Background to this inspection
Updated
6 April 2023
HMP Featherstone is a Category C prison in the West Midlands which receives men from remand prisons. The prison is located near Wolverhampton and accommodates up to 687 prisoners. The prison is operated by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.
Health services at HMP Featherstone are commissioned by NHS England. The contract for the provision of healthcare services is held by PPG. PPG is registered with CQC to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
Our previous comprehensive inspection was conducted jointly with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in May 2022 and published on the HMIP website on 31 August 2022. We found a breach of Regulation 12, Safe care and treatment and Regulation 18, Staffing.
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/hmp-featherstone-4/
Updated
6 April 2023
We carried out an announced follow up inspection of healthcare services provided by Practice Plus Group Health and Rehabilitation Services Limited (PPG) at HMP Featherstone to follow up on requirement notices issued after our last inspection in May 2022.
At the last inspection, we found the quality of healthcare provided by PPG at this location required improvement. We issued Requirement Notices in relation to Regulation 12, Safe care and treatment and Regulation 18, Staffing.
The purpose of this inspection was to determine if the healthcare services provided by PPG were meeting the legal requirements of the requirement notices that we issued in August 2022, and to determine if the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and that prisoners were receiving safe care and treatment.
At this inspection we found the required improvements had been made and the provider was meeting the regulations.
We do not currently rate services provided in prisons. We highlight good practice and issues that service providers need to improve and take regulatory action as necessary.
At this inspection we found:
- Staffing had improved and recruitment was ongoing to fill remaining vacancies.
- Regular bank and agency staff filled gaps in the rota to ensure safer staffing levels.
- Medicines administration was carried out professionally and competently.
- Short notice staff sickness and prison incidents meant that medicines administration was sometimes delayed.
- Staff took appropriate action when patients did not attend to collect their medicines.
- Governance arrangements relating to medicines management had improved although further improvements could still be made.
- Staff gave positive feedback about leaders and an improved working environment.
The provider should:
- Carry out regular balance checks of controlled drugs and record these in the controlled drug register.
- Implement an audit trail for items taken out of the emergency medicines stock cupboard.
- Remind staff of the importance of reporting all incidents and near misses.