Archived: UK Emergency Medical Transport

Updated 31 October 2019

The service is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Although the service had been registered with the Care Quality Commission since May 2018, the service did not start patient transport journeys until October 2018.

The service sub-contracted for work to two external providers.

During the inspection, we visited the registered premises. We spoke with two staff, including; the registered manager. We did not speak to any patients, relatives or carers during the inspection. We reviewed 10 sets of patient records.

There were no special reviews or investigations of the service ongoing by the CQC at any time during the 12 months before this inspection. This was the service’s first inspection since registration with the CQC.

Activity:

• In the reporting period October 2018 to July 2019 there were 66 patient transport journeys undertaken.
• The service did not use controlled drugs.

Track record on safety for the period October 2018 to July 2019:

• No patients had absconded from the service since it commenced transporting patients
• No never events had been reported
• No serious injuries had been reported
• One low harm incident that had been resolved
• No complaints

A registered manager, a supervisor and three bank staff were employed in the service. The service had one privately owned ambulance and could hire the use of other ambulances if required from an external company.

Service Level Agreements:

• Hire of ambulances, including deep cleaning of all hired vehicles
• Storage of oxygen cylinders
• Storage facility for stock items
• Use of hot and cold water and electricity at external companies
• Waste disposal

Updated 31 October 2019

UK Emergency Medical Transport Ltd is operated by UK Emergency Medical Transport (UK EMT) Ltd. The service provides a patient transport service specialising in the transfer of mental health patients, including those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out a short-announced inspection on 20 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 mental health transport.

We rated it as Good overall.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• All staff had completed training that was required to undertake their roles safely. In addition, records indicated that staff were up to date with all mandatory training.
• Staff were trained in safeguarding adults and safeguarding children level two and level three. This was in line with the standards set out by the intercollegiate document, safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for healthcare staff (2019).
• Staff demonstrated an awareness of the need to protect the privacy and dignity of patients.
• The service monitored the maintenance and cleaning of ambulances and other equipment.
• The service had ambulances available to them that were suitable for patients requiring bariatric equipment.
• There was clear, visible leadership and structure. Processes were in place for recruitment and training.

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

• At the time of inspection, the service had not ensured that equipment stored on the privately-owned ambulance was in line with safety and manufacturers guidance. For example, the automated defibrillator had not been calibrated or serviced. Post-inspection we were provided evidence that all the equipment had been serviced and calibrated
• At the time of inspection, the service had a risk management policy in place, however, there was no risk register and therefore they could not assure us that they had oversight of their risks. Post-inspection we were provided with a risk register which identified individual risks with actions to mitigate them.
• The service had several policies that were not personal to the service and were not version controlled.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it must take some actions to comply with the regulations and that it should make other improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve. We also issued the provider with two requirement notices. Details are at the end of the report.

Name of signatory

Anne Ford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 31 October 2019

Patient transport services was the only service provided by UK Emergency Medical Transport Ltd and this was provided 24 hours per day, every day of the year. The service completed 66 patient transport journeys between October 2018 and July 2019. The service transported adult patients only. There were two substantive members of staff and three bank staff employed in the service.