Prisoner Experience of Healthcare Services at HMP Hewell
• Many prisons are unsafe, with incidences of violence and self-harm at a record-high
• Prisons, as a result of staff shortages and overcrowding, are limiting prisoners’ access to healthcare and their ability to lead healthy lives
The Committee recommends that the Government’s programme of prison reform, and the way it talks about its reform plans, should place greater emphasis on health, wellbeing, care and recovery, recognising the poor health of people in prison and the trauma many people in prison have experienced in their lives.
Subsequently, in June 2019, HM Inspectorate of Prisons raised specific healthcare concerns at HMP Hewell and recommended:
The prison’s co-commissioning agreements with its health partners should jointly assess and monitor prisoner health needs and progress against agreed actions to ensure the best health outcomes for prisoners.
Against this background, Healthwatch Worcestershire was keen to engage with prisoners at HMP Hewell to gather their experiences with health services.
