Archived: HMP Belmarsh and HMP Thameside (healthcare)

Updated 6 June 2023

HMP Thameside is a local/reception category B establishment. The prison is located within Thamesmead, Greenwich, England and accommodates up to 1232 male adult prisoners. The prison is privately run by Serco.

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is the healthcare provider at HMP Thameside. The provider is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activities at the location: Treatment of disease, disorder or injury and Diagnostic and screening procedures.

Our last joint inspection with HMIP was in November 2021. The joint inspection report can be found at:

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/hmp-thameside-3/

Updated 6 June 2023

We carried out an announced focused inspection of healthcare services provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, remotely on 09,12,16 and 17 May 2023.

Following our joint inspection with HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in November 2021 we found that the quality of healthcare provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust at HMP Thameside required improvement. We issued a Requirement Notice in relation to Regulation 12, Safe Care and Treatment and Regulation 16, Complaints, of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. In December 2022 we followed up the concerns reported in the requirement notice and found that they had not been met. We reissued the requirement notices.

The purpose of this focused inspection was to determine if the healthcare services provided were meeting the legal requirements of the Requirement Notices that we issued in November 2021 and subsequently in December 2022 and to find out if patients were receiving safe care and treatment. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made and that concerns had either been fully addressed or significant improvement had been made.

We do not currently rate services provided in prisons.

At this inspection we found:

• Systems and processes to administer medicines for patients had improved. Patients who had missed doses of medicines were followed up and either subsequently received their prescribed medication or there was adequate justification why they were missed. We found the systems for managing medicines reconciliation had improved, although due to staffing shortages this did not happen consistently. Quality control checks for the blood glucose monitor were completed regularly, although when results were out of range, staff did not escalate this issue.
• Complaints were responded to consistently. Staff had responded to the complaints in full or ensured that concerns raised were investigated and acted on. Staff informed the patient how to escalate concerns if they remained dissatisfied with the response. However, we noted that there was no process in place to respond to complainants who had been transferred or released.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• The provider should ensure that medicines reconciliation checks are undertaken for all patients in a timely manner and that when blood glucose quality control check results are out of range, this is escalated in line with policy.
• The provider should ensure there is a process in place to respond to complainants who have been released or transferred.