CQC rates independent ambulance service inadequate

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated a Maidenhead-based independent ambulance service as inadequate and imposed conditions on the registration of the service to keep people safe.

Cookham-based LSA House has also been rated inadequate in relation to whether it is safe, effective and well-led and that it requires improvement for its responsiveness to people’s needs. The CQC added it has not been rated in the caring domain, as there was insufficient evidence to do so.

LSA House, an independent ambulance service operated by LSA Secure Limited, is registered to provide a patient transport service and predominantly provides secure transportation for patents with mental health conditions.

In June last year, the provider amended its registration so that it could also offer an emergency and urgent care service during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the time of the CQC inspection, the first inspection of LSA House since the provider registered with CQC in 2018, it had not delivered any emergency and urgent care.

 

Inspectors found the following areas of concern:

 

However, CQC inspectors also found the service had enough staff to care for patients and people could access the service when they needed it.

Staff felt respected and valued and they demonstrated understanding about the discrimination that mental health patients may experience.

Cath Campbell head of hospital inspections at the CQC’s said the regulator had numerous concerns following its inspection of LSA House and told the provider that it must take action to ensure the service complied with legal requirements to keep people safe.

“We have now imposed conditions on the registration of both of the core services that the provider offers, namely patient transport and urgent and emergency care,” she said.

“We have told the provider that it must send us a report outlining what action it intends to take to address our concerns. We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that improvements are made and fully embedded.”

Health & Protection has contacted LSA House for comment.

 

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