Recurring concern
Unreliable prison response to positive drug tests
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Request correctionFirst reported 25 Nov 2015•Latest report 28 May 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated prison process for responding to positive drug tests, including result notification to responsible prison and healthcare staff, defined action pathways, assessment of the person's needs and risks, discussion or support, documentation, escalation and follow-up.
Not included
- Excludes general prison psychoactive-substance risk controls, drug intelligence or warning systems where no positive-test response process is deficient.
- Excludes drug testing itself, including failures to perform or schedule a test, when the test result and subsequent response process are not the concern.
- Excludes generic information-sharing, staffing, training or policy deficiencies unless they directly impair the prison response to a positive drug test.
- Excludes medication or substance-use treatment failures outside a prison positive-drug-test response pathway.
- Reports
- 2
- Individual concerns
- 3
- Date range
- 2015–2025
- 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 raised2
Failure to support and discuss positive drug test results with prisoners
Failure to ensure clear and followed pathways for action after a positive drug test
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.3
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Action
Operate a clinical pathway for communicated positive drug tests, including medication checks, clinical substance-misuse review, confirmatory screening, assessment, incident reporting and an individual care plan.
Stated by Practice Plus Group -
Action
Remind all ISFL wing managers in writing of the requirements following a positive drug test.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison -
Action
Remind ISFL wing staff of their duties during staff briefings.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
Healthcare staff are responsible for subsequent actions after prison staff refer a prisoner who tests positive for illicit substances.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison
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Position
Healthcare was not aware of the positive test because prison staff did not communicate it, so healthcare was not in a position to act.
Stated by Practice Plus Group
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Concerns raised1
Failure to inform prison officers of positive drug test results
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
Hold monthly drug-strategy meetings, require B-Wing officers to attend, and require detox and recovery staff to confirm they have read the minutes.
Stated by HM Prison and Probation Service
Data last updated 7 September 2026