Healthcare in Prisons – November 2013
In April this year, the way that healthcare in prison is run changed because the NHS was restructured. A lot of healthcare in England will be provided by groups of GPs, in clinical commissioning groups. Prison healthcare is different, though, as it is now overseen by an organisation called NHS England. They have 10 teams across England that will commission, monitor and manage all the contracts for prison health.
In April this year, the way that healthcare in prison is run changed because the NHS was restructured. A lot of healthcare in England will be provided by groups of GPs, in clinical commissioning groups. Prison healthcare is different, though, as it is now overseen by an organisation called NHS England. They have 10 teams across England that will commission, monitor and manage all the contracts for prison health.
By 2015, the aim is that all prison healthcare – whoever provides it -will be commissioned by NHS England. The overall aim is still that people in prison should receive the same quality of service as those in the community. The government mandate to NHS England is that they should develop better healthcare services for people in the criminal justice system. Healthcare should also be coordinated so that there is ongoing healthcare when people come into prison from the community and when they leave prison too.
This also means that all prisoners now have access to the NHS complaint system, if needed. The NHS can now investigate any healthcare service in prison, whoever the provider is. If you are concerned about your healthcare, the first step is to complain directly to the service provider. They should have their own complaints process and be able to give you information on this. This is a different process to making a complaint about the prison system.
If you would like help making a complaint about your healthcare local authorities (councils) have been given the responsibility for NHS complaints advocacy services. These are replacing the former ICAS service which helped people who wanted to take up a complaint about an NHS practitioner or service. It is not yet clear how these advocacy services will work in prisons. Although an independent complaints advocacy service can help you to make the complaint, they cannot investigate the complaint itself
If you have made an initial complaint to your healthcare provider and are not satisfied, you can then take a complaint to NHS England. You can make a complaint by post or by telephone. The phone number is 0300 311 12233, open 8 am to 6pm, (not bank holidays). The address is: Complaints Manager NHS England PO Box 16738 Redditch B97 9PT
You need to provide your name and address, details of your complaint and any letters or documents. NHS England aims to respond within 20 working days.
Remember, this process is different if you are complaining about a hospital or a GP in the community. It is also different if you are in a prison in Wales. Please contact us if you need details of how to make these complaints.
If you receive a response from NHS England and are unhappy with this, the final stage of the complaints system is to go through the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). They have the same powers as a court of law. NHS England has to give the PHSO any information they need to help them investigate your complaint.
from insidetime issue November 2013
