CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION: ‘OUtSTANDING’

We’re delighted to announce we have achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), becoming the first air ambulance in England to receive the highest available grade from the official regulator.

THE FIRST

We become the first air ambulance in the country to achieve the highest grade available from the CQC.

Top 5%

With only one in twenty registered health and social care services currently rated as ‘Outstanding’, this result recognises us as one of the best emergency care providers in the country.

‘Above and beyond’

Patients who were interviewed as part of the report said our care ‘exceeded expectations.’

OUR FIRST YEAR

The rating comes just one year after becoming a fully-independent healthcare provider.

WHAT IS THE CQC?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. Their role is to make sure health and social care services provide patients with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care against a set of fundamental standards. More information about the CQC can be found on their website www.cqc.org.uk

WHEN WAS THE REPORT PUBLISHED?

The CQC carried out a two-day inspection on the 8th and 9th of January 2020. This included visits to both our Stokenchurch head office and operational base at RAF Benson. The report was published 18th March 2020.

I am delighted with the CQC report and incredibly proud of the fabulous team that come together to deliver this vital service across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Patient care and safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re delighted that the CQC recognises this. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supports us as we are only able to operate thanks to the generosity of the communities that we serve. We will continue to develop our service through innovative technology and research to further enhance the care we are able to provide.
Amanda McLean, CEO

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES SAFE?

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills including the highest level of life support training to all staff. The whole team was engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding.

The service provided mandatory training in key skills including the highest level of life support training to all staff. The whole team was engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding.
The service controlled infection risk well. They kept equipment, vehicles and premises clean.
The service had enough highly trained and qualified staff with relevant skills and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and provide the right care and treatment. Service data showed that shifts were 100% covered.
The service managed patient safety incidents well. Openness and transparency about safety was encouraged. When things went wrong, staff apologised and gave patients honest information and suitable support.
The service had effective arrangements to respond to major incidents.

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES EFFECTIVE?

The doctors and critical care paramedics showed a drive to ensure the care they provided was leading the way in pre-hospital emergency care.
The continual development of staff skills, competence and knowledge was recognised as being integral to ensuring high quality care. Staff were proactively supported and encourage to acquire new skills, use their transferable skills and share best practice. Staff took part in training scenarios with the police and fire service, so they could have experience of effectively working as a team during a large-scale incident.
All those responsible for delivering care were committed to work together as a team to benefit patients. They supported each other to provide high quality care and communicated effectively with other agencies.
Staff recognised the need to respect the road crews they worked with and the need to act as support and guidance when on scene.
Staff and patients told us they clearly explained both the positives and negatives of any treatment or action. This enabled patients to make informed decisions.

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES CARING?

patient's emotional and social needs were highly valued by staff and were embedded in their care and treatment

Staff we spoke with were highly motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and promoted people's dignity

Staff we spoke with were highly motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and promoted people’s dignity. For example, we observed how staff talked about patients with respect and compassion during governance meetings and debriefs.
People told us that they thought that staff at Thames Valley Air Ambulance go “above and beyond”. They were overwhelmingly positive about the way staff treated themselves, their families and their friends. They told us the care they received exceeded their expectations.
When describing their feelings about the way the crew looked after them one patient told us “I received amazing care”, another said “fantastic care, second to none. I believe I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them”.
People’s emotional and social needs were highly valued by staff and were embedded in their care and treatment. Staff provided emotional support to patients, families and carers to minimise their distress.
All six of the patients we spoke with told us that after making a recovery they visited the service and met some of the crew who helped with their care. This has been facilitated by the Patient Liaison Manager and they had all reported this helped their emotional recovery.
The service took positive action to feedback from patients. The service told us that one patient that visited the service told them that their only memory of their care was not that their injuries hurt, but that they were cold. The service has shared this with staff to make them more aware of this in the future. This included bringing the patient to talk with staff about their experience and revising training regarding keeping patients warm while providing care.

Are emergency and urgent care services responsive to people’s needs?

Staff were dedicated and proud of their collaborative delivery of care with local NHS ambulance trust crews.

The service planned and provided care in a way that met the needs of local people and the communities served. It also worked with others in the wider system and local organisations to plan care.
The staff we spoke with were dedicated and proud of their collaborative delivery of care with local NHS ambulance trust crews.
The service had a good working relationship with the local NHS ambulance service and met with them regularly to review service provision to ensure needs were met
It was easy for people to give feedback and raise concerns about care received. The service treated concerns and complaints seriously, investigated them and shared lessons learned with all staff, including those in partner organisations. The service had effective processes to investigate and learn from complaints.

Are emergency and urgent care services well-led?

It was obvious staff supported each other. There was a strong supportive culture fro the most senior level down.

The executive team demonstrated a high level of strategic planning and people management skills, they were very visible and approachable. Leaders were passionate about their roles and executed them with care and commitment to their staff. Leaders took on dual role, which meant they were able to understand challenges from within and address them.
All staff we observed during our inspection focused all their discussions around the needs of their patients. All discussions were well thought out, challenged and debated to offer the best conclusion for their patients.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance recognised that some missions could be distressing for staff and it was obvious that staff supported each other. There was a strongly supportive culture from the most senior level down and staff had access to both the chaplain and an independent counselling service.
The service routinely requested feedback from all patients they transported and left an aftercare card with patients and relatives with the patient liaison manager contact details.
The service had a team of dedicated volunteers with varied roles that included talks and presentations, community tin collections, event attendance, and helping in service in the office. The volunteers were considered an integrated part of the service without which the service would not be able to operate.
The service had employed a patient liaison manager to provide aftercare services for patients once they had been transferred to hospital or after they had been discharged. Patients reported this was an amazing service that added real value to their recovery process.

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CARE QUALITY COMMISSION: ‘OUtSTANDING’

THE FIRST

Top 5%

‘Above and beyond’

OUR FIRST YEAR

WHAT IS THE CQC?

WHEN WAS THE REPORT PUBLISHED?

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES SAFE?

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES EFFECTIVE?

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES CARING?

Are emergency and urgent care services responsive to people’s needs?

Are emergency and urgent care services well-led?

MAKE A DONATION

CHALLENGE EVENTS

STAY SAFE. GO VIRTUAL

Spencer’s Story Part 2: as told by Critical Care Paramedic Ben

Spencer’s Story

CATEGORIES

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION: ‘OUtSTANDING’

THE FIRST

Top 5%

‘Above and beyond’

OUR FIRST YEAR

WHAT IS THE CQC?

WHEN WAS THE REPORT PUBLISHED?

highlights from the report

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES SAFE?

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES EFFECTIVE?

ARE EMERGENCY AND URGENT CARE SERVICES CARING?

Are emergency and urgent care services responsive to people’s needs?

Are emergency and urgent care services well-led?

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU

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