Pinewood House

To ensure that patients’ complaints were received by healthcare staff more swiftly, the provider had enlisted the support of two trusted prisoners to collect healthcare applications and complaints from the healthcare boxes on the wings. This was not appropriate and meant that sensitive and personal health information was not kept confidential. Following our inspection, we received written confirmation from the provider’s regional services manager that this practice would stop immediately and only healthcare staff would undertake this task each day.

There continued to be delays between the patient submitting their complaint, and healthcare staff receiving it. For example, in December 2023, there was a delay of 20 days for one patient complaint, a delay of 19 days for 3 complaints and a delay of 10 days for one complaint. We had raised this issue at our previous inspection.