Safety recommendation
HSSIB recommends that HM Prison and Probation Service enhances the existing training delivered to prison officers, to increase their ability to identify medical emergencies that require 999 calls to be made by prisons, thereby reducing the number of calls and diverted ambulances and easing the burden on the emergency care system. The training should be delivered on a recurrent basis.
Response:
HM Prison and Probation Service is committed to equipping staff to respond appropriately when they encounter a medical emergency.
All new Foundation Prison Officers are now required to complete Emergency First Aid at Work as part of the Foundation Course.
We recently issued a new training video on ‘Responding to emergency situations’ designed to help staff to understand what they need to do in a medical emergency, including when they find a prisoner who has ligatured. The video has been viewed over 2,000 times on the HMPPS intranet and is also available on the ‘My Learning’ platform which can be accessed by staff from partner organisations and contracted prisons.
We have worked with St John Ambulance to produce five training films for staff who are first on scene. These are available on the ‘My Learning’ platform, which can also be accessed by staff from partner organisations and contracted prisons.
The films have been sent to Governors and Directors who have been informed that it would be advantageous for all Prison Officers and other front line staff to view them and for them to be used to supplement annual refresher training for emergency first aiders.
We are committed to updating the films to include the same content as the redesigned medical emergency response cards, which identifies to staff the information they will need to share with the control room about the condition of the prisoner.
Actions planned to deliver safety recommendation:
- Launch first on scene training films. By: Completed.
- Update the films to include the content from the redesigned medical emergency response cards. By: 31 March 2025.
Response received on 3 December 2024.