Archived: Akcess Medical Control Centre

Updated 20 July 2018

Akcess Medical Control Centre is operated by Akcess Medical Limited. The service opened in 2015. It is an independent ambulance service based in Swindon, Wiltshire. The service primarily serves the communities within the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire area. The service has had the same registered manager in post since 2015.

Updated 20 July 2018

Akcess Medical Control Centre is operated by Akcess Medical Limited. The service provides a planned patient transport service within the Swindon, Bath and Gloucestershire area.

We initially inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology on 25 January 2018. During that inspection, we raised concerns about the safety of service users. Following the inspection, we took enforcement action, and issued a warning notice. Our concerns included: a lack of a governance assurance framework to provide an oversight of quality and safety, processes related to recruitment and selection, data protection, and staff training that was not sufficient to keep people safe.

In February 2018, the registered manager provided an action plan outlining the actions taken, and those planned to take, to improve the areas of concern we identified. On the basis of this, we carried out an unannounced focussed inspection on 2 May 2018. This inspection was focussed on the areas of concern reported in the warning notice and requirement notices.

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:

• Improved arrangements for the recording, reviewing and investigating of incidents had been implemented.
• Staff received mandatory training, including refresher training, within an appropriate timescale and with content appropriate to their role.
• A new recruitment and selection policy had been introduced to ensure suitability for employment.
• All staff received level 2 safeguarding training, with content that was appropriate to their role and responsibilities.
• The processes for sharing information regarding patients’ needs had been improved.
• Identifiable information was protected and managed appropriately.

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

• The processes for the management of medicines did not include processes for checking medicines were correctly transported, or consider the actions to be taken when handling controlled drugs.
• Vehicle checks were not always completed and the assurance system did not allow timely management of potential issues found with vehicles.
• Some staff employment files were disorganised and difficult to monitor.
• Staff did not have individual passwords when accessing patient identifiable data held by another provider, which meant there was no traceability of access.
• There were no performance metrics in place to measure the quality and safety of the service.

Amanda Stanford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (South), on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 20 July 2018

We do not rate patient transport services.

The service provided by Akcess Medical Control Centre was patient transport, which was planned through advanced booking.

During the inspection, we saw a number of improvements had been made in response to the breach identified in the warning notice, but there were further changes required to demonstrate compliance with Health and Social care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014.