Archived: Hatzola Northwest

Updated 7 November 2022

Hatzola Northwest Trust is an independent ambulance based in Golders Green, London providing an emergency response service to members of the Jewish community in Golders Green, North London. The service has 4 ambulances and 1 response vehicle.

Hatzola Northwest Trust is based on a model used in similar organisations both in the UK and globally. Hatzola means “rescue” or “relief” in Hebrew. Patients served by Hatzola range from the critically ill to those with minor injuries. The service is wholly funded by charitable donations from the local community and businesses. It is staffed by trained volunteers known as members from the Jewish community.

Hatzola Northwest is a 24 hour, 7 days a week community service, operating 365 days a year to provide a swift response to medical emergencies in the immediate area.

Hatzola Northwest Trust is a registered charity whose objects are the protection and preservation of health and the relief of sickness.

The service is registered to provide treatment of disease, disorder or injury and transport services, triage and medical advice. There has been a registered manager in post since 2016. We last inspected the service in February 2018 and it was not rated.

Updated 7 November 2022

The service had not previously been rated. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• The service did not always follow their infection control policy to ensure the number of spot checks for hand hygiene were undertaken.
• The service did not always ensure clinical waste was kept secure.
• The service recruitment processes did not include a full employment history and staff records were not kept up to date.
• The service did not always make sure staff were competent.
• The service did not always operate effective governance systems.

However:

• 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. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and gave patients pain relief when they needed it. 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.
• 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.
• Leaders 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 7 November 2022