Recurring concern
Insufficient availability of prison healthcare services outside limited operating hours
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Request correctionFirst reported 22 Oct 2021•Latest report 30 May 2025
What this concern includes
Includes absent overnight healthcare staff and prison healthcare services whose restricted operating hours leave clinically unsafe gaps in access.
Not included
- General prison-healthcare policy or specification concerns without an access gap
- Condition-specific prison treatment failures
- Community or hospital out-of-hours healthcare
- Reports
- 5
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2021–2025
- Stated actions
- 4
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of prison healthcare outside limited operating hours
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Work with partners to reduce health inequalities and improve timely, effective healthcare access for people in prison.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
NHS England is responsible for commissioning prison healthcare services and will address healthcare provider operating hours.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Position
Healthcare provision at this Category C prison is required within core hours, considered equivalent to community provision.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Position
Integrated care boards are responsible for urgent and out-of-hours healthcare for prisoners.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of clinical mental health provision outside weekday office hours
This report raised 10 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Implement re-commissioned prison healthcare services, including seven-day mental health provision, on-site attendance and out-of-hours urgent referral protocols.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of in-house healthcare during the night for prisoners suspected to be under the influence
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Update guidance to clarify that required patient monitoring cannot occur without on-site healthcare and requires hospital transfer.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
NHS England is responsible for explaining whether 24-hour healthcare should be commissioned in Category C prisons because of drug-related patient safety risks.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
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Position
Existing night arrangements, including trained officers, personal management plans, on-call GP advice and emergency services, are relied upon to manage healthcare concerns.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust -
Position
Patient monitoring cannot be undertaken at night without healthcare staff on site; patients requiring monitoring must instead be transferred to hospital.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of overnight healthcare staff in the prison
This report raised 11 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Review local first-aid staffing risks, including night provision, and continue regular reviews to maintain coverage.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Existing first-aid training requirements and local risk assessments are considered sufficient to ensure enough trained staff are deployed at all times.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
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Concerns raised1
Lack of 24-hour healthcare across the prison estate
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
Existing needs-based commissioning and round-the-clock external, emergency, general-practitioner and first-responder access are considered sufficient without universal onsite 24/7 healthcare.
Stated by NHS England
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Position
Healthcare matters in the prison estate are commissioned by NHS England and Improvement, which has already provided a response.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Position
Matters of concern i, ii, iii and v do not relate to NHS Digital, so it has no comment on them.
Stated by NHS England
Data last updated 7 September 2026