Hatzola Edgware

Updated 8 December 2022

Hatzola Edgware is a non-profit, volunteer organisation providing emergency medical response and transportation to the communities of Edgware, Stanmore and Mill Hill. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The service responds to around 134 calls per month. Patients served by Hatzola Edgware range from the critically unwell to those with minor injuries. The service is staffed by volunteers from the local Jewish community.

There were 10 dispatchers and 26 responders. Dispatchers were mainly home based and answered the calls and radioed out to responders to assign and dispatch. The registered manager had been in post since December 2017.

We last inspected this location on 14-15 November 2017. There was one requirement notice:

• Regulation 17 HSCA (RA) Regulations 2014 Good governance: The provider did not obtain satisfactory evidence of conduct in previous employment and a full employment history. There were no references on any of the personnel records we looked at.

We found this had now been met and saw evidence of evidence of previous employment history and references in personnel records.

Updated 8 December 2022

We have not previously rated this service. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. 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.
• Staff provided good care and treatment, and gave patients pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• The leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centred care. 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 sharps bin located in the ambulance bay was not secure. It had a lock, but the lock had broken and the bin could be opened. However, this risk was mitigated immediately by the provider by storing it within a padlocked container, and they replaced the bin following the inspection.

Updated 8 December 2022