Ponders End Ambulance Station was operated by Emergency Medical Services (GB) Ltd. The service was based in Enfield, London. The main service provided was a patient transport service.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an announced inspection on 30 July 2018.

Services we do not rate

We regulate independent ambulance services and we currently have a legal duty to rate them. This inspection was carried out under our old methodology and the service has not been rated. 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:

• The management team worked well with the organisations it sub-contracted to and provided services, which met the needs of local people.
• The service had enough skilled staff to safely carry out patient transfers and ensured a minimum of two staff were allocated to each patient transfer. The staffing levels and skill mix of the staff met the patients’ needs.
• The ambulance and the ambulance station were visibly clean and systems were in place to ensure vehicles were well maintained.
• All equipment necessary to meet the various needs of patients was available.
• There were effective recruitment and systems such as providing to mandatory training to support staff.
• The service employed competent staff and ensured all staff were trained appropriately to undertake their roles. Staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Health Act (1983) and Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and were aware of their role and responsibilities.
• Staff demonstrated pride in their role and we observed where they had shown care and compassion when transporting patients. The provider sought to gain feedback from patients using a patient feedback form.
• The leadership of the service was open, approachable and inclusive and staff confirmed this.

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

• The service did not carry out infection control and hand hygiene audits to measure the quality and effectiveness of the service delivered.
• The service did not ensure all patient report forms were fully completed and stored securely.
• The service did not carry out a risk assessment for hazardous substances including cleaning products following Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidance.
• The service was not meeting the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) to ensure people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand.

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. Details are at the end of the report.

Amanda Stanford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London)