- Ambulance service
E-Zec Medical Wellington
Assessment report published 8 December 2025
Contents
Ratings - Patient transport services
Our view of the service
We assessed the service on 13 August 2025.
Data indicated people were being affected by the service falling short in several key performance targets relating to timeliness, and there was an increased risk that people could be harmed due to avoidable delays, which risked compromising the continuity and consistency of care. As a result of stakeholder concerns, the service was actively working on improvement actions in collaboration with the ICB, the trust, and NHS England. However, these actions had not yet resulted in the desired improvement.
Staff received regular appraisals, but some said they did not receive regular one-to-one conversations and did not feel supported by management. Several staff reported feeling unable to speak in confidence, with concerns raised about the handling of personal information, and some described instances where staff members were spoken to in an inappropriate and disrespectful manner.
While the provider’s assessment showed there was enough staff to cover their contractual agreement, several staff we spoke with felt staffing levels were not adequate for the workload. Several staff felt pressured by the workload and found it difficult to take adequate breaks. However, there was a range of wellbeing initiatives available to support staff. Staff received the right amount of training to undertake their roles.
There were processes for information to be shared with staff, and staff representatives were also present at team meetings. However, some staff did not feel information, including learning from incidents, was adequately communicated to them.
Patients were involved in their initial assessments, and their needs and preferences were considered during the booking process. Staff knew how to perform risk assessments before undertaking a journey, how to raise concerns and report incidents.
Staff treated people with compassion and kindness and respected their privacy and dignity. The service made every effort to take people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, including when on an end-of-life pathway.
The service listened to patient feedback and responded to complaints.
The ambulance base was clean, tidy and secure. The vehicles we checked were clean and in good condition.
We found breaches of regulations in relation to Safe Care and Treatment, and Good Governance.
People's experience of this service
During the assessment, we could not speak to people who used the service. However, we saw examples of how patients’ needs were considered in the booking process, for instance if they suffered with pain or anxiety, if they had specific mobility needs, or if they had to get home for a certain time for childcare purposes.
People were able to give feedback, for example by speaking to staff after their journey, or via patient experience surveys. We saw evidence that people felt they were treated with dignity and respect and were happy with their experience whilst in the ambulance.
The service had attempted to introduce a patient forum that would allow them to discuss patient issues and barriers to access. This had to date been unsuccessful, but managers were working with the ICB to join an existing forum.