Prisoner Listening Training Project

Healthwatch Salford undertook research on healthcare experiences at HMP Forest Bank. They trained 10 prisoner mentors to become Healthwatch Prisoner Listeners, enabling them to gather feedback from fellow prisoners about healthcare services and encourage participation in Healthwatch surveys.

The project was developed to ensure the views of prisoners, a seldom-heard group, were captured more effectively. During the first month, more than 20 healthcare stories were collected. Feedback highlighted concerns about long waits to see doctors and dentists, difficulties obtaining appointments, delays accessing medication, poor communication about treatment and problems accessing specialist diets and planned hospital procedures.

Prisoners reported mixed experiences of healthcare. While some feedback about healthcare staff was positive, recurring concerns included waiting several weeks for appointments, medication shortages, inadequate explanations of treatment and cancelled procedures. The project found that prisoners were often more willing to share their experiences with trained fellow prisoners than through traditional engagement methods.

Healthwatch Salford concluded that the project had successfully increased prisoner involvement in healthcare feedback and had already led to discussions with prison healthcare managers about identified issues. The organisation committed to expanding the scheme, training additional listeners, monitoring themes raised through feedback and working with healthcare providers to improve services within the prison.