HMP Drake Hall

Updated 9 February 2018

HMP Drake Hall is a closed women’s prison for adults and young offenders, located in Eccleshall, Staffordshire which can accommodate 340 prisoners. Care UK Rehabilitation Services Limited had been providing healthcare services at the location since it was registered with CQC on 12 April 2016. Care UK Rehabilitation Services Limited provides a range of primary and mental healthcare services to prisoners, generally comparable to those found in the wider community. This includes GP, nurse led and pharmacy services. The location is registered to provide the regulated activities treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening procedures.

Updated 9 February 2018

We carried out an announced focussed inspection on 12 December 2017. This inspection was carried out to follow up on concerns raised during a previous inspection in July 2016, following which we issued two Requirement Notices. We inspected only those aspects detailed in the Requirement Notices dated 9 December 2016. We do not currently rate services provided in prisons.

CQC and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) undertake joint inspections under a memorandum of understanding. Further information on this and the joint methodology can be found by accessing the following website:

  http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/health-and-care-criminal-justice-system

CQC inspect under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions.

CQC inspected this service with HMIP between the 18 and 22 July 2016. This report can be found by accessing the following website:

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/?s&location=drake-hall

We found evidence that fundamental standards were not being met and Requirement Notices were issued in relation to Regulation 9 (Person centred care) and Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We subsequently asked the provider to make improvements regarding these breaches. We checked these areas as part of this focussed inspection and found the provider had taken some action to address the issues identified, however further work was needed.

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We did not inspect the safe domain in full at this inspection. We inspected only those aspects detailed in the Requirement Notices issued as a result of the inspection in July 2016.

We found that the provider had taken some action to improve their systems to help ensure the proper and safe management of medicines, however further improvements were needed.

Systems were in place to ensure that clinical equipment was routinely serviced.

Are services effective?

We did not inspect the effective domain at this inspection.

Are services caring?  

We did not inspect the caring domain at this inspection.

Are services responsive?

We did not inspect the responsive domain in full at this inspection. We inspected only those aspects detailed in the Requirement Notices issued as a result of the inspection in July 2016.

We found that the provider had taken some action to reduce waiting times for various clinics. However, women waited too long for routine appointments for some clinics. The rates of women not attending for their healthcare appointments was too high and this impacted upon waiting times.

Care planning, long term condition management and the support available to pregnant and post-natal women had improved.

Are services well-led?

We did not inspect the well-led domain at this inspection.