Great North Air Ambulance rated ‘outstanding’

The charity, which serves North Yorkshire, Cumbria, North East England and the Scottish Borders, was assessed by the healthcare watchdog in July. Sarah Dronsfield, the CQC Head of Hospital Inspection, said they were ‘extremely impressed by the level of care and support people received when using this service’.

She added: “There was a genuine culture of wanting to provide the best care for patients, and a desire to improve services. Staff at all levels were passionate about the service provided and proud to work for the charity. Leaders inspired shared purpose to deliver and motivate staff to succeed.”

Key elements which were praised included software to enable GNAAS staff to access mobile phones at the scene of incidents; a ‘bag system which helps transport equipment such as ventilators for emergency callouts; and GNAAS’s major incident response plan. CQC also praised how staff were frequently able to take on multiple roles, allowing for easy adaptation to workforce pressures.

David Stockton, Chief Executive at GNAAS, said: “This is an incredible achievement in any healthcare environment, but in a complex air ambulance service it is amazing. Credit has to go to the whole team in Operations, who have put an unbelievable effort into the submission for the CQC, and the upholding of exacting standards. It is absolutely deserved and hard-earned, but validates the incredible work of our teams every day.”

Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust was also rated outstanding by the CQC earlier this month.