- Ambulance service
Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly – Plymouth
Assessment report published 24 June 2026
Contents
Ratings - Patient transport services
Our view of the service
The assessment was carried out on 3 March 2026
We carried out this assessment in line with our routine assessment priorities. We assessed 33 quality statements for the 5 key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
This is the first assessment of the location, which was registered on 27 March 2025. At this assessment we rated the service as good.
This independent ambulance service provides non-urgent patient transport services for people of all ages and undertakes contract work for the NHS in Cornwall and across the country for patients with a Cornish GP. The provider did not transport patients detained under the Mental Health Act. Health Transportation UK Limited are the only commissioned patient transport service in Cornwall and commissioned directly by the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The service was not 24 hours a day but functioned from 5am to midnight. The service had 9 ambulances and a car. The service performed, on average, 200 – 230 transfers a day. The work was mostly impromptu such as hospital discharges. Some work was planned such as for dialysis patients. Any conveyances which required a paramedic crew were contracted out to other providers.
Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity. People were treated as individuals and staff supported people to make decisions about their care. The service had systems and processes to deliver good care and keep people safe. Staff were skilled and understood their responsibilities to care for people. Staff felt able to speak-up and raise concerns. The service had systems and processes to identify risks to people. Leaders and staff had a clear purpose of delivering high quality care.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to 9 patients who had used the service. Patients were positive about the staff treating them with warmth and kindness and providing effective care and support. Patients with protected characteristics felt respected and supported. Patients told us, “They always look after me,” “I feel safe” and “I enjoy my trips on the ambulance as its nice talking to the others” and “cannot fault service”.