12, 13 May 2014
During a routine inspection
Most of the prisoners we spoke with felt that the healthcare staff treated them well. We observed staff being polite and caring even when under pressure. All the prisoners told us that they were treated in privacy when seeing a healthcare professional for treatment, tests or consultations with the doctor. We observed that prisoners were treated in privacy when attending appointments in the healthcare centre. However we saw there was little privacy for prisoners during the medicine rounds on the wings.
Prisoners told us that they had difficulty getting appointments with doctors and the dentist. Some told us that they thought the healthcare staff on the wings were dismissive of them when they felt unwell. However, they were generally happy with the healthcare they received from the doctors and nursing staff during appointments. They told us there was inconsistency in the times they received their medicine, especially at the weekend, however we found that this was due to the times for locking and unlocking prisoners as stipulated by the prison.
The provider worked well in cooperating with other services to ensure prisoners received safe and coordinated care. Staff were trained and supported to deliver the service and meet prisoners' needs.
There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care.