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.
What is 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.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, 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.
Ministry of Justice2
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1
Birmingham Prison1
HM Prison and Probation Service1
North London NHS Foundation Trust1
Practice Plus Group1
Wormwood Scrubs Prison1
Ministerial department2
NHS trust2
Prison or young offender institution2
Executive agency1
Independent healthcare provider1
Reports and published responses 2 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West London
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
Linked responses
HM Prison and Probation Service
Ministry of Justice
Practice Plus Group
Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Practice Plus Group
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.
HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Remind all ISFL wing managers in writing of the requirements following a positive drug test.
HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Remind ISFL wing staff of their duties during staff briefings.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
HM Prison and Probation Service and Ministry of Justice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison
Healthcare staff are responsible for subsequent actions after prison staff refer a prisoner who tests positive for illicit substances.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Practice Plus Group
Healthcare was not aware of the positive test because prison staff did not communicate it, so healthcare was not in a position to act.
Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Birmingham and Solihull
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.
Linked response
HM Prison and Probation Service
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
HM Prison and Probation Service
Hold monthly drug-strategy meetings, require B-Wing officers to attend, and require detox and recovery staff to confirm they have read the minutes.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.