Nottinghamshire NHS Faces Consequences for Failing Prison Services

A struggling Nottinghamshire NHS trust might face penalties following the discovery of shortcomings in its services by the health watchdog. HMP Nottingham. The trust has breached three regulations, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) states it will determine whether to pursue eventual civil enforcement actions.

The regulatory body has the authority to revoke or halt a service provider’s registration for non-compliance. Subsequently, this failure may result in the provider being subject to criminal proceedings.

The Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Previously, the trust issued notifications regarding its contracts for managing healthcare services in prisons throughout the East Midlands to address issues with other underperforming services. Following an evaluation of the mental health care provided to Valdo Calocane—responsible for killing Ian Coates, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Barnaby Webber in Nottingham on June 13, 2023—the CQC called for enhancements in these additional areas.

Researchers disclose site where lethal infectious ailment was detected in UK mosquitoes for the initial time.
Individuals believe the most peculiar theme park in the UK is located in Nottingham.

The organization stated that they believed it would be more advisable for another entity to assume responsibility for the prison care, although they will continue providing these services until a new provider is identified. A recent CQC assessment has uncovered significant shortcomings in the operations at HMP Nottingham.

The regulator had previously determined that the NHS trust’s operations at HMP Nottingham were non-compliant with certain regulations after an inspection conducted in May 2024. In their latest evaluation released on May 20, they state: “Our findings include discussions with healthcare personnel and administrators, an examination of protocols and processes, as well as observational assessments.”

We discovered that certain issues raised by the provider had been resolved; however, several areas still fell short of regulatory standards. Specifically, we noted violations pertaining to insufficient staff numbers, inadequate incident reporting, and governance problems.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) possesses the authority to prosecute entities or persons, and the regulatory body is capable of initiating legal proceedings up to three years from the date of the alleged offense. According to their latest report, the CQC states: "When we opt for civil or criminal enforcement actions against a service provider, we will disclose this information on our website once all representations and/or appeals have been finalized."

Excluding the prospect of pursuing criminal charges but maintaining the option for civil enforcement, a representative from CQC stated: "We confirm that no criminal actions will be pursued. Should we decide to undertake any civil measures, they will be disclosed on our website following the completion of relevant procedures."

The trust will ultimately cease operating healthcare services at some point. HMP Nottingham , HMP Ranby and HMP Lowdham Grange Once a new supplier is identified, along with other locations in Lincolnshire and Leicester, the trust’s care in those areas has also been criticised by the families of those who were killed in 2023 by paranoid schizophrenic Calocane and was most recently examined by a homicide report into the city stabbings.

The services provided by the trust at HMP Nottingham encompass diagnostics, screenings, surgical interventions, and the management of illnesses and traumas. When seeking commentary, the Ministry of Justice was reached out to; however, they stated that they do not hold responsibility for healthcare provisions within their prison facilities.

The inspection carried out in May 2024 revealed that the trust had breached regulations related to good governance and staffing, indicating a worsening scenario as compared to the earlier report which noted only two regulatory violations. In contrast, the recent document highlighted three such infractions. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust chose not to address potential enforcement actions but instead provided information regarding their search for a new entity to manage their prison services.

A representative stated: "Following Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s termination of its offender health contracts, NHS England in the Midlands has been collaborating with alternate prospective suppliers who possess extensive expertise in offender healthcare. These providers have been touring various offender health facilities to assess current services and connect with personnel."

Nottinghamshire Healthcare is collaborating closely with the involved parties, including colleagues, partners at NHS England, and prison services, to ensure a seamless transfer of services once a new provider is selected. Until then, our teams will keep delivering care within these environments.