HTG (UK) Limited

Updated 31 May 2023

HTG (UK) Limited, which was formerly registered with the CQC as Thames Ambulance service, is operated by Health Transportation Group (UK) Limited.

The service provides a non-emergency patient transport service from the Canvey Island, Essex, Location and several satellite sites. The service transports patients from hospital to home or other care providers. The service also transports patients from home to outpatient appointments, renal dialysis units and chemotherapy units.

The service is registered to provide the following regulated activity:

• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely.

The service provides transport to adult and children patients across Mid and South Essex. The service carried out 160,400 patient journeys from April 2022 to March 2023. Of these, 51,514 were renal dialysis patient journeys, 26,654 were patient hospital discharge and 82,086 were patient outpatient appointments. The service also completed 146 patient journeys with children during the reporting period.

The registered manager for this service had been in post since March 2023.

The service was previously inspected in May 2019 and was issued with a requirement notice and rated requires improvement.

Updated 31 May 2023

Our rating of this location stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills, however not all staff had completed it.
• The service monitored agreed response times so that they could facilitate good outcomes for patients, however they did not always meet them.
• The service did not always make sure staff were competent for their roles.
• Patients could not always access the service when they needed it, in line with national standards.
• Leaders did not always operate effective governance processes to fully assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.

However:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence-based practice.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their treatment.
• The service took account of patients’ individual needs and made it easy for people to give feedback.
• Leaders had the skills and abilities to run the service. The service had a vision for what it wanted to achieve and a strategy to turn it into action, developed with all relevant stakeholders. Staff felt respected, supported and valued.

Updated 31 May 2023

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement.

See the summary above for details.