THE boss of a private ambulance service in York has defended the company after inspectors reported significant safety concerns.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors visited Yormed in Little Hallfield Road after it received "concerning information about the operation of some aspects of the service".

Although the CQC does not give formal ratings to independent ambulance services like Yormed, it raised concerns over issues including safety, record keeping, staff training and vehicle cleanliness.

The report, which was published on December 29, came after an inspection on July 1 and 2.

Chief officer Ashley Mason said Yormed had gone through a lot of changes in the last year and was confident it would receive a better report if inspected now.

Despite the inspection being in July, Mr Mason said his company was not shown a draft report until mid-November.

He also stressed a lot of the concerns raised were to do with administration and these were being resolved.

In its key findings, the CQC report stated: "We found significant concerns regarding the safety of the service.

"Central records were not kept for incidents, vehicle defects, risk assessments, staff employed or training.

"Staff training and competency assessments were unsatisfactory.

"Some training was out of date and some staff involved with training were not qualified.

"Staff records were incomplete in respect of some recruitment checks. Staff worked excess hours without taking correct breaks.

"The service followed operational procedures in relation to infection control but vehicles did not appear clean.

"No formal system existed for recording complaints although very few complaints were received.

"No clinical audits were undertaken. Managers signing staff competency booklets were not appropriately qualified to do so.

"There was no whistleblowing policy to provide assurance for staff.

"Feedback we reviewed from patients and their relatives was positive and commented on the caring attitude of staff."

Yormed was given 17 tasks it 'must' ensure are undertaken to deal with the concerns raised and a further three it 'should' ensure.

Mr Mason said: "I don't want to sit here and throw mud, but the inspection was about six months ago.

"To call them serious concerns I think is a little bit misleading.

"The company has changed so much in the last 12 months.

"The report is more saying that we have not got the evidence to prove what we are doing.

"We have now got more administrators. We have got a new lead paramedic and a new lead nurse.

"The paperwork will be in the place where the CQC want to see it next time.

He added: "The positive things include what they say about the caring staff.

"The report gives the example of one of our staff holding the hand of a palliative patient.

"We are really proud of what we do. I think we have been let down by the administration side."

Mr Mason said Yormed has 20 permanent staff and 15 bank nurses and paramedics.

Most of Yormed's work comes from sub-contracted jobs, often where the NHS does not have sufficient resources.