Pro Medicus Limited is an independent ambulance service. The service provides patient transport for private patients or healthcare providers within Hertfordshire and surrounding area. We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an announced inspection on 5 December 2017.

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.

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:

• The service had processes and systems in place to keep patients and staff safe from avoidable harm. This included a process for reporting incidents and effective cleaning regimes.

• Medicines were stored appropriately and securely with only necessary staff being able to access them.

• Systems were in place to monitor the administration and disposal of medicines.

• Staff files were up-to-date and contained necessary documentation to ensure they were suitable for their role. A policy was in place regarding pre-employment checks and was being followed.

• Patient records had detailed risk assessments and were legible. Identifiable information was stored securely.

• Records were securely stored in locked cupboards.

• There was evidence of an induction process for new staff.

• Effective safeguarding adults and children procedures were in place and were understood by staff.

• There was a fire safety risk assessment for the premises and a policy that gave guidance for all staff in terms of managing fire safety on vehicles.

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

• Audits were not consistently undertaken and therefore learning did not take place from review of procedures and practice.

• The service had no risk register, which meant there was no system in place to demonstrate risks had been identified and actions taken to mitigate risks.

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 three requirement notices that affected the patient transport service. Details are at the end of the report.

Heidi Smoult

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (Central Region)

On behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals.