- Prison healthcare
Archived: HMP YOI Low Newton
All Inspections
1 November 2011
During a routine inspection
People said the Care UK Clinical Services staff were very approachable and supportive. The people using the in-patient care unit were positive about how these staff interacted with them and cared for their needs. People told us how in times of distress these staff had visited their cells to make sure they were fine and were very helpful. People also told us that when they first came into prison the staff had checked them over and provided them with a good range of information about the healthcare services in the prison. They felt these staff were sensitive and really put them at ease.
A large number of the people mentioned that they found it problematic that their prescribed sleeping tablets had to be administered at 6.30 pm, which led to them being awake again at midnight. They said this happened because of the prison rules. Others mentioned that there had been some drug errors. When we explored this they related to the doctor discontinuing people's sleeping tablets and that after two days of receiving homely medications they were asked to see the GP. Others said they had heard that people had been given the wrong amounts of methadone medication. Also they mentioned the there was a much higher level of scrutiny given to checking that people had taken their methadone, which they felt led to their dignity being compromised. People, however, also said that when they had raised a compliant about these matters with the healthcare unit this had been dealt with properly.
The people using the addiction service were positive about how the nursing staff cared for them. They felt these staff went the extra mile to make sure they were supported to undergo a detox. However, most of the people commented negatively about the medical practitioners contracted to provide methadone prescriptions. They had found that the doctor would not at times prescribe medication even when they had been on methadone programme in the community. People said this had left them experiencing marked withdrawal symptoms but added that the actual nursing staff had acted as their advocate with the doctor and made sure they got their scripts as quickly as possible.