Getty ImagesThe UK health authority said ambulance crews were wasting “significant” amounts of time being unnecessarily called to prisons across England.
An NHS trust told investigators it handled 5,000 emergency calls from prison staff in its area in 2023.
Overall, the study found that almost three-quarters of calls from prisons did not require an ambulance, compared to one in eight calls from the general population.
The Ministry of Health said it was “essential” that an ambulance be called only if there were serious concerns about the prisoner’s health.
In one case, several crews, including a rescue helicopter, were sent to an “unresponsive” prisoner who was presumably unconscious, the regulator said.
Upon their arrival, they found that the patient simply refused to answer questions.
An anonymous paramedic told investigators, “We waste valuable time driving to a prison where a call is canceled, and we just added that time to the time we would have to spend responding to someone who (really) needs us.”
Fear of blame
The report of the Healthcare Safety Investigation Board (HSSIB) The study concluded that prisons often encourage a “low-risk response” when their inmates become injured or ill.
Some prison control rooms have issued instructions to call 999 immediately and then wait for an on-site nurse to assess the patient. If the ambulance is not needed, it can then be parked.
Due to high staff turnover and lack of training, prison staff who were the first to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency were typically inexperienced.
Some staff told the regulator they were afraid of having to appear before a court hearing or being held responsible for making a wrong decision if they did not call 999.
“The end result is a system that doesn’t work for anyone,” said HSSIB lead investigator Dave Fassam.
“This puts pressure on very busy prison staff … and on paramedics who do not want to be called out to a call that does not justify their deployment.”
The regulator was told that the volume of emergency calls from prisons was now having an impact on the wider public, with paramedics and emergency call handlers becoming frustrated because ambulances were being unnecessarily diverted from other duties.
It said communication between prison staff and emergency services needed to be significantly improved as emergency services could be sent to a prison with incorrect information.
In one case, paramedics were told they were treating a patient in his 90s with a sprained ankle. When they arrived, they found a man in his 30s with multiple stab wounds.
Important concerns
The Department of Health said prison services, NHS England and emergency services were already working to improve communication and address concerns raised by the safety agency.
In addition, new training will be offered to help prison staff respond to medical emergencies.
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, which represents the 10 largest NHS ambulance services in England, said it hoped the report would improve cooperation between prisons and ambulance services “to ensure the same standard of healthcare for people in prisons and in the community”.
