Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 2019
Outdoor Medical Solutions Limited is operated by Outdoor Medical Solutions Limited. It is an independent ambulance service based in Lydney, Gloucestershire. The service primarily serves the community of Gloucestershire but also works for other providers in England and Wales.
The service provides non-emergency patient transport. The service also provides medical cover for events, such as motor racing, festivals and film sets, which we do not regulate. However, the service did provide emergency and urgent care (between 15 and 20 journeys per year) when patients were transported from events to urgent or emergency care providers such as minor injury units.
The service also carried out transfers between hospitals and between hospital and home where some patients required skills and competencies above that of basic first aid.
The service began trading in March 2010 as a provider of event medical cover to film sets based in Wales. In 2012 they began to provide patient transport support to the NHS in Wales and extended this into England, so requiring CQC registration. They acquired premises at Tetbury in Gloucestershire and a registered manager was appointed in December 2013.
In April 2016 the service relocated to support the further expansion of services and acquired an office, training suite and vehicle garage at Aylburton Business Centre in Lydney Gloucestershire. They began trading from there in July 2016.
Updated
15 November 2019
Outdoor Medical Solutions Limited is operated by Outdoor Medical Solutions Limited. The service provides a patient transport service.
We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the inspection on 1 August 2019.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led?
Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The main service provided by this service was patient transport services. Where our findings on urgent and emergency care services – for example, management arrangements – also apply to other services, we do not repeat the information but cross-refer to the patient transport service core service.
Our rating of this service improved. We rated it as good overall.
The provider had made good improvements since the last inspection. We found governance arrangements, systems and processes functioned effectively. Policies and procedures had been reviewed and updated.
The provider was able to demonstrate that staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment. There was an effective process to monitor mandatory and statutory and other staff training. Arrangements for appraising, supporting and manging staff performance had improved, with a calendar of annual appraisals.
The service had suitable premises and vehicles and looked after them well.
Staff completed and updated risk assessments for each patient. They kept clear records.
Nigel Acheson
Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London and South), on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals
Patient transport services
Updated
15 November 2019
The service provides a patient transport service, commissioned by and on behalf of NHS and independent ambulance services, NHS hospital trusts and primary care providers. This includes some high-dependency transfers, where a paramedic is required.
Emergency and urgent care
Updated
15 November 2019
The main service provided was non-emergency patient transport services. Where arrangements were the same, we have reported findings in the non-emergency patient transport services section.
The service provided medical cover for events such as motor racing, festivals and film sets, which we do not regulate. However, the service provided or intended to provide emergency and urgent care when patients were transported from events, festivals and film sets to urgent or emergency care providers, for example minor injury and illness units. The service also carried out transfers between hospitals and between hospital and home where the patient sometimes required skills and competencies above that of basic first aid.