Peak Medicare Ltd is registered to provide patient transport services, triage and medical advice remotely and the treatment of disease disorder or injury.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 3 October 2017, along with an unannounced visit on 15 October 2017.

The ambulance service provided bespoke medical cover to sporting events including medical care and treatment on site (this is not a regulated activity and is therefore not included in this report). The care and treatment provided during conveyance to hospital is regulated and was the focus of this inspection. The inspection took place in reference to the urgent and emergency services framework. To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment; we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led?

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Peak Medicare Ltd operates an independent ambulance service in North Derbyshire, primarily providing first aid and emergency response at motorsport events at Buxton Speedway and the Bell Vue circuit Manchester. Additionally they provide a first aid and emergency response service at community and national events held in the North Derbyshire area.

Services we do not rate

We regulate independent ambulance services but do not, currently, have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and identify where service providers need to improve. Taking regulatory action as necessary.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• Scheduling included a paramedic lead plus a minimum of emergency technicians or first responders.

• All vehicles and equipment was maintained and serviced regularly.

• All vehicles were visibly clean with established cleaning schedules with commercial deep cleaning contracts in place.

However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needed to improve:

• Incident reporting policy.

• Medicines management.

• Mandatory training & Competencies.

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it must take some actions to comply with the regulations and that it should make other improvements, to help the service improve. We also issued the provider with six requirement notice(s) that affected urgent and emergency services]. Details are at the end of the report.

Heidi Smoult

Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (area of responsibility), on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

We visited Peak Medicare Limited’s base in Buxton where we met with the registered manager and reviewed documents and policies. While there we saw the three ambulances that Peak Medicare Limited had in their fleet. Peak Medicare limited offer a part time ambulance service, with their main focus at speedway events.

We spoke with a member of staff employed by Peak Medicare Limited for events that they have attended. The staff member said that they were very happy working for Peak Medicare Limited and also said: “I do not have any concerns about Peak Medicare, I hope to carry on my career progression with Peak Medicare and I understand the values they have, The staff are treated extremely well and so are our patients.”

The registered manager explained that any patients seen at an event, be they speedway riders or members of the general public are seen in the privacy of an ambulance. Should the patient require further treatment at a hospital, a 999 call would usually be made to transfer the patient. However Peak Medicare Limited has on occasion transported the patient themselves.

Peak Medicare Limited offers an ambulance service to local motor sport events in the Buxton area and to at the Belle Vue stadium in Manchester. The service grew out of the need to have medical cover and ambulance services present at motor sport events, specifically speedway racing, and latterly stock car racing.

At the time of our visit the service had three ambulances, and we inspected them all. We found them to be well equipped, and there were no concerns regarding infection control or the cleanliness of the vehicles. Staff are self-employed, and work for Peak Medicare Limited as bank staff specifically for events such as speedway or stock car racing.

We spoke with the Clerk of the course at Belle Vue speedway track about Peak Medicare Limited's involvement in events at the stadium. He said: "I have worked in tandem with Peak Medicare for the last 5 or 6 seasons. I am extremely happy to work with them,the pressure for both them and me is intense on race nights and I have 100% confidence in all they do. Suffice to say ,come race night I know the riders safety is in excellent hands."