Medicmart Ambulance Service

Updated 17 August 2022

Medicmart Ambulance Service was operated by Medicmart Ambulance Service Limited. The service opened in March 2017. It is an independent ambulance service in Cambridgeshire. The service primarily serves the communities of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. The service also provides services at events.

The service has had a registered manager in post since 2017.

We last inspected the service on 5 and 14 October 2021. Following the inspection, we issued a Warning Notice which detailed the actions the service must take to improve. Following this inspection, we found the service had taken sufficient action to meet the requirements.

Updated 17 August 2022

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

Not all staff competed mandatory training.

The service did not keep equipment and vehicles visibly clean and the maintenance of equipment did not always keep people safe.

The service did not always use systems and processes to safely administer and store medicines.

Managers did not appraise staff’s work performance and did not hold supervision meetings with them to provide support and development.

The service had a mission statement for what it wanted to achieve but no coordinated strategy or vision.

Leaders did not operate effective governance processes throughout the service. Systems for monitoring the effectiveness of care and treatment were not fully embedded.

Leaders and teams did not use systems to manage performance effectively or identify and escalate relevant risks and issues to reduce their impact.

Leaders had no engagement strategy for staff.

However:

Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse.

Staff assessed and managed risks to patients and themselves well and the service had enough staff to provide services.

Staff kept detailed records of patients’ care and treatment. Records were clear, up to date, stored securely and easily available to all staff providing care

The service managed patient safety incidents well. Staff recognised incidents and near misses and reported them appropriately.

The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance.

Staff assessed patients’ food and drink requirements to meet their needs and provided pain relief where appropriate based on their competency and skills level.

The service planned and provided care in a way that met the needs of local people and the communities served.

The service was inclusive to take account of patients’ individual needs and preferences.

People could access the service when they needed it and received the right care in a timely way.

It was easy for people to give feedback and raise concerns about care received.

Leaders were visible in the service for staff and patients.

Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care.

Updated 22 November 2021

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

Not all staff competed mandatory training.

The service did not keep equipment and vehicles visibly clean and the maintenance of equipment did not always keep people safe.

The service did not always use systems and processes to safely administer and store medicines.

Managers did not always appraise staff’s work performance.

The service had a mission statement for what it wanted to achieve but no coordinated strategy or vision.

Leaders did not operate effective governance processes and had no engagement strategy for staff.

However:

Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse. They assessed and managed risks and the service had enough staff to provide services.

Staff kept detailed records of patients’ care and treatment.

Staff offered food and drink to meet patient needs and pain relief where appropriate.

People could access the service when they needed it, received the right care in a timely way and it was easy for people to give feedback and raise concerns.

Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care