HMP Humber (Prison Healthcare)

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked at 1 quality statement in this key question. We found the provider was not delivering well led care in accordance with the relevant regulations. Processes related to the emergency and critical medicines cupboard required improvement and embedding into practice. However, systems and processes had improved in relation to LTC and falls.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Shared direction and culture is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.

The judgement for Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.

The judgement for Freedom to speak up is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.

The judgement for Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.

Following our last inspection in November 2024, Spectrum introduced an enhanced support plan to monitor and oversee, up to director level, the necessary changes required to improve the service.

During this inspection we found that managers and staff had made most of the necessary changes to improve the service in relation to LTC and falls. This included effective care pathways, increased clinic availability, improved care planning and audits. A quality improvement project relating to asthma had also been delivered, resulting in a 75% reduction in the prescribing of some medicines. Spectrum have completed a provider wide project focussing on the delivery of LTC care across their health and justice locations, managers told us the outcome will shape the development of Spectrum’s LTC strategy.

However, insufficient progress had been made in relation to the management of the emergency and critical medicines cupboard. Since our last inspection Spectrum had introduced a new standard operating procedure to provide guidance to staff and managers in relation to the use and required monitoring of the cupboard. During this inspection we found repeated issues that we had previously identified, we found little improvement in the records and audits of the use of the emergency and critical medicines cupboard.

The enhanced support plan, although updated in July 2025 with ‘improvement across all areas’, did not reflect the concerns we identified during this inspection. Assurance provided through this plan to directors was inaccurate; weekly staff checks had not been embedded, and managers checks had failed to identify discrepancies in dispensing of medicines and stock balances. This meant staff were not reporting medicines related incidents and opportunities had been missed to reduce risk and improve oversight.

Feedback from partners

Through regular performance reporting and onsite quality visits, feedback from NHS England commissioners prior to this inspection reflected some of the concerns we found on site.

The judgement for Partnerships and communities is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.

The judgement for Learning, improvement and innovation is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Well-led key question.