24-hour clinical care urged at HMP The Verne to aid ageing prisoners
Prison watchdog highlights need for overnight medical presence
A 24-hour clinical care service is needed at HMP The Verne to cater to the complex health needs of its ageing prisoner population, according to the latest report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).
The IMB's 2024-25 annual report stresses that a nurse or paramedic should be on duty nightly from 7pm to 7am to provide medical care for prisoners, particularly those over 60. Approximately one-third of The Verne's population falls into this age category.
The report explains that overnight clinical staff could help reduce ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions, which are currently handled by prison officers who must escort the prisoners and leave the prison understaffed.
In the past fourteen months, officers spent over 20,000 hours on external duties like bed watch, impacting their ability to perform essential activities such as key work. IMB believes that 24-hour clinical care could alleviate this pressure.
Additionally, there have been repeated failures with the clothes dryers in the Dorset wing, causing issues for the elderly inmates housed there.
Despite these challenges, the IMB commends The Verne for maintaining a safe environment and highlights the commendable social care unit that serves frailer prisoners effectively.
The Verne IMB Co-Chairs expressed concern over healthcare provision during nights and weekends, stating that, "Given the proportion of The Verne’s population over the age of 60, an increasing number have complex healthcare needs. We recognise that Oxleas (the prison’s healthcare provider) supplies excellent healthcare on weekdays, but when a problem occurs at night or over the weekend this must be addressed, in the first instance, by prison officers with no clinical training."
They noted that the social care suite provides excellent support, particularly for prisoners with dementia or terminal illness, but emphasised the need for continuous clinical care to complement these services.