ERS Medical West Midlands

Updated 13 February 2023

ERS Medical West Midlands is operated by ERS Transition Limited, it is an independent ambulance service providing non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) and a high dependency patient transport service. The service transported both adults and children. The service had a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered manager who had been in post since July 2022.

The main unit, including the control room operated in Stoke on Trent. The service also operates additional ambulance bases at locations in Stafford, Burntwood and Burton in Staffordshire.

The service is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Updated 13 February 2023

We carried out an inspection of ERS Medical West Midlands using our comprehensive methodology on the 6 December 2022. Care Quality Commission had not previously inspected the service. We rated it as good overall because it was good in safe, caring, responsive and well led.

Our rating of this location was good. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and assessed patients’ food and drink requirements. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and supported them to make decisions about their care.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and we heard examples of staff being promoted. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. All staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• The service did not always meet agreed response times. However, the service had implemented an improvement plan and some key performance indicators had improved.
• Staff did not always feel respected, supported and valued by leaders. There appeared to be some disconnect between the operational road crew and the control room staff.
• There were no specific team meetings for all staff and leaders had paused staff ambassador meetings due to ambassadors leaving. However, the registered manager hoped these meetings would resume shortly as leaders had recruited new ambassadors.
• Not all staff had received a yearly performance development plan, although managers were working towards this and had made some good progress.
• Responsibilities such as who was responsible for discharging duty of candour was not explicit between third party providers.

Updated 13 February 2023

We rated it as good overall. See overall summary above for details.