Outpatient clinic held in prison helps inmates who have been waiting 'many months' for care
More than 30 inmates at a Staffordshire prison have received care after an outpatient clinic was held there by an NHS healthcare team.
The inmates at HMP Oakwood in Featherstone, many of whom had been waiting "months" for care, were reviewed by the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Team from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT)
This was the first outpatient clinic the Trust has held at the prison, and during the visit the team managed to achieve a definitive plan for all of the patients.
A spokesperson for RWT said: "Oakwood is one of the largest prisons in the UK, and because of the difficulties in getting prisoners to hospital, logistically it makes sense to take the clinic to prison.
"This new initiative provides timely access, reduces inequalities and addresses the complex healthcare needs of some of the most vulnerable people at Oakwood, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
"RWT is committed to caring for patients in the most clinical need, no matter their location."
Three members of RWT’s ENT Team – Mr. James Barraclough, consultant rhinologist, facial plastics and ENT surgeon, and clinical director for head and neck services for the Trust; Mr Neil McNiven, specialist registrar in ENT; and Claire Hatton, staff nurse, head and neck outpatients – treated patients at the clinic.
