Wednesday November 9, 2022: All St John Ambulance services regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have all been inspected and rated as ‘Good’, including some outstanding practice.

The charity, which started a four-year contract with NHS England to provide the nation’s ambulance auxiliary in August, scored highly across all four of its regions, plus its Sussex-based homeless service.

St John Ambulance’s Director of Health and Volunteering Operations, Craig Harman says: “During a year when many ambulance services have been struggling, we should recognise what a massive achievement it is for our crews to get such a rousing affirmation from the Care Quality Commission.

“It’s particularly moving to see how our people were noted for – as the CQC put it – showing extensive ‘compassion and kindness’ to patients – because those are our values and that’s what St John is all about.”

Outstanding practice was noted in three of the four reports into ambulance services, with St John’s commitments to investing in fleet and improving organisational culture, plus the contribution of skilled volunteers in caring for patients highlighted.

Ambulance hubs inspected included St John premises in London, West Bromwich, Stockport and Brighton.

And St John’s Homeless Service, which operates in Brighton and Hastings, was also rated as good, with outstanding features.

The charity’s Director of Quality and Safety, Niloufar Hajilou adds: “To be rated this highly across all five of our regulated services is a powerful endorsement of the incredible effort all St John people put in to ensure the care we deliver to patients is professional and compassionate.

“I could not be more proud of our people for their continuous dedication and commitment to the provision of high quality care.

“The last couple of years have been tough for everyone working in frontline healthcare, and there is always room for improvement, but St John is working hard and investing in our infrastructure, staff and volunteers to ensure we maintain these standards and get even better in the years to come.”

All five CQC reports can be found on St John Ambulance’s website.