• Ambulance service

Archived: GB-EMS Also known as Hassocks Farm

Unit A1, Church Farm, Church Lane, Nursling, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 0YB 0330 111 5767

Provided and run by:
GB-EMS Ambulance Service Ltd

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 7 June 2018

GB-EMS Group is operated by GB-EMS Group Ltd. The service opened in 2010. It is an independent ambulance service in Southampton. The service began providing patient transport service for healthcare providers in 2012. The service also provides event cover for the following: sporting events, music venues, multi day events and festivals.

The service has had a registered manager in post since 3 July 2011.

Overall inspection

Updated 7 June 2018

GB-EMS Group is operated by GB-EMS Group Ltd. GB-EMS provides emergency and urgent care and patient transport service.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced inspection on 15 December 2017.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led?

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The main service provided by this service was emergency and urgent care services with some level of patient transport activity therefore we have reported findings in the emergency and urgent care core service.

Services we do not rate

We regulate independent ambulance services but we do not currently have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.

We found the following areas of good practice:

  • Staff reported incidents, and openness about safety was encouraged.

  • Staff demonstrated infection control practices in line with organisational policies. Staff used personal protective equipment, and we saw vehicles and equipment were visibly clean.

  • We inspected three vehicles. All vehicles had appropriate equipment and all equipment on the ambulances had been electrically tested, checked and maintained.

  • Patient records were held securely and included appropriate information.

  • Staffing levels were sufficient to meet patient needs.

  • Staff demonstrated infection control practices in line with organisational policies. Staff used personal protective equipment, and we saw vehicles and equipment were visibly clean.

  • Staff described and demonstrated their passion for providing good patient care.

  • Staff were qualified and had the appropriate skills to carry out their roles effectively, and in line with best practice.

  • Staff were supported to deliver effective care and treatment, through meaningful and timely supervision and appraisal.

  • Staff felt valued and proud to work for the service.

However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:

  • Ensure the service is meeting the requirements of the local Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) policy, when carrying out staff DBS checks.

  • Ensure all staff understand the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and its relevance to their practice.

  • Ensure all staff have knowledge of the principles of Duty of Candour, and for senior managers to understand the legal requirements and procedures that need to be followed when DoC is invoked.

  • The registered manager to ensure they fully understand the legal requirements of their role and that they hold the overall accountability for the service.

  • Ensure the service improves on the rudimentary monitoring of the key performance indicators (KPI’s) it undertook. They recognised the present monitoring was rudimentary and planned to improve it.

Amanda Stanford

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (London and South), on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Emergency and urgent care

Updated 7 June 2018

We regulate independent ambulance services but we do not currently have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.

We found a number of areas of good practice.  For example, staff reported incidents, and openness about safety was encouraged. Staff demonstrated infection control practices in line with organisational policies. Staff used personal protective equipment, and we saw vehicles and equipment were visibly clean.  We found patient records were held securely and included appropriate information. However, we found there were areas the service provider needs to improve. The service was not meeting the requirements of the local Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) policy, when carrying out staff DBS checks.   Staff had a limited understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and its relevance to their practice. Staff had limited knowledge of the principles of Duty of Candour, and the senior managers were not familiar with the legal requirements and procedures that need to be followed when DoC is invoked. The registered manager did not fully understand the legal requirements of their role.