Air Ambulance receives ‘Outstanding’ rating from regulator

Following an unannounced inspection that took place last summer, Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) has welcomed the report from the Care Quality Commission which confirmed an ‘Outstanding’ rating for its clinical services.

The report praises WNAA’s service in its overall approach in ensuring it was ‘planned and organised so it met the needs of the local population,’ and that ‘staff were experienced, qualified and had the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of patients, referencing that ‘outcomes for people who use services were positive, consistent, and regularly exceeded expectations.’

The service is based in Coventry Airport and following the CQC inspection, the service was rated outstanding overall, as well as for being safe, caring and well-led. This was the first time the service had been inspected.

The leadership, governance and culture were seen to be used positively to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centred care. The CQC also describes the organisation’s leaders as having ‘the skills, knowledge, experience and integrity to run the service,’ while supporting staff to develop their skills, and ‘were driven to provide high-quality person-centred care.’

“I’m delighted that the charity has achieved the highest overall rating from the CQC; it clearly validates our service’s purpose and recognises the high quality of emergency and urgent care that we deliver every single day.

“I have seen first-hand the dedication, professionalism, and passion of the frontline teams who work in the delivery of our lifesaving service, as well as colleagues across the charity, and those generous people who support us by volunteering, leaving a legacy, fundraising for us, visiting our stores, or sharing their story – this success is a credit to everyone.”

Peta Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, WNAA.

The service has been serving its communities across Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and further afield, when called upon, for over 20 years, providing critical care within minutes to those in greatest need.,

For more news on how air ambulances operate read Lynda Barrow’s article on Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s multi agency collaboration.