Advance Medical Transport Services Limited

Updated 30 May 2023

Advance Medical Transport Services Limited is an independent medical transport service based in Chatham, Kent. The service provides patient transport services, medical cover at events, and repatriations. These services were provided to adults and children 24 hours a day seven days a week.

The provider is registered to provide the following regulated activities:

• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.

The service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

CQC regulates the Patient Transport Service and treatment of disease, disorder and injury service provided by Primary Ambulance Services. The other services provided are not regulated by CQC as they do not fall into the CQC scope of regulation. The areas of the Primary Ambulance service that we do not regulate are events cover and repatriations made on behalf of service users by their employer, a government department or an insurance provider with whom the service users hold an insurance policy.

This focused inspection was triggered when we received information of concern about the service.

The service was last inspected in April 2022 when the service was found to be requires improvement. During this focused inspection we have inspected the safe and well led domains. The rating for safe improved to good and the rating for well led remained the same as requires improvement. The rating of good for caring and responsive remains the same as does the rating of requires improvement for effective. The overall rating for this service remains as requires improvement.

The service uses the term client to refer to the organisations they have contracts with to deliver the service on their behalf. Therefore throughout this report the Care Quality Commission have used the same terminology.

Updated 30 May 2023

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• The service did not have a management system or process for the recorded assessment of risk and the services ability to meet the needs of the patient during triage at the booking stage.
• Up to date formal agreements with client partners, did not clearly cover the services provided or agreements associated with arrangements for risk assessment and triage responsibility.
• Medical gases were safely stored in a secure location however, gas bottles were not clearly separated.
• The medicine policy did not reflect the current processes associated with the staff scope of medicine administration.

However,

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff mostly 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.
• 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.

Updated 30 May 2023