Ambulance service upgraded despite cleanliness concerns

AN inspection of Surrey’s Ambulance Service found the service is improving, though there are concerns about the cleanliness of vehicles.

- By VICTORIA SHIPP

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s emergency and urgent care service, and its emergency operations centre (EOC), from ‘requiring improvement’ to ‘good, following an inspection in September.

Previously, the Trust had been found in breach of three regulations relating to safe care and treatment, staffing and overall management of the services.

However, the new report showed that significant improvements had been made, with the Trust now in breach of just one regulation, relating to overall management of the urgent and emergency care service.

Amanda Williams, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care in the South East, said: “At this inspection, we were pleased to find South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) had made some significant improvements since our last visit.

“It was positive to see the Trust putting people at the heart of their care and treatment. In emergency and urgent care, people told us staff had been kind and respectful and they felt safe. In one example, we saw an ambulance crew caring for someone with dementia who believed they were in a busy shopping centre rather than an emergency department. The crew went along with this, which kept the person calm and reduced their anxiety.