Great North Air Ambulance Service rated as 'outstanding'

The inspection said there was a "high standard of care and treatment" to patients

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has been deemed "outstanding" in its first ever rating by inspectors.

The GNAAS is a charity providing emergency and critical care across north-east England, Cumbria and North Yorkshire by helicopter or rapid response vehicles.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found GNAAS delivered "outstanding care".

The inspection, held in July, concluded the whole team should be congratulated for their commitment.

Inspectors said they were "extremely impressed by the level of care" patients received.

It found managers and the 12 members of GNAAS staff it talked to during the inspection were "extremely passionate" about their work and were "well trained, sometimes in more than one role".

The service, which began in the 1990s, was rated as outstanding overall for being safe and well-led, and rated "good" for being effective, caring and responsive.

Both of the charities' sites at Progress House in Eaglescliffe, Teesside, and at Langwathby, near Penrith in Cumbria were inspected.

Inspectors were impressed at how staff treated patients with "compassion and kindness"

Sarah Dronsfield, CQC head of hospital inspection, said: "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 were proud to work for the charity. Leaders inspired shared purpose to deliver and motivate staff to succeed."

Inspectors were impressed by the software used by the charity which allows dispatch staff to access a mobile phone from anyone at the scene of an incident, such as someone making a call to emergency services or an emergency service worker already there.

They found by sharing the location and videos of the scene it helped the GNAAS team to identify what medical help was needed before they arrived.

It also said the service showed "outstanding practice" in being involved in a pilot project to develop a jet suit to assist with remote rescues.