UK Emergency Medical Transport Ambulance Service Limited

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked for evidence that there was an inclusive and positive culture of continuous learning and improvement that was based on meeting the needs of patients who used services and wider communities. We checked that leaders proactively supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that was safe, integrated, person-centred and sustainable, and to reduce inequalities.

This is the first assessment for this service since registration with CQC. This key question has been rated good. This meant patient’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

We have not awarded this service a score for Well-led.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Well-led.

The service had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of patients and their communities.

The registered manager told us they wanted to provide consistently safe, high-quality person centred compassionate care. They wanted patients to maintain dignity, choice and the best quality of life. There was a 5-year fleet replacement programme in place to alignment with the NHS ambulance contact framework.

Leaders promoted equality and diversity in daily work and provided opportunities for career development, for example a supervisor post had been created to support staff training and driver competency. The service had an open culture where patients, their families and carers as well as staff could raise concerns without fear.

Staff felt respected, supported and valued. Staff reported the leadership culture to be inclusive and spoke about feeling valued and respected. Relationships between staff were positive, with strong teamwork and collaboration. Examples of collaborative work included engagement with the local approved mental health professionals.

The service had leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders usually had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty and understood the impact their behaviours and leadership had on patient outcomes and experience.

The registered manager and supervisors had a range of experience, skills and abilities to run the service, and they understood and managed the priorities and issues the service faced. Leaders were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff. Staff felt the leaders supported them to develop their skills and take on more senior roles.

Staff were invited to team meetings and could directly access the registered manager to ask questions or make suggestions.

The service fostered a generally positive culture where patients felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff and leaders acted with openness, honesty and transparency. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and offer ideas; the culture allowed staff to be confident that their voices were heard.

We reviewed information which showed there had been no matters raised via the speaking up process since February 2026 CQC registration.

The service valued diversity in their workforce. Staff work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for everyone.

Leaders acted to improve when there were any negative experiences for staff with protected equality characteristics. Leaders took steps to remove bias from practices to ensure equality of opportunity and experience for the workforce within their place of work, and throughout their employment.

Staff told us they had opportunities to apply for project work, new roles and to undertake external studies through an open application process.

The service acted to prevent and address bullying and harassment at all levels and for all staff, with a clear focus on those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act and those from excluded and marginalised groups. Staff felt everyone was treated fairly and that they would be able to report behaviour or attitudes which were negative in style.

The service had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. Staff used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. Staff act on information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this with others when appropriate.

Staff at all levels were clear about their roles and accountabilities. Staff had job descriptions, and these set out expectations and responsibilities. The registered manager oversaw the management of the service with support from two supervisors.

Governance duties were split between the two directors and admin support.

Data or notifications were consistently submitted to external organisations as required.

Leaders made sure that accurate information was discussed and shared with key staff. Medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) and national patient safety agency (NPSA) alerts were received via email and reviewed for relevant action to be taken. There were no actions required since the provider registered with CQC in February 2026.

Risks were clearly identified and a formal log of these was used to keep oversight and manage mitigations and/or bring to resolution.

Audit processes and the outcomes were used to ensure quality of services was maximised.

The service had not reported any data breaches and systems were secure. Patient identifiable information was handled correctly.

We reviewed several service level and provider policies and found these were up to date and readily available to staff.

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for patients. Staff always share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

Staff and leaders at the service collaborated with relevant external stakeholders and agencies to improve care and treatment for patients using the service. For example, stakeholder feedback included “the service demonstrates a commitment to equitable and inclusive care, working alongside AMHP’s to ensure that each individual’s needs are recognised and appropriately addressed throughout the conveyance process. They have consistently demonstrated an awareness of individuals diverse backgrounds and personal circumstances. This inclusive approach ensures that individuals are treated with respect and understanding”.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. Staff encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for patient. Staff actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

Staff were committed to continually learning and improving services.

There were processes for learning when things went wrong or of good practice, either locally or nationally. We saw reflective practice logs for staff to review and learn from patient transport journeys. For example, the first-time a staff member had seen restraint used by police in a community secure transfer.

Staff and leaders were committed to excellence that centred on the patient experience. This included working with an ambulance manufacturer to design the secure transfer ambulance to support the patient experience.