- Ambulance service
ERS Medical Midlands
Assessment report published 16 October 2026
Contents
Ratings - Patient transport services
Our view of the service
ERS Medical provided a non-emergency patient transport service to patients living in Nottinghamshire and Bassetlaw. ERS Medical provided a non-emergency patient transport service to patients living in Nottinghamshire and Bassetlaw. The service transported patients whose medical or mobility needs meant they could not travel safely by other means but who did not require an emergency ambulance response. The service was delivered by patient booking and control centre staff, dispatchers, drivers, patient transport care assistants, operational managers and support staff, using a fleet of patient transport vehicles that could carry seated, wheelchair-accessible or stretcher patients according to their assessed needs.
During the assessment, we spoke with 17 staff, including senior leaders, managers, control centre staff, drivers and patient transport care assistants. We spoke with 10 patients, reviewed 3 patient records and inspected 6 vehicles across the service's bases.
We assessed the patient transport service on 8 July 2026 and 10 July 2026. The service's overall rating remained good.
Overall, the service provided good quality non-emergency patient transport services. Patients were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and staff demonstrated a caring and compassionate approach. Leaders maintained effective oversight of quality and performance, and staff understood how to identify, report and learn from incidents. The service worked collaboratively with healthcare partners to support patient care and service delivery. However, improvements were needed to ensure patients received timely transport and consistent communication regarding changes to their transport arrangements, and to strengthen how people's feedback and complaints were used to improve the service.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 10 patients who used the service during our assessment and looked at information from patient surveys. Feedback from patients was generally positive. Patients consistently described frontline staff as kind, caring, professional and respectful.
Patients told us staff treated them with dignity, listened to their needs and provided reassurance during journeys. Many patients spoke positively about ambulance crews and told us they felt safe and well supported when travelling to and from appointments. Patients frequently described staff as compassionate and willing to help, particularly when they felt anxious or vulnerable. Patients also told us staff respected their privacy and independence and adapted their support to reflect their individual needs.
Patients confirmed the service enabled them to attend essential healthcare appointments and treatments which they would otherwise have struggled to access independently. Several patients described the service as important in helping them maintain their health and wellbeing. Patients said staff supported them with mobility difficulties, long-term health conditions and complex needs.
Although feedback about frontline staff was mostly positive, some patients told us they experienced delays in transport. Patients described occasions where collection times changed or journeys took longer than expected. Some patients also told us communication during delays was not always consistent and they were not always informed about revised collection times. Despite these concerns, many patients made a distinction between operational delays and the care provided by frontline staff and continued to praise crews for their professionalism, compassion and commitment.
Patient survey information received by the provider reflected similar themes. The feedback regularly highlighted the caring approach of staff and positive experiences during transport journeys. However, this feedback also identified concerns relating to waiting times and transport reliability.
We did not identify evidence that patients were treated unfairly because of protected characteristics. The provider had arrangements to support people with different communication, mobility, cultural and support needs. Information gathered during booking processes was used to help ensure transport arrangements reflected patients’ individual circumstances and preferences.
Overall, patients spoke positively about the care, kindness and support provided by frontline staff. While some patients continued to experience delays and communication issues, most patients told us they were treated with dignity, compassion and respect throughout their journeys.