An ambulance service has been advised to make improvements from care inspectors.

Government agency Care Quality Commission inspectors (CQC) have told North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust that improvements are needed following an inspection in September 2021.

The inspection was carried out as part of CQC’s programme of ongoing checks on the safety and quality of healthcare services.  

Sarah Dronsfield, CQC’s deputy director of operations in the north, said: “When we inspected North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, we found a deterioration in the services being provided, especially in urgent and emergency care where this had potential for people to be placed at risk of harm.

“It was particularly concerning that staff didn’t always have access to critical medicines needed to treat patients and some crews didn’t have time to complete vehicle medicine checks, resulting in treatment delays.

“Staff told us they frequently responded to emergencies without the sufficient quantities of standard medicines they needed to treat common or life-threatening conditions, including morphine and seizure medication.

“In addition, we were concerned the trust was not always thoroughly investigating incidents and may have made decisions based on limited information, reducing the ability to identify learning and prevent reoccurrence.

“Although staff were focused on the needs of patients receiving care, they did not always feel respected, supported and valued.

“We did, however, also see some positive areas of work. Staff took time to interact with patients in a respectful and considerate way and they maintained their dignity throughout their journey and when being transferred to hospital.

“Through engagement with the trust we know they have taken our concerns seriously and have put in measures to address our findings.

"We are mindful that ambulance services are operating under increased pressure and we are pleased the trust is keen to make the necessary improvements.

“We will continue to monitor the trust closely to ensure the necessary improvements are made to keep people safe, and we will expect to see sustainable improvements the next time we inspect.”

In response to today’s CQC report, Helen Ray, NEAS chief executive, said: “Over the last 12 months the ambulance service and the NHS as a whole has faced unprecedented pressures, the likes of which we’ve never experienced.

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

"We are all committed to making improvements until we and the CQC are confident that the concerns raised have been fully addressed “In the six months since the first inspection, we have taken swift action and subsequently provided additional assurance to the CQC that the work will ensure effective systems are in place to keep patients safe. We recognise there is more to do and are committed to longer term change as well as a short-term response.

“I am pleased that throughout the report the dedication, care and commitment provided by all our staff is recognised and acknowledged by the CQC. Our teams continue to deliver the best care possible in these exceptional times.

“It is well documented that no ambulance service in the country is achieving national performance standards. Despite that, NEAS remains one of the best performers for response times, particularly to the highest-level life-threatening incidents.

“Critical to our success as we progress our actions is a clear investment in our workforce to deliver, both clinically and corporately. We are now beginning to see the results of the significant investment in resources made by commissioners in 2022.

“This is evidenced through reduced call response times, growth in our workforce numbers and a wider commitment to further growth in clinical staffing numbers.

“We also recognise that the key to sustainable improvement is service transformation and we welcome the opportunity to work with system partners to deliver this.”