Therapeutic Solutions

Enhancing Service Provision in Prison

We have undertaken a number of recent projects aimed at improving services within custodial environment.


Assessment of Imaging Equipment for London Prisons and Immigration Removal Centres

This study was commissioned by NHSE London Region to examine the use and viability of prison-based medical imaging. X-Ray facilities have been considered a major drain on prison resources due to the need for escorts outwith the prison and Immigration and Removal Centres (IRC) estates. Our work reported on the utilisation of imaging equipment within each prison and IRC to help inform future use of diagnostic imaging services including X-Ray facilities.


Staff Engagement Event: Care UK at HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Therapeutic Solutions ran and managed a workshop commissioned by Care held for HMP Wormwood Scrubs operational staff in 2017 to facilitate the development of a ‘drug recovery wing’ within the prison. The findings from this event helped frame the delivery of services within the prison.


Process Mapping Healthcare Services at HMP Brixton for Care UK

We also undertook a detailed process mapping exercise commissioned by Care UK at HMP Brixton in 2017. The aim of this project was to identify blockages and streamline the pathways to healthcare within the prison in order to meet the needs of prisoners as a resettlement prison. Process mapping helps a team to know where to start making improvements that will have the biggest impact for staff and patients. The NHS Modernisation Agency has written a ‘Model for Improvement’, which is a 7- step plan designed to help a team to set aims, targets and measures, and works well in conjunction with process mapping. As part of this consultancy we have utilised these initial steps to formulate and plan the proposed remit. Prior to the process mapping day, initial interviews of health care staff were carried out to ascertain skills required to deliver healthcare within a resettlement prison. This included skills currently being used and skill gaps.

Latest Publications

We have produced over 50 health needs assessments and a number of peer-reviewed academic papers.

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Recovery Services

We have offered a range of services to support the development of recovery services across the substance misuse sector including a number of reports and academic peer-reviewed papers. We have a paper written in partnership with Birmingham University on influences to 12-Step mutual self-help groups published in the European Addiction Research in September 2014.

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Our Services

We have developed a range of analytical and methodological approaches aimed at understanding the health and substance misuse needs of individuals including extensive interviews with a cross-section of service users in contact with healthcare and other related services. We have also worked to develop methods aimed at understanding the nuances of prisoner satisfaction of clinical services received. Our paper testing use of SERVQUAL as a mechanism for understanding ‘real’ satisfaction rates has been published here.

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Studies and Assessments

We have undertaken over 50 health and substance misuse specific needs assessments since 2006. These have included studies across community settings and across the criminal justice system (including detainee needs in police custody; service users in contact with Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and prisoners in contact with health services in secure settings).

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