Ambulance service rated ‘Good’ in CQC inspection

The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) has been rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the second time in a row.

The inspection, which took place in February 2020, resulted in an overall rating of ‘Good’ for both of the NWAS services inspected: ‘urgent and emergency care’, which is the paramedic emergency service, and ‘emergency operations centres’ (EOC), which is where 999 calls are handled. An ‘outstanding’ rating was given for the ‘responsiveness’ element of the inspection of ‘urgent and emergency care’.

In the findings report, inspectors praised innovative ways of working with other healthcare services and highlighted how the trust promotes equality, taking a pro-active approach to caring for patient’s individual needs.

Inspectors recognised the care, compassion and emotional support staff gave to patients as well as the respect and privacy they demonstrated. 

Multi-agency schemes and a collaborative approach with partner organisations were recognised as outstanding practice. An example is the dedicated falls service which runs in Burnley and sees a paramedic working together with an occupational therapist to provide practical support to patients who have fallen in the home. Another scheme in Blackpool was also highlighted, where the ambulance service works with police colleagues to provide a dedicated mental health response, as well as the work that takes place to support frequent users of the service.

The CQC identified staff compliance against mandatory training and appraisals targets as areas for the trust to improve as well as continued improvement of response times. 

 

 

Chief Executive Daren Mochrie said: “I am delighted to receive a ‘good’ rating from Care Quality Commission once again and thank the inspection team for their positive feedback which I feel reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and the way we deliver services for patients.

“Our staff are a shining example of the NHS and I am thrilled that they have been recognised for their care and compassion as this is something we are particularly proud of here at NWAS.

“We welcome the ‘outstanding’ rating for responsiveness in urgent and emergency care, with inspectors praising our equality and diversity as well as collaborative working with partner agencies.

“The inspection took place at the start of the coronavirus pandemic at a time that we were experiencing extremely high demand, averaging around 5,000 emergency calls per day, which makes these positive comments all the more significant.

“There is still work to be done and the report has highlighted improvement points which we will focus on going forward. We are committed to our vision to be the best ambulance service in the country and will continue to work hard to get there.”

The apprenticeship programme for emergency medical dispatchers was also praised, as well as the team of community specialist paramedics who are actively engaged with local services working together to provide an innovative approach to care.

The full report is available here:

• www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RX7