Sex offender jail needs night nurses, report says

A jail for sex offenders needs 24-hour clinical care for its ageing population, a prison watchdog has said.

In its latest annual report, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) called for HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset, to have a nurse or paramedic on duty overnight.

The IMB said an "increasing number" of prisoners had "complex healthcare needs" often requiring "constant oversight" by clinical staff.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it was "committed to providing a safe environment for all prisoners" and is publishing a national strategy on older prisoners following the recommendation of the Independent Sentencing Review.

The presence of clinical staff overnight could reduce the number of calls to the ambulance service, according to the new report.

It states that many of the calls are made during the night and sometimes result in hospital admission, which requires a two-officer escort and leaves the prison short-staffed.

The IMB believes that 24-hour clinical care on site could reduce the burden of care for prison officers, who have spent more than 20,000 hours on bed watch duties in the past 14 months.

But the IMB said the prison "continues to offer a safe environment" for those detained and that a 24-hour clinical care would "act as a complement" to the social care suite in Dorset wing.

The watchdog also raised concerns about the impact the loss of prison staff from overseas would have when the exemption from the revised visa regulations runs out at the end of 2026.

The MoJ said it was also delivering "the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era" which included more cells adapted to the needs of those with mobility issues and physical disabilities.

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for healthcare at the prison, has also been approached for comment.