Care Quality Commission took enforcement action against private ambulance service.

The Care Quality Commission has taken enforcement action against a private ambulance service, based near Honiton, following unannounced inspections.

The Government regulator for health and social care carried out two ‘responsive’ inspections last November after concerns were raised about Four Counties Ambulance Service.

Owner Rowan Griffiths has taken immediate action to ensure his business complies with registration requirements.

He told the Midweek Herald: “Registration is new to the industry and this was our first compliance inspection.

“Following the report, immediate action has taken place to ensure the service’s compliance.”

The business, at Unit 1 on the East Devon Business Park, Wilmington, was given a deadline to set out the action it will take to meet required standards.

While the business demonstrated it respects and involves its service users, it was found lacking in other areas.

Action was needed to improve five of those areas, with enforcement action being taken in respect of two.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said in its inspection report that enforcement action was being taken to ensure the business met requirements relating to workers and that it properly assesses and monitors the quality of its service provision.

The report states the ambulance service, which provides hospital transport and first aid cover at sporting events, was not meeting required standards for:

l Safeguarding people who use the service from abuse;

l Cleanliness and infection control;

l Care and welfare of people who use the service;

l Management of medicines;

l Safety, availability and suitability of equipment.

“During this inspection we found areas of concern,” the CQC says in its report. “People’s needs were not always assessed and care and treatment was not always planned.”

The report added: “The provider had failed to ensure there were effective recruitment processes in place.

“The provider did not have an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service that people received.”