UNIT 2C is operated by Medics24 Limited. UNIT 2C provide support to event organisers, in need of event medical cover. Events include football matches, triathlons and horseracing. UNIT 2C supply rapid response vehicles crewed by paramedics, emergency medical technicians and assistant medics.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 19 October 2017, along with an unannounced visit to the site on 26 October 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.

The main service provided by Medics24 Limited was first aid and medical cover for events. Events are not within our scope of regulation and we do not inspect events. However, at some events, the service provided emergency transport. Emergency patient transfers fall into our scope of regulation and thus require inspection. Within the last year, the provider had had to transfer five patients via ambulance, from an events site to a local emergency department. We inspected this service under our urgent and emergency care framework.

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:

• There was a clear ethos of patient safety and delivering a high standard of medical care.

• Records were completed appropriately and stored securely.

• The vehicles and all areas of the service we inspected were visibly clean, well-organised, and in line with infection control policies and procedures.

• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• Policies and procedures were based on best practice, legislation and relevant national guidance and were easily accessible by staff.

• There was evidence of effective oversight and management while the service continued to grow and develop.

• All staff had completed advanced life support (ALS) or immediate life support (ILS) training and this was checked yearly by the registered manager.

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

• Upon reviewing medical gases, we found two oxygen cylinders that had expired and a cylinder of medical nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture that had no expiry date.

• Risks were not formally recorded on the service risk register. On our unannounced visit, we found three risks had been added to the risk register.

• The service did not provide staff with translation support.

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.

Heidi Smoult

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