The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken action to suspend Devon Freewheelers from operating its patient transport service, after finding serious concerns during a recent inspection.
Devon Freewheelers, an organisation based in Honiton, Devon, is registered with the CQC to provide patient transport services. Other services the organisation provides are not regulated by CQC.
CQC carried out a comprehensive inspection of the patient transport service in April due to concerns raised. This was the first inspection of the patient transport service since it registered with CQC in February 2020. Following the inspection, Devon Freewheelers’ patient transport services is rated inadequate overall and inadequate for being safe, effective, responsive and well-led.
Cath Campbell, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, said:
“After inspecting Devon Freewheelers, we took the decision to urgently suspend the patient transport service operation because we believed that people may be exposed to the risk of harm if we did not take urgent action.
“One of the most concerning aspects of our inspection was that we found the patient transport service was offering care and treatment outside the scope of its registration. For example, we found that patients had been given emergency oxygen by staff who did not always have the training or competencies to do so. It is really important that the correct procedures are followed when giving oxygen to patients to prevent people from coming to harm.
“We also found oxygen cylinders were stored unsafely, close to a fuel tank, carrying the risk that a vehicle engine or hot exhaust could ignite the cylinders. And we observed staff smoking next to a vehicle in which oxygen was stored, which is clearly a fire risk.
“We told the provider that it must make a number of improvements before it can continue to operate the patient transport service. This includes ensuring that senior staff with director level responsibilities are fit and proper to carry out their duties and we must be sent documents to confirm that they are.
“The provider must also ensure that the appropriate recruitment checks are carried out and records obtained for all staff members involved in the patient transport service, and that staff receive the training, support, supervision and appraisals needed to enable them to do their jobs properly and safely. In addition, they must ensure that the premises and equipment are safe to use and kept clean.
“Devon Freewheelers have made the decision to cancel their registration and since 2 July are no longer providing patient transport services.”
Inspectors rated the patient transport service inadequate for the following reasons:
- Leaders did not have the skills or knowledge to run their service. During the recruitment of senior staff with directorship responsibilities, information was not obtained to demonstrate they were fit and proper persons to oversee the running of the service. Staff did not have the necessary recruitment checks to ensure they were safe to work with patients
- Managers did not monitor the effectiveness of the service. Staff were not appraised and did not have access to ongoing training programmes based on their need to develop their individual skills. There was no induction programme to guide staff and support them when starting work for this service
- Staff were not assessed for their competency to undertake their role and they did not have access to any guidance on how to support patients to make decisions about their care. Staff did not consider patients’ individual needs or provide any aids to assist them
- Patient safety was not well managed. Patients' records lacked details about their needs and no assessments were carried out to determine any risks during transfer. Staff did not collect safety information to improve the service. Staff reports were incomplete, and these were not reviewed by senior staff to see if any lessons needed to be learned and shared with staff
- Staff had no training on how to protect patients from abuse
- Patient transport vehicles, and some of the equipment stored on them, were not clean and stored safely, and there were no warning signs to identify risks to staff and visitors. In one of the patient transport vehicles, inspectors found a dried substance on top of a suction machine, and there were brown marks on the side of a stretcher trolley
- The provider did not have valid insurance cover
- There were out-of-date oxygen and Entonox cylinders in the storage area which could easily have been used by staff by mistake. (Entonox is a medical gas used to help patients manage pain)
- The provider had not reported an outbreak of COVID-19 to the health and safety executive as required
- There was no procedure or policy for patients or their family/carers to make a complaint about the service.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published on our website.
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