the service
Medical Response Service is an independent ambulance provider which undertakes non-emergency patient transport journeys for patients aged 18 and above who are eligible for NHS funding and being discharged from an NHS trust. In addition, ad-hoc private patient transportation is also undertaken on a one-to-one basis. The service employs 40 members of staff, of whom the majority are ambulance care assistants. At the time of our inspection, the fleet consisted of 16 vehicles. All vehicles are for patient transport, including a specialist bariatric ambulance, and a recovery vehicle. At the time of inspection four NHS contracts were in place, with an extra crew on standby for ad hoc or emergency cover. The service was previously inspected and rated as good in April 2022. We commenced a focused assessment comprising of 8 quality statements across the safe, effective, responsive and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection to give the rating. The inspection was short noticed announced (less than 24 hours). During the inspection we spoke to staff and leaders in the service, viewed policies and procedures, we inspected the vehicles and ambulance base, reviewed staff files, training records and other documents relating to the service. We also spoke to people who have used the service. There was a good safety culture where events were investigated, and learning was embedded to promote good practice. Staff felt supported by leaders. Staff had training relevant to their roles and there was a process in place to ensure mandatory training was completed. Staff were well presented and professional, ambulances and the ambulance base were visibly clean and tidy.
People's experience of this service
People we spoke with were positive about the service provided, they found the staff to be compassionate and caring. People were able to provide feedback to the service through various means. People found the service clean and had no concerns about their safety while being transported. People found the skills and experience of staff were good with people’s needs being considered and met throughout. They found adequate resources were available with no concerns raised around any lack of staff of equipment.