- Prison healthcare
HMP Durham
Assessment report published 19 June 2026
Contents
Judgements
Our view of the service
HMP Durham is a category B reception prison located in Durham operated by HM Prison and Probation Service, with a capacity of approximately 985 prisoners.
Spectrum Community Health CIC (Spectrum) is commissioned by NHS England to provide primary care and clinical substance misuse services at the prison. Spectrum is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to deliver the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures, and the treatment of disease, disorder, or injury.
We carried out an announced inspection of the healthcare services provided by Spectrum at HMP Durham on 10 June 2026. This inspection followed a regulatory breach identified during our previous inspection in June 2025.
During this inspection, we assessed 3 quality statements. We found that the provider had made improvements since the previous inspection and was no longer in breach of Regulation 17 (Good Governance).
Administrative processes had been strengthened to better support clinical functions, ensuring patient applications were managed effectively. Oversight of the enhanced primary care unit (EPCU) had also improved, with systems and processes now embedded to support the safe and effective management of patient care.
We do not currently rate healthcare services in prisons. Instead, we highlight good practice and identify areas where providers need to improve, taking regulatory action when necessary.