Inmate left without medication after prison staff hung up on NHS 24

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has been forced to apologise after prison staff hung up on NHS 24 because of a long wait, leaving an inmate without medical attention.

The inmate stopped taking a prescribed medication after experiencing side effects and submitted a request to be seen by a nurse.

Two weeks after the request was made, they had still not been seen, despite their symptoms worsening. They were then informed that they would be seen by a nurse that day, which did not happen.

Prison staff later told the inmate that a call had been placed to NHS 24 instead, since the nurse was no longer available.

Staff said that the call had been ended “due to the expected wait time”.

The inmate said the SPS “failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that they had prompt access to medical attention”.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) received the complaint about the SPS, which is responsible for the secure custody of around 8,000 people, and it was upheld on all counts.

The decision determined that staff were right to contact NHS 24, but found that alternative arrangements could have been made to facilitate the call.

“We found that it was unclear whether [the inmate’s] request for medical attention was communicated properly by SPS to healthcare staff,” the SPSO said.

“Whilst a reasonable attempt was made to contact NHS 24, and the SPS acknowledged the call could have been facilitated despite the wait time, the SPS did not explain what action had been taken to remedy matters.

“While there appeared to have been a protocol in place for such situations, it was not clear that prison staff were aware of this.”

The watchdog also found the prison services’ handling of the complaint was “poor”.

SPS was ordered to apologise to the inmate for “failing to take reasonable steps to ensure they were given access to appropriate medical attention” and provide evidence that they have implemented the watchdog’s recommendations.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “We accept the recommendations made by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and have apologised to the individual involved.

“In addition to this, we have worked in partnership with NHS colleagues to develop clear guidance for staff regarding the provision of out-of-hours healthcare.”