The region's air ambulance has been given a glowing report by inspectors, with four areas highlighted as outstanding.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) last month and released their report into the service yesterday (Wednesday).

The CQC highlighted four areas of outstanding practice at EAAA's Norwich base:

• The service routinely used patient data to improve patient outcomes;

• The use of ultrasound scanning and arterial monitoring/blood gases had become routine in trauma and cardiac arrest care in EAAA, unlike in other pre-hospital services;

• In February EAAA was ranked 43rd in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to work for;

• The service was shortlisted for the Association of Air Ambulance Awards in the categories of Volunteer of the Year, Young Person of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Paramedic of the Year and Air Ops Support Staff Member of the Year.

Matthew Jones, director of operations at EAAA, said: 'A lot of hard work and dedication from the entire charity staff goes in to making EAAA operate the way it does, so to receive this very positive report is an absolute credit to everyone here. The aim of EAAA is to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients. To know that the service we are providing has been thoroughly inspected and proven to be operating at a high standard is fantastic, and we are looking forward to the next report from the inspection of our Cambridge base which will be released shortly.'

Patrick Peal, chief executive, added: 'Providing the very best care for our patients is the absolute driving force behind everything we do. We have always believed we are doing the best for them, but to receive such brilliant feedback is incredibly reaffirming. I am immensely proud of everything the team has achieved, and would also take this opportunity to thank our supporters, who are the ones that make everything we do possible'.

EAAA is a charity and receives no government funding. To find out more, visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 03450 669 999.