Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance has been rated as outstanding by Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The air ambulance service which covers both Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire has been given some ‘outstanding’ news by the Care Quality Commission.

The Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance has been rated as outstanding by the CQC following an inspection in July last year.

CQC carried out an inspection of the service in July, and returned in February to gather further evidence for the rating, which examines how safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led the service is, and the overall rating was given as outstanding.

Inspectors found, as detailed in the report, that staff “assessed people’s needs to make sure they received the right care and treatment”, and the service “proactively identified hazards and risks which were assessed and managed to keep people safe”.

Staff made sure that family, friends and others at the scene of an incident were looked after, the report said, and that if the outcome for the patient was not a positive one, that family members contacted the service to express their appreciation for the care and support staff provided for their loved one.

Leaders provided comprehensive training and career development opportunities for staff, and added that staff felt “valued, respected and supported at work”.

The report added that the service implemented a “world-leading pre-hospital treatment plan” for people at extreme risk of traumatic cardiac arrests, and that leaders and staff “understood and embodied the culture and values of the workforce and the organisation”.

A statement from the air ambulance said: “We have been rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission! It would not have been possible without our wonderful supporters, crew, staff and volunteers.”

Charlotte Rudge, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: “At this inspection, everyone we spoke to who had used the service shared positive feedback about their care and treatment. They told us that staff at Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance treated them as individuals and respected their decisions about care and treatment.

“Leaders had developed a culture of openness and collaboration. The service worked closely with partner organisations to help people in their care receive the best outcomes. The local ambulance service praised Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance’s prompt responses and effectiveness at the scene of incidents.

“Overall, staff at Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance should be very proud of the findings of our report. Their strong commitment to keeping people safe shone through in the high-quality care they provide and reflects the supportive culture of the organisation.”