The Care Quality Commission
  • Ambulance service

Archived: Immediate Care Medical Services

Newhall Court, 47 George Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 1QA (0121) 200 3086

Provided and run by:
Immediate Care Medical Services Limited

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

12, 13 December 2013

During a routine inspection

Due to the nature of the service provided we were not able to speak with people who used the service during our visit. We therefore contacted and spoke with representatives from three services that had contracted with Immediate Care Medical Service. We also spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager about the services provided and reviewed various documents provided to us. This was to try and gain an understanding of the experiences of people who used the service.

We received positive feedback about the service from the representatives we spoke with. Comments received included: 'I think they are really good. If I have had any issues or queries they have answered them' and 'This is the second year I have used them and they are my preferred choice.'

Systems in place ensured that that the ambulances and emergency equipment used to support people were safe to use.

Since our previous inspection in December 2012 we found that there had been significant improvements made to the quality monitoring of the service. Arrangements that had been put in place helped the service to identify and address any issues relating to the quality of the service.

We found that there had also been improvements made since our previous inspection in the recruitment processes for new staff. However, the provider still did not have in place robust criminal records checks for new staff.

18, 19 December 2012

During a routine inspection

During our visit we were not able to speak with people who used the service. However, we contacted and spoke with representatives from four services that had contracted with Immediate Care Medical Service. This included organisers of 'high risk' sporting events and the NHS. We also spoke with three members of staff and two of the service directors (which included the registered manager) about the service provided and reviewed various documents provided to us.

The feedback received from the representatives we contacted was very positive. The representatives we spoke with told us that they found the staff professional. That the service worked closely with them to plan and provide appropriate medical cover and equipment for events or when transporting people. Comments received from the representatives included, 'We recommend them to everybody' and 'We are extremely pleased with them.'

The ambulances we looked at were clean and had been well maintained to ensure that they were roadworthy and safe to use.

Although our inspection did not highlight any serious concerns with the quality of the service, we found quality monitoring arrangements were not always robust. There was no evidence of clinical or record audits having been undertaken which would provide assurance that policies and procedures were being followed, including those relating to recruitment and any training needs identified.