The Verne

Response
I acknowledge the Board’s concerns about the non-prioritisation of prison staff in receiving vaccines. The Covid-19 vaccination roll out has been led by the NHS and all staff can receive their vaccinations and boosters through the community offer in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation guidance on vaccination eligibility and prioritisation. The focus on age and medical vulnerability were determined as the optimal approach to maximise vaccination roll-out at pace, as well as having the greatest positive impact on hospitalisations to reduce the pressure on the NHS. This meant no prioritisation for prison staff and was a decision outside the control of prison senior leaders and Prison Ministers. It is recognised that HMP The Verne accommodates some prisoners who were classed as clinically extremely vulnerable and may require similar arrangements to what is provided in a care home in the community. It therefore remains vital for staff to take up the offer of a vaccine and HMP The Verne has promoted the offer of the vaccine as much as possible in line with the national programme and healthcare colleagues continue to be supported to vaccinate prisoners and to encourage prisoners to accept the offer of the vaccine.

Response
NHS England and NHS Improvement Health and Justice Team is continuing to work with HMPPS and Dorset County Council regarding the proposal for a community hospital at HMP The Verne and a feasibility study on building such a facility has been developed. Regular meetings are held by the working group for the project to continue momentum. NHS England and NHS Improvement are compiling further evidence to define more clearly the demand across Devon and Dorset prisons, as well as identifying the appropriate health and care services required to address the needs of the population so that the proposed clinical space can be optimised. The requirement for 24-hour staffing will be considered as part of those discussions and HMPPS will be working in partnership with NHS England and NHS Improvement to determine the provision and requirements for hospital escorts and bedwatches across prisons in the south west. In the interim, HMP The Verne along with Dorset County Council continues to address social care issues on a bespoke basis. While there have been previous cases where social care support has been provided to prisoners outside of regular healthcare hours, individual’s needs are identified and responded to better now and social care provision within the prison is being explored further to better support individuals based on their needs. In addition, areas of the prison are continuing to be developed such as the dormitories and ground floor in B1 wing to support the delivery of enhanced social care.