Thames Valley Air Ambulance in Oxfordshire receives Outstanding rating by Care Quality Commission

Thames Valley Air Ambulance is an independent ambulance service and is based at RAF Benson, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The service primarily serves the communities of the Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire.

Inspectors rated the service as Outstanding for being safe, caring and well-led and Good for being effective and responsive to people’s needs.

Amanda McLean, CEO of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: "I am delighted with the CQC report and incredibly proud of the fabulous team that come together to deliver this vital service across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

"Patient care and safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re delighted that the CQC recognises this. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supports us as we are only able to operate thanks to the generosity of the communities that we serve.

"We will continue to develop our service through innovative technology and research to further enhance the care we are able to provide."

The Thames Valley Air Ambulance became the first air ambulance in the country to achieve the highest grade available from the CQC.

With only one in 20 registered health and social care services currently rated as ‘Outstanding’, this result recognises them as one of the best emergency care providers in the country.

The rating comes just one year after they became a fully-independent healthcare provider.

Catherine Campbell, head of hospital inspection for the south east said: "Thames Valley Air Ambulance are providing an exceptional service. The service is using innovative ways to ensure that people get the attention they need, in the right place and at the right time.

"There was a strong culture of openness, honesty and learning and there was evidence of sharing practice with others, and an ethos for embracing constant opportunity for learning and improving.

“Credit must go to the hard work and commitment of the staff and leadership team. We will continue to monitor the trust’s performance and will return to hopefully report on further improvements in due course.”

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

The CQC has stopped routine inspections from Monday March 16, to focus on supporting providers to deliver safe care during COVID-19 pandemic.

CQC’s primary objective will be to support providers to keep people safe during this period of unprecedented pressure on the health and care system.