The Care Quality Commission
  • Prison healthcare

HMP Birmingham

HM Prison Birmingham, Winson Green Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18 4AS (0121) 301 1111

Provided and run by:
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Important: We are carrying out a review of quality at HMP Birmingham. We will publish a report when our review is complete. Find out more about our inspection reports.

All Inspections

27 & 28 February 2018

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this announced inspection on 28 February 2018 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. Our inspection team was led by a CQC health and justice inspector, accompanied by a second CQC health and justice inspector.

The purpose of the inspection was to follow up on a Requirement Notice that we issued following a joint inspection with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in February 2017 and to check that the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act.

This focused inspection report covers our findings in relations to those aspects detailed in the Requirement Notice dated 4 July 2017. We issued one Requirement Notices under Regulations 12 of the Health and Social Care Act to the trust.

We do not currently rate services provided in prisons.

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

We found that the trust was now working more closely with the prison service to resolve the issues identified. The trust had implemented a number of systems to improve people's access to the healthcare services. In January 2012 we had concerns about some night time medications and the times they were being given. In response to concerns around night time medication, the trust had undertaken a full review of all the medication prescribed within the prison. The trust have confirmed that the number of people receiving night medication under supervision has reduced considerably from an average of over 500 to around 10. More 'in possession' medication, this is when a person holds and manages their own medication, had been prescribed following clinical reviews and risk assessments of each individual.

Information provided by the trust demonstrated that monitoring of the service was much improved. Healthcare managers attended health care focus groups as did the complaints manager. Issues were identified and addressed in a more timely fashion. A new system had been implemented in the reception area of the healthcare wing to allow people to give feedback on the service they received directly. Monthly reports were sent to the trusts clinical governance committee to allow them to monitor themes arising and to ensure they were addressed appropriately.

This follow up report should be read in conjunction with the full inspection report published in April 2012.

21 November 2011

During a routine inspection

HMP Birmingham is a large local prison holding a maximum of 1450 people at any one

time. There is a high turnover of the prison population as up to 30 people are transferred out on a daily basis, and then the same received in from courts around the Midlands.

The prison is run by G4S, a private company who took over in October 2011. The

healthcare at the prison is provided by two NHS trusts who work closely together.

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust are the 'lead' partner, and

provide all the mental health services in the prison. Birmingham Community Health Care

Trust provide the general physical health care services to the prison population.

The trust are in their third year of a seven year contract to provide healthcare to the prison population.

We carried out this review in conjunction with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons

(HMIP) who were inspecting all the facilities at the prison, including healthcare. We

focused our review on the 'lead' provider, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health

Foundation Trust and looked at the mental health services they provide within the prison.

During our time at the prison we spoke to people using the service, healthcare staff,

discipline officers and managers. We observed the facilities available, looked at

documentation used and observed the care being given.

People using the service identified the following issues with healthcare:

' Initial access to the healthcare services was difficult.

' Discipline staff were not always available to escort them to appointments.

' There was a lack of information and/or communication about healthcare.