CQC awards full accreditation to CEGA
CEGA Air Ambulance has become one of the first international fixed-wing air ambulance providers to be fully accredited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.
CEGA Air Ambulance has become one of the first international fixed-wing air ambulance providers to be fully accredited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.
CEGA, which operates a fleet of air ambulance planes from Bournemouth International Airport, said it underwent a ‘rigorous inspection of all aspects of its service’ to gain the accreditation. The inspection covered areas including its cleanliness and infection control, the quality of its critical care provision and the welfare of the patients that use it. The provider is meeting essential national standards of quality and safety in all areas, according to the CQC.
Among the practices that CEGA said were recognised by the CQC were its proactive arrangements to deal with foreseeable emergencies, and its pre-flight visits to individual patients and their relatives – not just to make medical assessments, but also to allay personal concerns and fears.
Jackie Gillard, services manager of CEGA Air Ambulance, commented: “This endorsement is testament to CEGA’s expertise in the air ambulance sector, built up over 40 years’ service in the industry. The relevance of the CQC is recognised by all our clients in the [UK National Health Service] and beyond, and the essential standards of quality and safety are seen as central to our work in transporting sick and injured patients.”
Originally set up to inspect care homes, the CQC’s mandate has been expanded to include all providers delivering healthcare in England; its jurisdiction does not include any other part of the UK (Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland). Waypoint understands that the CQC’s relationship with air ambulance providers is still under discussion, as the regulatory framework was largely formed to deal with static healthcare providers (buildings) or ground-based ambulance providers; fixed-wing air ambulance vehicles are considerably more mobile, and much of the healthcare provided may be ‘over’ rather than ‘in’ England, or outside England altogether.