South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Ratings - Resilience

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

We assessed resilience planning at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust on 20 to 21, 23 and 30 April 2026.

We carried out the assessment of resilience due to the age of ratings. The service was previously inspected and rated in 2016 where we rated the service as outstanding. At this assessment we assessed under a different methodology. We assessed all 33 quality statements across the key questions: Are they service safe? Are they effective? Are they caring? Are they responsive to people’s needs? And are they well-led?

Resilience planning covers the provider’s major incident planning and response as a Category 1 provider under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, as well as planning for and responding to other major emergencies. It also includes preparedness for, and the support for events and mass gatherings. A category 1 provider is an organisation which are core to emergency responses. They are subject to the full range of civil protection duties, including assessing risks, maintaining emergency plans and warning the public.

The service was responsible for the trust’s emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPPR), which is the ability of the trust to demonstrate they can deal with anything from extreme weather conditions, infectious disease or a major incident. The service included business continuity management of the service and the national interoperable capabilities including Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART), Special Operations Response Teams (SORT), Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN), hazardous materials (HAZMAT), Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA), Mass Casualties, and Command and Control.

As part of this assessment, we looked at specialist equipment, spoke to staff, gathered the views of system partners. We visited the provider's 2 HART bases, head office and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). At our previous inspection we included air ambulance (also known as helicopter emergency medical services) services as part of resilience. We have not assessed air ambulances as part of this assessment as this is covered under emergency and urgent care assessments.

Safe:

The service had a learning culture where staff and patients could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. Patients were protected and kept safe because staff understood safeguarding arrangements. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience in the service to ensure high quality care and treatment. Managers made sure staff received training and had regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines safely. Staff understood and managed risks from the environment.

However, the service did not always provide full training in learning disabilities and autism. Infection prevention and control processes were not always effective as equipment was not always stored correctly. Equipment to prevent the spread of infection was not always well maintained, and cleaning was not always completed effectively at bases.

Effective:

The service had processes for working with other emergency responders. Patient outcomes met expectations. Staff made sure patients understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Care and treatment was based on latest evidence and good practice guidance.

Caring:

Patients were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated patients as individuals and supported their preferences. Staff responded to patients in a timely way. Patients had the opportunity to ask questions from allied health professionals. The service supported staff wellbeing.

Responsive:

The service provided information which patients could understand. Patients were invited to give feedback, knew who to speak with if they had concerns and were confident the service took their concerns seriously. Patients were involved in making decisions about their care and understood the need for the recommended diagnostic procedures.

Well-led:

There was a culture based on speaking up, listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The service had a governance structure to manage risks.

People's experience of this service

The services planned for events and major incidents to save lives and give people the best possible outcome. They worked with other emergency services and stakeholders to practice care and treatment in exercises. Staff treated people with kindness and took action to maintain people’s dignity when being treated in a public place. Staff understood and respected people as individuals.