Ability Transport Limited HQ

Updated 30 January 2017

Ability Transport Ltd. was established in 2009 and is based in Dorset, offering a patient transport service (PTS) for non-emergency patient transfer. The bulk of the service consists of admissions and transfers to and from hospitals and patients’ homes on behalf of a large local NHS ambulance trust. Ability Transport Ltd. undertakes similar work for social services, and clinical commissioners in Dorset, which includes journeys to and from care homes as well as repatriation journeys nationally. The service covers a mix of urban and rural areas including the coastal towns of Bournemouth and Poole, cities such as Southampton, Winchester and Salisbury and the local county town of Dorchester.

We inspected, but have not rated, all elements of the five key questions including whether the service was safe, effective, responsive, caring and well led. We inspected the ambulance station in Poole and visited local hospitals to speak to staff and patients about the service.

Updated 30 January 2017

This report describes our judgement of the quality of care at this ambulance location. It is based on a combination of what we found when we inspected, other information known to CQC and information given to us from patients, the public and other organisations.

Ability Transport Ltd was established in 2009 to provide patient transport services.

The service provides patient transport for a local Ambulance NHS Trust, other non-emergency patient transport providers, social services, private hospitals, nursing/care homes, NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) GP Surgeries and with patients’ who book directly.

This inspection was a scheduled inspection carried out as part of our routine schedule of inspections. The inspection was an announced inspection and took place on 26 September 2016.

We do not currently have a legal duty to rate independent ambulance services but we highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• The service had a system in place for reporting and recording incidents. However, the provider did not have a robust system in place to ensure all incidents were recorded and monitored.
• Vehicles and equipment were well maintained and fit for purpose.
• The crew members had the skills to carry out their roles effectively.
• During the inspection, we observed that communication between crews and patients and clinical staff, was of a caring and compassionate nature.
• The service coordinated well with the local NHS ambulance provider to meet patients’ needs.
• The patients and hospital staff we spoke with gave consistently positive feedback about Ability Transport crews.
• The service utilised its vehicles and resources effectively to meet patients’ needs
• The crew were positive about the support from the managing director and enjoyed working for the service.

However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:

The location must:

• Introduce a mechanism for sharing learning and feedback with all staff following incidents, complaints and patient feedback to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
• Ensure crews consistently adhere to high standards of infection prevention
• Ensure crews are fully able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding processes.
• Put governance processes and quality assurance measures in place to provide effective oversightof all aspects of the service.

In addition the location should ensure:

• Crews consistently follow the organisation’s policy for daily vehicle checking.
• Crews consistently follow infection control procedures. Equipment should be cleaned between each patient.
• They develop systems to measure and audit the quality and performance of the service.
• All crews address patients in a manner that demonstrates professional courtesy.
• They make external translation services available to patients who do not speak English as their first language.
• There are ongoing formal opportunities for staff to meet as a collective team to contribute to the overall governance of the service.
• Systems are in place to share key information with staff in a timely manner.
• The risk register reflects the risks identified within the service.
• They develop a policy that addresses risks associated with crews receiving driving convictions.

Professor Sir Mike Richards

Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 30 January 2017

Overall, we have not rated patient transport services at Ability Transport Ltd because we were not committed to rating independent providers of ambulance service at the time of this inspection.

We found that:

• The service had a system in place for reporting and recording incidents. However, the provider did not have a robust system in place to ensure all incidents were recorded and monitored.
• Crews did not receive feedback on incidents and systems were not in place to ensure learning from incidents and complaints took place.
• Vehicles and equipment were well maintained and fit for purpose.
• Crews did not consistently adhere to high standards of infection prevention.
• Crews members were not always able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding processes.
• Crews had the skills to carry out their roles effectively.
• During the inspection, we observed that communication between crews and patients and clinical staff, was of a caring and compassionate nature.
• The service coordinated well with the local NHS ambulance provider to meet patients’ needs.
• The patients hospital staff we spoke with gave consistently positive feedback about Ability Transport crews.
• The service utilised its vehicles and resources effectively to meet patients’ needs.
• Staff were positive about the support from the managing director and enjoyed working for the service.