All inspections: Medicmart Ambulance Service

Inspected but not rated

The service had a vision and values in place, but staff did not always model behaviours in line with these values.
Not all members of the leadership team consistently modelled behaviours in line with the services values.
Not all staff had received an annual appraisal.
Governance processes were limited and not embedded throughout the service.

However:

The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent.
Most staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

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.

Medicmart Ambulance Service is operated by Medicmart Ambulance Service Limited. The service provides a patient transport service within Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 21 October 2019 and an unannounced follow inspection on the 11 November 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.

We rated this service as Requires improvement overall.

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records.

• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.

• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.

• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for transport.

• Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• Staff had access to training in key skills, but not everyone completed this.

• Managers had not completed all staff appraisals to ensure staff competencies were up to date.

• Managers did not routinely audit the quality of the service or use quality reviews to drive improvement.

Following this inspection, we told the provider it should make other improvements to help the service improve.

Heidi Smoult

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals, on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Archived: Medicmart Ambulance Service

All Inspections

15 June 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

5 & 14 October 2021

During a routine inspection

30 October 2019 & 12 November 2019

During a routine inspection