South Central Ambulance Service issues improvement plan after damning report and 'inadequate' rating

Health watchdog The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a damning report after an inspection in April and May which rated the service as ‘inadequate’ and said patient care and safety had been ‘undermined’.

The inspection took place in April and May.

SCAS said the report ‘has highlighted some serious concerns which we must’, which it plans to ‘fix as a matter of urgency.’

‘The board takes responsibility for the findings in the report and we are working with colleagues across the trust and our partners to put things right,’ the ambulance service added.

‘We have already taken swift action but we recognise there is more to do.

‘Providing the best possible care to all our patients remains our top priority.’

SCAS covers Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

In the CQC report, experts found ambulances were not always staffed with crews skilled to give emergency care.

A long delay that contributed to the death of an elderly patient – trapped under their bed after a fall – was brought to light.

In the improvement plan, SCAS said policies are being reviewed across medicines management, safeguarding, duty of candour, infection prevention and control and medical devices.

All serious incidents and detailed clinical incidents in 2021-2022 were reviewed as part of its action plan.

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Equipment audits of all vehicles and sites, defibrillators and controlled drug cabinets were conducted.

The CQC found staff were not checking defibrillators enough to ensure they worked properly.

Secondary automated external defibrillators are being placed on all urgent and emergency frontline vehicles.

Patient safety awareness campaigns have been rolled out across the NHS trust.

New patient safeguarding training is being also issued.

The CQC also found culture problems, with one person being ‘concerned’ about problems being ‘swept under the rug’ within the management team.

Human resources policies have been reviewed and updated, and more investment has been given for the ‘Freedom to Speak Up’ (FTSU) function – creating FTSU champions role.

SCAS is confident it will become ‘a better trust than it has ever been’ for patients, staff and volunteers.

They added: ‘We will keep focused on putting things right until we and the CQC are confident all the concerns have been fixed.’