New providers announced for prison health contract

HMP Lowdham Grange is one of the prisons where inmates have been cared for by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

New healthcare providers have been announced for prisons in the East Midlands after Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) said it would withdraw from a contract to provide care.

NHFT has been criticised for making a series of errors over the care of paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June 2023.

However, In a letter to staff, seen by the BBC, the trust said it had taken the "difficult" decision so it could focus on making improvements in other areas after a damning Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.

The Practice Plus Group and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will take over the care.

Ifti Majid, chief executive at NHFT said the trust is making "clear progress" in areas such as risk assessment and discharge procedures following previous reports.

Under the current contract, the trust cares for inmates at HMP Nottingham, HMP Ranby and HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire.

The contract also covers HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire, HMP Morton Hall, Swinderby Immigration Centre, HMP Lincoln and HMP North Sea Camp in Lincolnshire.

From 1 July, the provider Practice Plus Group, will take over the healthcare of inmates at HMP Fosse Way, in Glen Parva, NHS England said.

The body confirmed the new healthcare provider for Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire prisons will be Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Plans are in place to transition healthcare services starting with HMP Lowdham Grange in mid-July 2025, according to NHS England.

Practice Plus Group will take over the healthcare of inmates at HMP Fosse Way, in Glen Parva

Last year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a review, known as a Section 48, criticising the trust, which had been responsible for the care of paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June 2023.

The CQC ordered the trust to make improvements after identifying "a series of errors, omissions and misjudgements" by mental health services over Calocane's care.

In its letter to staff, the trust said: "The board felt that we were unable to maintain the quality improvements we have made, in part due to our need to focus capacity and resources on the Trust's improvement journey following the Section 48, CQC and homicide report recommendations."

It added: "We have also had difficulty recruiting into these services on a sustainable basis, and the consensus was that a specialist provider might have more success with this."

'Working closely'

According to a report published by NHFT, in May, the CQC gave the trust a 'notice of proposal' in relation to concerns at HMP Lowdham Grange.

A 'notice of proposal' from the CQC means the watchdog was considering a change to a registered provider's registration, such as adding conditions, suspending, or cancelling it.

In response to the 'notice of proposal' the trust implemented a range of actions at HMP Lowdham Grange related to staffing, governance and waiting lists .

The trust's chief operating officer Becky Sutton previously said NHFT would be "working closely" with affected colleagues, NHS England and prison services to support a "smooth transition" of services.

The trust said the decision did not affect Rampton Hospital, in Nottinghamshire, where it is responsible for the care of prisoners at the secure mental health unit.

Mr Majid said: "We are already making clear progress in relation to the recommendations of previous reports, in areas such as risk assessment and discharge processes.

"We are improving the way we listen to and engage with patients, families, our colleagues, and local partners - to make sure concerns are acted on as quickly as possible."