SOUTH East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) remains in special measures but chief executive Daren Mochrie is confident it is now on the ‘right path’.

The NHS ambulance was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between July and September last year and CQC concluded n November 2018 that although some areas had improved, it was “too early” to judge if the improvements were sustainable.

SECAmb, which covers Surrey, Sussex, North East Hampshire and Kent, was previously rated inadequate following inspections in 2016 and 2017.

This week, Mr Mochrie said he was pleased to see progress across all areas in the results from the annual NHS staff survey. The results of individual questions, grouped into ten key themes, represent the best-ever scores for SECAmb since they were introduced in 2014, and when compared with last year’s scores, show significant improvements in every area where comparison is possible.

The trust also saw its highest response rate with 53 per cent of staff completing the survey compared to a sector average of 49 per cent.

Compared to 2017, more staff look forward to going to work and more enthusiastic about their jobs. The number of staff who would recommend SECAmb as a place to work has risen nearly 20 percent in a year.

The trust’s executive team have shared particular areas of focus with the board. Directors will then work with their senior teams to establish priorities for the year.

Mr Mochrie said: “I am very pleased with the improvements in our results and welcome the progress that has been made in all areas.

“I want to thank everyone for working so hard over the past year and for their continued commitment to make SECAmb a better place to work.

“A big thank you also to everyone who took the time to complete the survey and ensure we achieved our highest response. The trust is fully aware it still has a lot of work ahead to make the necessary improvements across the organisation.”