Medisec Ambulance Service Limited

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• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment we looked at 3 quality statements and the rating has remained good.

This assessment focused on 1 quality statement across safe: infection and prevention control.

We have not awarded this service a score for Safe.

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

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe and effective staffing during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading.

The service had strengthened oversight of infection prevention and control since the last assessment, addressing the gaps we previously identified.

The service had up-to-date infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and procedures. The service had introduced a colour coded cleaning system in line with national infection prevention and control guidance, with equipment and signage clearly designated by area of use. For example, blue equipment was for use on office interiors only, yellow equipment was used in clinical and ambulance environments and green equipment was restricted to kitchen surfaces with “infection control is everyone’s responsibility” signage displayed at each point to enforce correct use and reduce the risk of cross contamination.

The operations manager carried out monthly IPC audits, which showed generally good compliance. The service had introduced a dedicated mop head policy and procedure, supported by regular mop head audits and we saw that all staff had completed the related training.

Records confirmed that staff had completed ultraviolet (UV) hand-cleaning training, overseen by managers.

The service had a dedicated Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) cupboard which was securely locked. The service’s COSHH policy was in date with safety protocols on hazardous substances.

Staff had access to the IPC policy, related procedures, and supporting guidance. Training covered hand hygiene, PPE use, spill management, and the handling of body fluids. Staff were alerted through the electronic system when patients posed a risk of infection. The service supplied personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff to carry out their duties safely.

Clinical waste was managed effectively. Leaders told us that all clinical waste disposed of on-site at hospital facilities, the service did not hold a separate clinical waste bag contract.

Vehicles were cleaned to a good standard. Staff told us they had continued to clean vehicles daily, as well as after each person transport. Testing was completed to check the effectiveness of cleaning. Deep cleaning records were completed weekly in line with the services policy on cleaning frequency.

Due to the nature of this assessment, we did not undertake ride-outs with crews and were therefore unable to directly observe staff practicing IPC during patient transport, as we had done at the previous assessment. This was not an area of concern at the previous assessment. We did spot check 1 vehicle that was available on site, which was visibly clean and consistent with the standard found at the previous inspection.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.