Archived: Amcare Limited

Updated 22 June 2017

Amcare was acquired in 2002. It operates Monday to Friday, with nurses located throughout England, working in specific geographical areas. The provider’s registered location is Sunderland, but nurses work in various locations across the country and are based from home.

The service consists of 12 registered nurses, and two registered managers.

The nominated individual had been in post since 2016, but has been an employee of the larger organisation since 2007.

Amcare have not been inspected previously.

The service is not commissioned but had several contracts in place to provide services in local NHS hospitals and private units.

Updated 22 June 2017

Amcare Limited (Amcare Group Nursing Services) are part of a larger global organisation. This organisation provide, manufacture, deliver and advise on ostomy (an opening in the body created through a surgical procedure for the discharge of body waste) and bowel care, wound therapeutics, continence, critical care and infusion devices and have prescription distribution facilities nationally.

Amcare Nursing Services are a small team of registered general nurses, based throughout England, providing urology support to adults and bowel support to adults and children living in their own homes.

Amcare Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of it's parent company.

We regulate independent community adult services but we do not currently have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• All staff we spoke with demonstrated a clear understanding of incident reporting processes and procedures.
• The provider had robust arrangements to ensure care and treatment was aligned to best practice and followed national guidelines.
• Nurses worked flexibly to ensure fluctuating referral numbers were managed appropriately.
• All patients we spoke with were positive about the provider.
• The provider proactively provided nurses with opportunities for further professional development.
• Patients received services, which were assessed according to their individual needs.
• Advice and support for patients was made available through the use of various technologies.
• All staff we spoke with were passionate about the services they delivered and felt proud to work for the organisation.
• Leaders were visible and promoted a positive, supportive culture. They could clearly articulate the values and business model of the organisation.

However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:

• Lessons learnt following clinical incidents were not readily accessible, however following our inspection a draft policy was submitted by the provider, which included a clear audit trail process following an incident.
• The provider did not offer training for nurses in relation to dementia care and learning disabilities.
• The provider did not formally record any patient outcome data. However, we saw plans to address this through the introduction of a new electronic recording system.

Updated 22 June 2017

At this inspection we found :

• Staff had a good understanding of the processes for incident reporting and there were arrangements in place to investigate serious incidents.
• Staff were fully able to describe duty of candour and we saw examples when this was applied.
• There were sufficient numbers of staff to deliver safe care and services.
• There was proactive commitment from the provider to supporting staff to be able to perform their roles safely.
• All patients we spoke with were positive about the provider.
• The provider maintained a robust risk assessment process, which reflected the challenges with the service.
• Advice and support for patients was made available through the use of various technologies.
• Patients and their families were encouraged to be involved in decision making about their end of life care needs
• All staff we spoke with were passionate about the services they delivered and felt proud to work for the organisation.
• Leaders were visible and promoted a positive supportive culture. They could clearly articulate the values and business model of the organisation.

However

• Lessons learnt following clinical incidents were not readily accessible, however following our inspection a draft policy was submitted by the provider, which included a clear audit trail process following an incident.
• The provider did not offer training for nurses in relation to dementia care and learning disabilities.
• The provider did not formally record any patient outcome data. However, we saw plans to address this through the introduction of a new electronic recording system.