E-zec Medical Transport - Cornwall

Updated 14 April 2023

E-Zec Medical Transport Cornwall is operated by E-Zec Medical Transport Services Ltd. The service provides non-urgent, planned transport for adults with a medical need who need to be transported to and from NHS funded services, who are registered with a GP. Patients need to meet the eligibility criteria agreed with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to access the service. They are commissioned by the ICB to serve the communities of Cornwall.

The service started to provide secure mental health transport services in February 2023 under a contract with the local Integrated Care Board (ICB). We were advised that 5 short journeys had been completed at the time of our inspection.

E-Zec Medical Transport Cornwall’s fleet consists of 42 vehicles, including cars, vehicles for transporting patients on stretchers, and transport vehicles with wheelchair access. The service has a dedicated patient transport vehicle for mental health transport which is fitted with a secure cell if required to ensure patient and staff safety. The service has a main base in Redruth, their call centre is in Bodmin with a satellite base in Saltash. We visited all 3 locations as part of this inspection.

This service has had a registered manager since 2019. Registered Managers have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated regulations about how the service is run.

The service is registered to provide the following regulated activity:

• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.

The service completed approximately 38,400 patient transport journeys in the last year.

Updated 14 April 2023

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of E-Zec Medical Transport Services Cornwall as part of our inspection programme. We inspected and rated all of our key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

Our previous inspection of this provider was completed in April 2021. However, this did not result in a rating as the Care Quality Commission did not have the legal powers to rate independent ambulance services at that time.

Following our inspection in April 2021, the provider was issued with 2 requirement notices, one under Regulation 17 (Good Governance) and the other for Regulation 19 (fit and proper persons employed). We found that the service had made improvements to meet those requirement notices.

Before the inspection, we reviewed information that we had about the provider, including intelligence and data provided to us.

We rated this location as good because:

• Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Managers monitored the service provision and staff worked well together for the benefit of patients.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs and made it easy for people to give feedback.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• The service did not meet all agreed response times. Some patients were subject to long waits for transport which placed patients at risk of harm.
• Not all patients could access transport when they needed it, which impacted on their access to care and treatment with other healthcare providers.
• There had been improvements with the recruitment practices of new staff, but systems and processes to investigate gaps in employment history was not effective.

Updated 14 April 2023

We rated this service as good because:

See above for details.