There were no patients using Hospital Logistics Centre available to talk to us during the day of our inspection.

Patients were involved in their treatment and care and appropriate communication between ambulance staff and patients ensured their views were respected and their choices considered. Appropriate assessment of patients conditions ensured that transport arrangement were carried out appropriately and safely.

The ambulances were clean and maintained however, records did not necessarily demonstrate that cleaning had taken place. The provider has since put in place a system to ensure records are maintained.

Information given to the ambulance crew was appropriate and sufficient, to transport patients safely. Staff were skilled and experienced and were provided with regular periodic training. Complaints had been dealt with appropriately.

There were no patients using Hospital Logistics Centre available to talk to us during the day of our inspection.

Hospital Logistics Centre is operated by DHL Supply Chain Limited. The ambulance service provides a patient transport service, and also has the facility to transport high dependency patients.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the announced part of the inspection on 22nd February 2017.

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.

The main service provided by this service was a patient transfer service (PTS). This service provides non-urgent and non-specialist services that transport patients between hospitals, home and other places such as care homes.

We regulate independent ambulance services but we do not currently have a legal duty to rate them. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• Competent staff

• Staff treating and caring for patients with compassion, dignity and respect

• Positive communication between staff and patients

• Staff expressing passion about their job and dedication to ensuring patients were provided with good care

• Strong team work

• Excellent patient care

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

• Poor compliance with safeguarding polices

• Lack of staff appraisals

• Lack of clinical governance structures within the service

Following this inspection, we told the provider that it must take some actions to comply with some regulations contained in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and that it should make other improvements. We have also issued the provider with four requirement notices. Details are at the end of the report.

Professor Sir Mike Richards

Chief Inspector of Hospitals