FIVE PRISONS across the South West, including Leyhill, Ashfield and Eastwood Park, will have their healthcare provided by a new partnership, which has launched today.

InspireBetterHealth will also deliver healthcare services at HMP Bristol and HMP Erlestoke, for the next five years.

The partnership brings together the expertise of healthcare organisations Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Hanham Health, GP Care, Time for Teeth, Homecare Opticians, Day Lewis Pharmacy, Sirona care and health CIC, and Bristol Community Health – who will be the lead healthcare provider.

The announcement follows a competitive procurement process, which was open to all providers and led by NHS England South as the responsible commissioners for prison healthcare services.

The partnership team comprises doctors, nurses, mental health and substance misuse professionals, learning disability practitioners, managers and administrators with a wide variety of other specialist services including audiology, podiatry, physiotherapy, dentistry, optometry and pharmacy.

Julia Clarke, chief executive of Bristol community health said: “We’re very excited to start the new contract and to launch our new partnership, InspireBetterHealth.

“Our ambition is to deliver integrated, high quality care which inspires prisoners to take ownership of their health. This includes setting their own health goals and making positive, healthy choices over time.

“We believe good health helps people get ‘back on track’ and making positive health choices encourages people to make positive choices in other areas of their life, too.”

“Our new service model contains a number of innovations which reduces the number of separate assessments of patients’ experience, as well as reducing the need for prison escorts to off-site healthcare.

“We’re looking forward to extending our partnership into HMP Erlestoke and we’re working closely with NHS England South to ensure a seamless transition from the previous providers. We’re also focusing on the retention and recruitment of staff and will be working with local communities to increase our talent pool across the establishments.”

Nikki Luffingham, director of operations and delivery at NHS England South, said: “NHS England is pleased to be working with InspireBetterHealth across the south west following a rigorous competitive procurement process.

“NHS England commissions quality care equivalent to that in the community for prisoners and looks forward to working with InspireBetterHealth to ensure all services meet those requirements.”