Inspectors have issued three warning notices to HMP Styal
Inmates at Cheshire's HMP Styal were subjected to harm due to healthcare delays, a new report reveals. One diabetic inmate was neglected for hours without insulin or blood sugar checks, leading to hospitalisation with severe complications, inspectors have said.
A report warned of a 'strong possibility' that the inconsistency and missed treatment played a part in her health decline. HMP Styal's healthcare is managed by Spectrum Community Health CIC, which delivers care to some 11,000 inmates across 15 UK prisons. The service provider has been accused of not reporting incidents causing patient harm, such as serious errors or shortcomings in medication to the CQC.
During visits in April and May 2024, inspectors found primary healthcare at the prison was in a 'fragile state'. They reported that staffing levels were 'not sufficient to meet the needs of the population' and noted the service's struggle to retain staff, with a heavy reliance on temporary workers. The inspector's report highlighted serious concerns regarding the healthcare service at the prison, noting it did not always function in a safe and clean environment. The report added: "Many of the treatment rooms we inspected were cluttered, dirty and worn with damaged surfaces leading to potential infection risks."
In this unit, they also reported an unwashed methadone beaker containing roughly 3ml of unused methadone. Inspectors have noted that 'staff worked in cramped conditions and did not always have access to a sink'. They also stated that the current healthcare facilities 'were not sufficient for healthcare's needs' as patients ended up queuing on stairs or outside the building.
Complaints from prisoners regarding healthcare at Styal focused mainly on issues with accessing treatment and medication, during the period between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 101 informal complaints and six formal complaints logged. Staff were occasionally using medications from their supply stock or from other patient's medicine when patient-specific medicine was unavailable. Inspectors deemed this as 'not appropriate'.
Patients were found to have their own medicines, including antipsychotics and antidepressants, even when records stated they did not, and one patient was storing medication in a shared bedroom instead of a secure locker.
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