Echo HQ

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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

This means 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.

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.

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 delivered person centred care by ensuring transport and clinical support were planned and adapted around each individual needs and preferences. PRFs reflected peoples physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, social and communication needs including those related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Staff had a clear understanding of the person before transport began.

Crews had access to all relevant information such as booking and discharge documentation. This helped staff confirm whether the patient’s current condition matched the initial booking information and identified any additional needs. Staff then adapted the transport plan if required.

Crews had access to special patient notes (SPNs), care plans and end of life documentation to ensure care aligned with people’s wishes and existing treatment plans.

When appropriate, crews involved the patient's family and friends in the decision-making process, providing emotional support and information.

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.

Crews worked effectively with emergency departments, urgent treatment centres (UTC), mental health teams and community services to ensure people received the right care at the right time.

Staff shared relevant clinical information during handovers to support safe and seamless transitions of care.

Crews considered alternative pathways to hospitals where safe, including referrals to local UTC, same day emergency care (SDEC) units and urgent community response (UCR) services. Data from 2025 showed that 4,026 patients were referred to alternative care pathways.

Operational information was routinely issued to crews to support safe and co-ordinated care across the wider healthcare system. Guidance on hospital diverts. hospital handover delayed admission and usual hospital destination rules ensured staff knew how to respond when hospitals were under pressure. The usual hospital destination agreement supported continuity of patients regularly cared for by a specific trust, reducing discharge, delays and improving patient flow.

Feedback from the NHS ambulance trust showed the provider was responsive to system requirements and worked effectively with the contracting trust. Crews engaged positively with the NHS ambulance trust requests for PRFs staff statements and operational information, supporting continuity of care and enabling the trust to complete investigations or audits.

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The service complied with NHS England’s accessible information standard. Staff ensured patients received information in formats they could understand. Staff used clear, simple and patient centred verbal communication and allowed additional time for conversations where people were identified with a communication need. Carers, family members and advocates were involved where appropriate to support.

The service had a range of practical measures to support accessible communication. Crews carried multilingual phrase books covering up to 81 languages enabling basic communication with non-English patient or those who were non-verbal. Staff had access to real time translation applications and telephone-based interpretation services.

PRFs included pictogram-based communication tools which enabled patients to indicate location of pain, severity of symptoms and overall illness severity. These tools supported patients with limited verbal and written communication, learning disabilities, autism, cognitive impairment or sensory difficulties.

Staff were trained to recognise and identify communication needs and use the tools provided. Communication awareness formed part of statutory and mandatory training and staff were expected to apply these principles to ensure care was patient centred.

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 a clear complaints, concern, comments and compliments policy which set out how people could raise concerns, the stages of the process and expected timescales for a response. The policy also signposted people to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if they were unhappy with the outcome.

Data showed the service received two complaints in the last 12 months, both of which were submitted via the NHS ambulance trust that subcontracted the provider.

Complaints received by the NHS ambulance trust were investigated and the provider engaged fully by obtaining staff statements, reviewing PRFs and contributing to trust findings. This ensured complaints were handled consistently and transparently across the wider system.

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The service was available 24 hours a day all year round and saw people regardless of residency status.

Equity in access to emergency care meant that all individuals, irrespective of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability, location, or any other characteristic, had the same opportunity to access timely and appropriate emergency healthcare services. This involved addressing barriers to access and ensuring fair treatment for all patients.

Ambulance vehicles were equipped with ramps, powered stretchers and securement systems to accommodate patients in wheelchairs and on stretchers. The service used specialist equipment such as high weight-bearing stretchers to ensure that bariatric patients could be safely and comfortably accommodated. This commitment to inclusive care helped ensure that all individuals, regardless of their physical needs, could access the service with dignity and safety.

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.

People using the service experienced fair and consistent care regardless of their background, communication needs or personal circumstances. Staff followed the NHS ambulance trust clinical pathways and protocols, which helped ensure people with similar needs received comparable assessments and treatment.

Staff were trained in equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights.