The Care Quality Commission
  • Prison healthcare

HMP Woodhill

Department of Healthcare, Wisewood Road, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 4DA

Provided and run by:
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Important: This service was previously managed by a different provider - see old profile

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

HMP Woodhill is a Category B prison operated by His Majesty’s Prison Service (HMIP). The prison is in Milton Keynes and accommodates up to 644 adult male prisoners. Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) is the provider of healthcare services at HMP Woodhill, but subcontracts the provision of healthcare services at the prison to Central and Northwest London NHS Trust. 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. We accompanied His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) on their independent review of progress to conduct a focused inspection of healthcare services at HMP Woodhill. At our last joint inspection with HMIP in August 2023, we found that the quality of healthcare provided by NHFT at this location required improvement. We issued a Requirement Notice in relation to Regulation 11-Need for Consent, Regulation 12, Safe care and treatment and Regulation 17, Good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The purpose of this focused inspection was to determine if the healthcare services provided by NHFT were meeting their legal requirements. During the inspection, we looked at a range of records, observed clinical activities and spoke with staff and managers. We found that good improvements had been made, and NHFT was no longer in breach of the regulations.

19 & 20 September 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We undertook a focused inspection on the 20 and 21 September 2017 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection was to follow up on a Requirement Notice that we issued following a previous focused inspection in September 2016 and to check that the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The trust was focused on increasing staffing levels and had implemented a rolling recruitment programme. To ensure a range of services were provided to patients, managers at the trust had reviewed the service and recruited a number of associate mental health practitioners to provide group work and one to one therapies.
  • Joint working between partner agencies had developed since our previous inspection and was fully embedded across healthcare services.
  • Prisoners could now self-refer to mental health services.
  • Patients we spoke with were positive about their contact and experience of healthcare services within HMP Woodhill.

During a check to make sure that the improvements required had been made

The provider submitted to us an action plan and evidence to show that appropriate action had been taken to address issues identified within the complaints system.

We found that there was now a system in place to ensure that complaints about healthcare remained confidential. A flow chart had been developed to ensure that there was a clear process for complaints and that staff were aware of the process to follow. We saw evidence that responses were being monitored to ensure that they were appropriate and of sufficient quality.

20, 21 January 2014

During a themed inspection looking at Offender Healthcare

We spoke to five people about the service they received from the health centre. People gave us mixed views of the service they received. One person was dissatisfied with the service he received and told us he considered the staff were impolite. Another person told us he had to wait for 6 weeks for an appointment to assess his mental health needs, adding, 'Once I got here it was fantastic.' Another person said he waited two weeks for appointments for either physical or mental health needs and was satisfied with the service he received.

We saw records that people had a health screening assessment at the time they were admitted to the prison. Care records included assessments of health, checks for general health and mental health. Care plans were recorded where people needed to be monitored. The health centre staff worked in conjunction with prison officers where people were at risk of self harm.

The health centre had procedures for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and had made safeguarding vulnerable adults' alert referrals when needed. Staff were trained in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.

Health care staff were subject to checks on their suitability to work with people in a prison environment.

The staffing numbers had increased in the last year. The health centre had a team of Registered General Nurses (RGNs) and Registered Mental Nurses (RMNs). Staffing levels were reviewed, and there were plans to increase the numbers of RMNs.

The health centre was involved in reviews with the prison service where there were incidents regarding the safety and health care of people in the prison accommodation blocks.

People were aware of how they could make a complaint. Records of two complaints made did not show the complaints had been fully investigated and an adequate response made to the complainant.