Echo HQ

Ratings - Patient transport services

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Date of assessment: 13 and 14 April 2026.

We undertook an unannounced assessment of Emergency and Urgent Care and Patient Transport Services at Echo HQ due to information of concern received. The assessment found that the service to be good across all five domains.

Echo HQ are an independent ambulance service providing a whole range of medical and fire services including emergency and urgent care (EUC), and urgent/non-emergency patient transport services (PTS) including high dependency transfers. The provider Echo Fire and Medical Limited provide ambulance services and treatment of illness or injury across the UK. Echo Fire and Medical Ltd operate its services from an ambulance base in Sheffield.

The provider is registered to provide the regulated activities of transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely as well as treatment of disease, disorder, or injury. The provider has had a registered manager (RM) in post since July 2019.

This comprehensive assessment was the first assessment of the service since February 2023. At the last inspection the service was overall rated good.

People's experience of this service

We reviewed feedback from people who had used the service and local NHS trusts, including the local ambulance trust.

Positive feedback was given by those using the service, their relatives and staff at services where users were transported and handed over.