Updated
24 August 2026
Date of assessment 30 September and 1 October 2025.
UCS Medical is an independent ambulance service based in St. Helens who provide private Patient Transport Services (PTS) and Emergency and Urgent Care services (EUC).
They also provided event medical cover across the UK, medical repatriation services and secure mental health transfers.
The events work described on the provider’s website, such as attendance at music festivals, was not within the scope of this assessment as the Care Quality Commission does not have the legal power to regulate this part of the service. However, when ambulance crews assessed, treated, and cared for patients at an event, the transfer of that patient was within scope. If a patient needed to be taken to an accident and emergency department using blue lights, or if they were discharged from the service at the scene, these transfers were regulated by CQC.
The service did not have a contract with an NHS provider to provide PTS or EUC services.
We rated the service as inadequate and found the service was in breach of 3 regulations safe care and treatment, governance and fit and proper persons employed.
In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.
Emergency and urgent care
Updated
15 July 2025
Date of assessment 30 September and 1 October 2025.
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive assessment of Emergency and Urgent Care (EUC) at UCS Medical as a result of information of concern received. We substantiated the information of concern at this assessment.
In the previous 12 months the service had not undertaken any EUC services for patients. The service did not have a contract with an NHS provider to provide EUC services. However, the registered manager told us that the service was available for any EUC requests that came in.
The provider had the same arrangements for the governance of the service, vehicles and vehicle management, staff training, staffing, infection prevention and control, and medicines management for both PTS and EUC services. Therefore we have used PTS evidence to inform our assessment and report findings.
The service also offered to provide medical repatriation of patients for insurance purposes. The Care Quality Commission does not have the legal power to regulate this part of the service as it is not in scope of regulation.
We rated the service as inadequate and found the service was in breach of 3 regulations safe care and treatment, governance and fit and proper persons employed.
In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.
Patient transport services
Updated
15 July 2025
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive assessment of Patient Transport Services (PTS) at UCS Medical as a result of information of concern received. We substantiated the information of concern at this assessment.
PTS services were non‑urgent and non‑specialist and involved moving patients between hospitals, their homes, and other locations. Examples included journeys from home to a care home, home to respite care, and hospital to home.
In 2025, UCS Medical completed 2,570 patient transport journeys, including for children and people receiving end of life care. The service also completed 40 secure mental health transfers.
We rated the service as inadequate and found the service was in breach of 3 regulations safe care and treatment, governance and fit and proper persons employed.
In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.