CQC rates Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance outstanding

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance outstanding, following its first inspection in October last year.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, run by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, provides an air ambulance and critical care emergency response service across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The service also supports other air ambulance services across the south region.

This inspection was carried out as part of CQC's continual checks on the safety and quality of healthcare services. 

Following this inspection, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance was rated as outstanding overall, as well as for being safe, responsive, effective, caring and well-led.

Catherine Campbell, CQC deputy director of hospitals, secondary and specialist care for the South West, said:

"When we inspected Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, we found people were receiving high quality, person-centred care and that leaders ensured safety was everyone's top priority.

"We saw the service made sure there were enough skilled and experienced staff who were supported by thorough training. This enabled them to provide care that one person described as gold standard.

"Staff continually monitored people, spotting and managing risks without delay. A family member told us the actions of staff in spotting deterioration had contributed to saving their loved one's life.

"People and their families were overwhelmingly positive about the care they'd received. We heard staff took time to reassure people who were distressed and treated everyone with respect and kindness.

"After every incident, people and their loved ones were invited to meet the staff who'd looked after them and ask questions. One person said they had no memory of when they were injured so meeting the paramedics afterwards had helped them understand and process what had happened to them.

"Leaders fostered a culture focused on learning and improvement. Every incident was reviewed, allowing excellent practice to be celebrated and shared and areas for improvement to be addressed. For example, after an audit revealed that the use of invasive blood pressure monitoring was restricted because it was only performed by doctors, the service ensured paramedic staff could also be trained for this. This allowed more people to receive this critical care and improved people's safety and outcomes.

"Everyone at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance should be proud of this report, which reflects the high-quality care they provide."

Inspectors found:

• Staff felt valued and supported at work and this enabled them to provide excellent care and outcomes for patients.
• The service reviewed 999 calls to determine where the highest rate of calls came from, then positioned their rapid response team in that area. This meant patients could receive critical care treatment faster than if they were brought in by ambulance.
• Staff received advanced training on administering controlled medicines for pain relief and they acted quickly to manage people's pain and discomfort.
• The teams maintained strong working relationships and handovers with the NHS ambulance services they worked alongside.
• Leaders operated an 'open-door policy and staff said they could bring any issues directly to leaders, and these would be responded to.
• The service shared their expertise with emergency call handlers and other ambulance crews. This meant local ambulance staff had instant access to advanced clinical advice and supported them to deliver effective care and treatment.