ION Crawley

Updated 31 January 2023

iON Crawley is operated by iON Ambulance Care Limited. It is an independent ambulance service based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. iON Crawley provides patient transport services (PTS) across the Southeast of England region and urgent and emergency care services under contract with a local NHS Ambulance Trust. iON Crawley also provides ambulances and staff to support the local NHS ambulance services with their patients’ transfer needs. It is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the regulated activities of transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely and the treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The only service operated by the provider is patient transport. iON Crawley includes a fleet of 11 ambulances, and one bariatric support vehicle. The service employs 30 permanent staff members, and two bank staff members to support patients who require transport to attend hospital appointments. They also provide a service for patients who are discharged from hospital to alternative living accommodation such as care homes, nursing homes or other hospital accommodation. The service does not provide high dependency transfers or mental health secure transfers.

The registered manager has been in post since 2017 and covers several sites.

This was our first inspection of the service at this location.

Updated 31 January 2023

This was our first inspection of this location. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients and acted on them. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• Staff provided good care and assessed patients’ food and drink requirements. The service met agreed response times. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

However:

• The service needed to review its service level agreement with regard to patient records and the ability to audit records completed and updated by staff.

Updated 31 January 2023

The main service was patient transport services (PTS). It was our first inspection of this service. We rated it as good.