News Release

Capital Air Ambulance passes quality inspection with flying colours

Capital Air Ambulance (CAA), the UK's largest EURAMI accredited air ambulance operator, has successfully completed its annual CQC inspection for 2018 with a strong performance that saw the aeromedical service praised for going above and beyond the requirements laid down in law.

As the aeromedical brand of Rigby Group's aviation division, Britain's number one provider of fixed wing air ambulance services, CAA provides medical assistance and medical repatriation flights 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from its UK bases at Birmingham and Exeter airports. 

The Quality Care Commission report, based on a detailed inspection covering all aspects of CAA's global air ambulance operation, praised the company for its “outstanding practice” in several key areas:

- “The CAA team went above and beyond to support patients and their families when planning missions. Staff worked 24 hours a day, and where necessary across different time zones to safely plan missions for patients. Family members of the patient were provided with direct telephone contact details in more complex cases. This provided the patients family with much required reassurance and keep them informed of the mission plans.”

- “We (the CQC) saw very detailed risk assessments of patients who had a number of complex needs. A number of staff had input into these and they were shared with all staff who would be involved in their care and transfer. These included all actions needed to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risk. Due to patients being transferred by aircraft staff had to make sure they had assessed all risks as any issues whilst being airborne would be very difficult to address.”

- “The medical director had written and contributed to the small amount of literature available to provide support and guidance in the aeromedical industry.”

- “Many systems and processes within the service were bespoke to meet the needs of the service and the patients using it.”

Responding to the report, CAA founder and director Lisa Humphries said: “We are delighted that not only was the CQC inspection team satisfied with all aspects of our operations, but that we were praised for demonstrating the very best practices throughout. 

“We have invested heavily in equipment and staff training with the express intention of offering the best possible aeromedical services to customers in the UK and beyond, and to see that work formally recognised is a significant step forward for CAA and the many dedicated team members who have worked so hard to make it what it is.

“Capital's worldwide reach in high quality air ambulance service provision is based on this commitment to excellence, and we will not be resting on our laurels. The progress we have made to improve services will be sustained, and we will continue to invest not only in maintaining the gold standard service to which we aspire, but also in driving growth across our brand by retaining, growing and developing opportunities with our current customer base and through the development of new revenue opportunities.”