During an assessment at HMP YOI Chelmsford, which holds around 700 inmates, inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighted areas of concern under the categories ‘safe’, ‘effective’, ‘responsive’, and ‘well-led’.
Health services were seen as only in line with rules under the ‘caring’ heading at the prison, with the rest marked as ‘not all regulations met’.
Key findings included inconsistent recording and management of incidents and complaints, alongside a lack of a reliable system to track essential tasks such as scanning and referrals.
Inspection by the CQC was prompted by concerns received about healthcare management at the facility, with healthcare services provided by HCRG Care Services Ltd.
A specific focus was placed on the management of medicines, with some patient medicine records being marked as incomplete, and medicines and equipment not always being monitored for safety and effectiveness.
The inspectors were in the prison from February 2 to 4, 2026, as part of a wider inspection window running up to February 10.
Healthcare in the prison was seen to be undermined by low staffing levels, with shortages frequently unrecorded accurately.
Prisoners were reported to not always receive timely and suitable care and treatment, and communication about appointments and ongoing care was lacking.
The CQC noted plans to address this, including new in-cell technology.
Concerns were also raised around governance and workplace culture within the healthcare team.
Governance systems failed to effectively spot, assess, and tackle a broad spectrum of risks.
Healthcare and prison staff regularly provided poor feedback about healthcare staffing levels, with inspectors detecting signs of a “closed culture” where concerns were not always documented, responded to, or addressed.
Despite these issues, there were areas of “positive practice”.
These included an improvement in response to patient emergencies and efforts to provide holistic health and well-being support.
Those with diagnosed and undiagnosed neurodiversity needs were noted to receive tailored support.
Staff recruitment checks were mostly completed per regulations, and a programme for staff learning and development was observed.
Overall, the CQC noted two regulation breaches and consequently issued warning notices to HCRG Care Services Ltd concerning safe care and treatment and good governance.
While healthcare services in prisons are not assigned ratings by the regulator, good practice is highlighted, areas for improvement are pinpointed, and regulatory action is initiated when necessary.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons were approached but did not offer a direct comment on the report.