Background to this inspection
Updated
11 February 2019
HMP & YOI Chelmsford is a local Category B male adult and young offenders institution. The prison is located in the city of Chelmsford, England and accommodates up to 745 adult prisoners and young offenders. The prison is operated by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) provides health and social care and clinical substance misuse services at the prison. Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is registered with CQC to provide the regulated activity of Treatment of disease, disorder or injury at the location HMP Chelmsford.
Our last joint inspection with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) was in June 2018. The joint inspection report can be found at:
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/hmp-yoi-chelmsford/
Updated
11 February 2019
We carried out an announced focused inspection of healthcare services provided by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust at HMP Chelmsford between 23 and 25 October 2018.
Following our last joint inspection with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in June 2018, we found that the quality of healthcare provided by the trust at this location required significant improvement, and we issued a warning notice to the trust under section 29A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
The purpose of the inspection was to determine if the healthcare services provided by the trust were 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.
We do not currently rate services provided in prisons.
At this inspection we found:
- The systems for secondary health screenings and sexual health were much improved.
- Whilst some improvements had been made, medicines were not managed safely and consistently.
- Further work was required to ensure the effective management of mental health patients and ensure personalised care plans were in place for all patients.
- Significant improvements had been made to the complaints system, however responses were not always timely and recording needed to be improved.
- Governance systems had improved since our last inspection and staffing challenges were well managed.
- Lessons learned from incidents and complaints were not widely shared to enhance service delivery.