QE Facilities Patient Transport

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• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes

We looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs. We looked for evidence that people and communities were always at the centre of how care was planned and delivered. We checked that the health and care needs of people and communities were understood, and they were actively involved in planning care that met these needs. We also looked for evidence that people could access care in ways that met their personal circumstances and protected equality characteristics.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

We have not awarded this service a score for Responsive.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Responsive.

We make sure people are at the centre of their care and treatment choices and we decide, in partnership with them, how to respond to any relevant changes in their needs.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Staff were focussed on providing a service which considered individual needs and preferences. Staff were responsive to the needs of individual patients and made decisions on the relevance of individuals’ care and treatment. Supporting the needs and preferences of patients during transport was the priority for the service.

Patient feedback demonstrated overwhelming satisfaction with the safety and support given while being transported. Further comments were received from patients such as ‘professional as always’, ‘escort…happy with how we respected her mother’ and ‘appreciated being understood with blindness.’ Positive feedback was also provided on the journey itself, vehicles used and that patients would recommend the service.

The service provided consistent delivery with all risks minimised through written controls and procedures. The service was committed to high levels of care, treatment, respect and wellbeing for all users of the services it provided.

We understand the diverse health and care needs of people and our local communities, so care is joined-up, flexible and supports choice and continuity.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Health and care needs of patients were understood by the service. Staff were trained to support patients with diverse health and care needs. Care and treatment was provided flexibly and supported the patient’s choice.

Patients were booked through the discharge lounge with the service and further information on specific needs was provided by wards. Patient’s carers and escorts were able to travel with the patient to provide an escort if needed for medical reasons, anxiety, their condition or frailty.

Patients were asked about their mobility needs so the vehicle had the right support available. Crews ensured the correct equipment for transport of the patient was available. All feedback showed patients had a positive experience of using the service and felt well supported.

We provide appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that we tailor to individual needs.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The service accessed the host trust interpreting and translation service detailed in trust policy. This aimed to ensure ‘…that everyone whose first language is other than spoken English receives the support and information they need to communicate with healthcare staff and to access health services.’ This also enabled access to British sign language.

The policy outlined processes for the booking of interpreters in advance where a need is identified, but also at short notice in an emergency or out-of-hours. This allowed patients to make informed decisions about their care and treatment,

The service had a ’do not attempt resuscitation’ (DNAR) standard operating procedure in place, ensuring a valid and original DNAR was kept with the patient at all times.

Pictorial communication boards were used by the service to identify how a patient was feeling during their journey, whether they were hot or cold, needed their bag or walking aids, for example.

Listening to and involving people

We make it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. We involve them in decisions about their care and tell them what’s changed as a result.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The service had developed a feedback system which had been used effectively by patients, carers and escorts of patients. This included the facility to make a complaints and suggestions for improvements and learning.

Although the service and host trust had comprehensive processes in place, no complaints from patients or their families, carers and escorts had been received in the last twelve months. As a result, no learning arising directly from complaints had been identified and actioned.

Feedback methods were well established within the service for each journey the service received. Feedback was continuously monitored proactively points and the service was committed to maintaining standards of care and safety for patients.

We make sure that everyone can access the care, support and treatment they need when they need it.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service made sure that people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The service had developed eligibility criteria for the acceptance of patients for transport. Criteria stated a transport would be provided if ‘… a medical need has been established and patient is declared fit for discharge.’ This also records mobility, assistance, wheelchair, stretcher, dependency, and mental health needs.

Should a patient not meet the initial eligibility criteria, the patient is assessed against full mobility, availability of alternative arrangements (transport by a relative or carer), public transport or taxi.

All reasonable adjustments were met for patients on an individual basis, for example walking aids, communication needs.

We actively seek out and listen to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. We tailor the care, support and treatment in response to this.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff worked closely together to provide a service which met the needs of patients discharged from the host hospital. Feedback showed they listened to patients and that they responded in a positive and active way.

The service responded to everyone regardless of their cultural background and we saw positive feedback from patients which reflected the way the service responded to needs of the local community and to patients who needed the service.

The views and feedback of patients encouraged and staff had received training in equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights. Policies ensured patients with protected characteristics were treated in a fair and consistent way and were not disadvantaged.

The service transported all patients consistent with stated eligibility criteria.