- Ambulance service
F.A.S.T. Ambulance Services
Assessment report published 18 June 2025
Contents
Ratings - Patient transport services
Our view of the service
We carried out a responsive assessment of non-emergency patient transport service provided by F.A.S.T. Ambulance service. During this assessment we reviewed areas of the safe, effective, caring and well led key questions. This was in response to concerns which had been raised and to review improvement actions since the last inspection in 2019. F.A.S.T. Ambulance Services provides non-emergency transport for patients to and from hospital for reasons of discharge and for appointments. They also provide first aid support at events such as motor racing, horse trials and music festivals. However, the CQC do not have powers to regulate this part of the service.
The overall rating for this service remains good.
Staff, managers and leaders of the service demonstrated a common aim of providing good care and a positive experience for patients who used the patient transport service. Staff were proud to work for the service, were trained for their roles, found their managers approachable and had experienced good supervision and support. Managers used improved systems to monitor outcomes for. Risks were assessed and mitigated. Staff reported incidents and managers took action. However, staff did not always receive feedback on progress of actions. Staff and managers worked in partnership with people who commissioned the service using communication channels to provide a smooth handover and safe journey for patients.
The service was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to staffing, governance and safe care and treatment. We found improvements had been made in respect of all of these breaches of regulation at this assessment and the service was no longer in breach of these regulations.
People's experience of this service
Patients and their family or carers were positive about how staff treated them. Patients felt supported by staff in the service and stating they were empathetic and treated them with kindness. Feedback demonstrated journeys were carried out in a timely way and helped patients to arrive at their discharge location at a suitable time of day. Other journeys supported patients to arrive at their prearranged appointment times.