Two recent reviews highlight the need for essential changes to be made within the prison services healthcare sector.
These reviews highlight issues that we see regularly in inquests where we represent prison healthcare providers.
The Long Wait: a Thematic Review of Delays in the Transfer of Mentally Unwell Prisoners by Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, explores how many seriously mentally unwell individuals remain living in prisons where there are no suitable provisions in the community for them to stay. Consequently, the strain on prison staff, prisoners and the individual themselves can be extremely damaging and cause ‘irreversible harm’. The review continues that early treatment for mental disorders is vital and the focus should be on promptly moving patients from prisons to secure hospitals as a matter of priority as in some instances, people remain in prisons for weeks and months before transfer. One example highlighted that only 25% of urgent referrals were transferred to secure hospitals within 28 days. Lack of mental health training and resources contribute to these issues.
The second review, that of The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody, together with the Royal College of Nursing identifies where natural deaths in prisons might be prevented. A series of recommendations suggest that robust processes and training sessions should be implemented to improve communications and monitor interventions. The report suggests that regular standing meetings between the Prison and Probation Ombudsman may improve learning and investigations and create a national oversight mechanism to monitor deaths in custody more efficiently.
The key takeaways from these reviews are:
- Early intervention and treatment should be placed as a priority for patients to be moved out of prisons and into secure hospitals.
- Fundamental change is required to place the patient at the centre of care, ensuring they receive the care they urgently require.
- Enhanced communication, training and review may assist in achieving these essential changes.
- Prison healthcare services
- Mental health
- Death in custody
For further information, please contact:
Kate Fawell-Comley, Hill Dickinson
kate.fawell-comley@hilldickinson.com
