Inter-County Paramedic Ltd

We rated it as good because:

• 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. Staff controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service learned lessons from issues. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• The service promoted using best practice clinical interventions to support better patient outcomes over and above what was required for the service. Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients pain relief when they needed it. Managers made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, 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, and helped them understand their conditions. 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 treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. 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 with staff and stakeholders to plan and manage services. The service demonstrated innovative practice supported by skilled clinicians.
• The service demonstrated aspects of outstanding practice when adopting advanced ways of managing trauma patients.

However:

• Not all patient records were fully secured at the time of our visit.
• Patient record forms reviewed were not always completed fully for the patient consent section or handover to NHS staff section.
• The service used third party providers and used CQC registration and ratings to select these. However, the service did not routinely document all due diligence checks.
• The service did not document certain governance processes such as clinical governance meetings; or ongoing checks of Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) registrations for paramedics.
• Two provider policies had not been reviewed for some time.