AN INDEPENDENT ambulance provider in the district is no longer legally allowed to provide services. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took enforcement action against Keighley-based KFA Medical Ltd after a damning catalogue of failures was found, which included dirty equipment and staff not having “appropriate skills and training”. 

Inspectors visited KFA, which provided a range of services including urgent and emergency paramedic and first aid medical care, blood and organ transport, first aid training and patient transport services, in June to look at whether it was safe and well-led.

This was to follow up on previous inspections carried out in January and March 2021, when the service was suspended due to risks identified around patient safety. But the latest inspection prompted concern about the lack of improvement made so KFA’s registration was cancelled.

This means it can no longer provide transport services, remote triage and medical advice, or the treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

Sarah Dronsfield, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, said: “When CQC visited KFA Medical Ltd, we found a service that wasn’t providing the safe and effective care that people using its service should be able to expect. 

“We have been working with the provider since their suspension in January, however when we carried out this inspection, we found the provider had been unable to implement and sustain the necessary improvements to assure us that people were receiving safe care.

“It was concerning that staff did not have the appropriate skills and training to keep people safe from avoidable harm.

"We were told by the provider that training would not be given until the suspension was lifted, however this did not provide us with assurance that staff would be appropriately qualified to carry out safe care. We found that the provider did not have appropriate infection, prevention and control measures in place. Equipment, vehicles and premises were dirty which exposed staff and patients to the risk of harm. 

“This action should send a very clear message to all providers of independent health and care services that while taking enforcement action of this nature is not something we take lightly, we will always take action where appropriate to protect the health and safety of patients.   

“We will continue to work closely with providers and commissioners to highlight to them that the safe care and treatment of people using services is our highest priority and people deserve safe, effective, high-quality care.” 

Concerns were raised that KFA still did not have a mandatory training policy; staff could not demonstrate they understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service did not control infection risk well.

Inspectors also found that KFA had “no specific eligibility criteria to ensure patient transport services (PTS) staff were competent to meet patient’s needs” and “staff did not have the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment”. 

When contacted by the Telegraph & Argus, KFA Medical said: “We at KFA Medical a few months ago voluntarily agreed with CQC to remove our registration.”