APMS Ambulance Service Limited is operated by APMS Ambulance Service Limited. The service provides a patient transport service (PTS).

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out our announced inspection on the 13 February 2018, along with a short notice announced inspection on the 21 February 2018.

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 is patient transport services. However, APMS Ambulance Service Limited also supplied paramedics, first responders, and first aiders to provide first aid cover at organised sporting and public events such as stock car racing, horse shows, and motorcycle speedway, amongst others.

Services we do not rate

We regulate independent ambulance services but we do not currently have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• Staff maintained vehicles and equipment to ensure they were visibly clean and fit for use.

• Staff complied with mandatory training requirements and the staff we spoke with during our inspection gave examples of additional training they received to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

• Staff maintained the ambulance station, office, and storage areas to ensure they were visibly clean and safe from any trip or fall hazards. Within the ambulance station, clear signage was in place warning staff of the dangers in relation to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) and other key health and safety issues.

• Staff we spoke with during our inspection described a positive working culture, with approachable managers and flexibility in their working hours.

However, we also found:

• The provider had no formal eligibility criteria to assist in the assessment of patients in order to minimise risk. An eligibility criteria enables the provider to identify which patients it can convey, and meet their needs. For example, bariatric (Morbidly Obese) patients, or patients with mental health needs, or patients that are self-funding their transport.

• We found some consumables within ambulances past the manufacturer’s recommended expiry date despite staff having completed checks on the ambulance prior to our inspection. This meant on occasion, staff did not complete equipment checks comprehensively in line with the provider’s requirements.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve.

Heidi Smoult

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