ERS Medical North

Updated 15 October 2026

Date of assessment: 14 to 21 May 2026. ERS Medical North is operated by ERS Transition - Trading as EMED Group Limited. It is an independent ambulance service providing non-emergency patient transport services to the public and private sector across the North of England, from bases in Leeds, Manchester and Crewe. This assessment looked at patient transport services which we rated as good. This assessment looked at patient transport services, we rated ERS Medical North good. This comprehensive assessment was undertaken in response to information of concern, to review whether the service was operating safely and whether governance arrangements provided sufficient assurance of quality and compliance.

Updated 25 March 2026

ERS Medical North, an independent ambulance service provides patient transport services that are non‑urgent, and non‑specialist including discharges from hospitals, travel to appointments and between hospitals. In addition, journeys include transport from home to a care home, from home to respite care, and to end of life care facilities. The service also supports children and young people. This includes transfers between home and respite care, and occasions where the police need help to safely move a child.

We carried out a comprehensive assessment of ERS Medical North, patient transport services (PTS), where we assessed 32 quality statements. The assessment included unannounced site visits on 14 May 2026 to the Manchester location and 21 May 2026 to the Leeds site. 

During the inspection we observed care and gathered the views of both staff and leaders. From these 2 locations the service had conducted 18,199 patient transports in the 6 months prior to the inspection. They transported both adults and children. 

At this assessment, we rated ERS Medical North good. This assessment was undertaken in response to information of concern, to review whether the service was operating safely and whether governance arrangements provided sufficient assurance of quality and compliance.

Staff carried out appropriate patient pre‑transfer and dynamic risk assessments, understood how to recognise and respond to a change in people’s condition and could describe appropriate escalation processes. Vehicles and equipment were generally clean, well maintained and appropriately stocked, and staff received relevant training to support safe care. 

The service had effective systems and processes to deliver safe, high-quality care. Staff treated people as individuals, tailoring care and support to meet their specific needs and preferences. The service also demonstrated a positive culture supported by capable leadership.

However, continuing governance shortfalls limited overall assurance. These included inconsistent incident reporting and learning, weaknesses in recruitment and staff record checks, and policies and procedures that were not always accurate or up to date. These issues reduced confidence that leaders had effective oversight of quality and safety.