Archived: British Red Cross Matlock

A variety of first aid services are provided from the location. However; only the ambulance service is regulated by the CQC. Some additional services share managerial, administrative and storage facilities with the ambulance service. Where other services are referred to in this report it will be due to these shared functions and not because they are regulated by the CQC.

People who used the service were asked for their consent before any treatment or advice was provided. Staff respected people's right to decline treatment and support.

People's needs were assessed and treatment and support was delivered in a way which met their needs.

Staff received training which assisted them to recognise and report incidents of abuse or suspected abuse. A member of staff said, "I have made referrals where I've been concerned about someone".

Vehicles and equipment were maintained to ensure their safety and availability.

Staff received appropriate training and support from their managers. A member of staff said, "I can go to any one of the management team if I have a query and there are out of hours numbers as well".

Records were completed accurately and in a timely manner. Confidential information was store securely and disposed of correctly when no longer required.

Four managers from the organisation including the registered manager provided information during our visit and helped with the inspection visit.

We saw that there were four vehicles at the Matlock location. There were two ambulances, and two 4x4 vehicles. The 4x4 vehicles were an advantage with the location being in the Peak District. They were better able to cope with the weather conditions found in the area, and also ideal for attending off road events such as horse shows and country fairs.

Ambulances were also supplied to East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) but not to operate as emergency ambulances (blue light response). We spoke with EMAS who told us that the 4x4 vehicles were particularly useful in the bad weather.

We spoke with three of the British Red Cross, Matlock's clients. We were told that all of the clients were very happy with the service they received. None of them had ever had to complain, and there was confidence in the staff and vehicles supplied.