The Care Quality Commission
  • Ambulance service

Archived: UK Event Medical Services Limited Sheffield

Unit 22, 10 Jessell Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S9 3HY (0114) 244 9417

Provided and run by:
UK Event Medical Services Limited

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

16 May 2018

During a routine inspection

UK Event Medical Services Limited Sheffield is operated by UK Event Medical Services Limited. The company provides emergency and urgent care and a patient transport service. They also provide medical cover at public and private events. We did not inspect this part of the service as it is not currently a regulated activity.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 16 May 2018.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led?

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main service provided was patient transport services. Emergency and urgent services were a small proportion of activity; therefore we have reported our findings in relation to the urgent and emergency services in the patient transport services section.

Services we do not rate

We regulate independent ambulance 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:

  • Staff were committed to providing the best quality care to patients. Staff displayed a caring and compassionate attitude and took pride in the service they were providing.

  • Staff checked patients’ requirements prior to transporting them to ensure they were able to meet their needs.

  • Staff followed evidence-based care and treatment and nationally recognised best practice guidance.

  • The management team had taken action to improve governance and risk management systems within the past six months.

  • There were effective policies and procedures for safeguarding issues to be identified and referred for investigation by relevant, external organisations.

  • There were effective systems for reporting and investigating incidents; the provider learnt from incident investigations, for example, by making changes to equipment or care protocols.

  • Vehicles and stations were visibly clean and tidy, with evidence of regular deep cleaning of vehicles.

  • Relevant background checks had been carried out during recruitment processes. This included, for example, a full Disclosure and Barring Service and a driving licence check.

  • We observed good multidisciplinary working between crews and other NHS staff when moving patients.

  • The management team worked with local NHS providers to supply services which met the needs of local people.

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

  • Our review of patient record forms on GP urgent care journeys found that the records were not always complete; the records did not always indicate what actions staff had taken to mitigate identified risks.

  • Some systems for identifiying and disposing of out-of-date stock and sharps waste, had not been fully implemented.

  • Some staff were not able to recall the information provided to them as part of a training programme. For example, not all staff could recall having had training in the Duty of candour.

  • The systems for storing medicines needed to be reviewed to confirm that medicines were kept safely at all times.

  • The provider did not currently check that all relevant staff had been immunised with selected vaccines, such as Hepatitis B, which may be appropriate for their role.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it should make improvements, even though a regulation had not been breached, to help the service improve.

Ellen Armistead

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals, on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

24 February 2014

During an inspection looking at part of the service

This inspection included checking that improvements had been made to the systems and processes in place to manage cleanliness and the prevention and control of infection and the training, supervision and appraisal of staff as the provider was non compliant following our inspection on 22 July 2013.

During our inspection visit we found that patients and staff were protected by the operation of systems designed to prevent and control the spread of health care associated infection, including the maintenance of appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene relating to the premise being occupied for the purpose of carrying on the regulated activity.

Suitable arrangements were in place in order to ensure that staff employed for the purposes of the carrying on of the regulated activity had received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal.

We also looked at the management of medicines and recruitment at the service because of some concerning information we had received.

Patients were given medicines when they needed them, by staff authorised to administer those medicines.

Recruitment processes were in place to ensure that staff who were worked for the service were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

22 July 2013

During a routine inspection

This inspection including checking that improvements had been made to the recruitment of workers as the provider was non compliant following our inspection on 22 January 2013. We found that the provider was now compliant, because they had obtained all the necessary recruitment checks before staff had commenced work.

We did not have an opportunity to meet and speak with patients who had used the service during this inspection. We did observe the care and support provided.

We found that ambulance staff involved patients with the support they were giving, which meant patients did consent to the support provided. Systems were in place for patients that did not have the capacity to consent.

Patients received safe and appropriate care that met their needs. For example, we found that staff ensured wheelchairs were secure in the ambulance vehicle.

Patients and staff were not protected by the operation of systems designed to prevent and control the spread of health care associated infection, including the maintenance of appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene relating to the premise being occupied for the purpose of carrying on the regulated activity.

Suitable arrangements were not in place in order to ensure that staff employed for the purposes of the carrying on of the regulated activity had received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal.

22 January 2013

During a routine inspection

Patient’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected. Patient’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. One relative commented, “thank staff that helped us at last Saturdays match. My mother was taken ill and collapsed. The action taken in the North Stand first aid room was exemplary and I wish to express my thanks to all for the care given at the time.”

Patients who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

The provider had not received all necessary recruitment checks before staff commenced work and did not have a satisfactory written explanation of any gaps in employment.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. Patients comments included, “friendly staff”, “respectful to patients”, “back safely”, “take good care”, “very helpful”, “excellent staff”, “cheerful crew” and “perfect journey.”