We deliver services into sites nationally

Current sites include:

Specific needs of patients within the secure health environment

The health needs in the prisons vary considerably though in general the population is drawn from social groups with poor general health with the addition of problems relating to offending behaviour, principally substance misuse and mental illness. Poor personal care gives rise to common ailments: dental, foot and skin problems, sexual health issues and in the longer term chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, and diabetes, associated with smoking and poor diet.

Our Secure Health Team

Dr Horst-Dieter Haas

Dr Horst-Dieter Haas is our Clinical Lead for Secure Health. RCGP 1 and 2 trained, he has extensive experience within Primary Care, Out of Hours, Substance Misuse and Secure Health. Dr Haas is committed to ensuring clinical excellence from the secure health team, travelling to each clinical site to deliver clinical sessions, assess processes and standards of care, whilst working with the site staff and clinicians to develop a cohesive team. Dr Haas is the Secure Health lead for clinical governance and concentrates on clinical areas pertinent to prison work such as prescribing, primary mental health, substance and alcohol misuse and specific site protocols.

Nigel Dransfield

Nigel Dransfield is our Head of Secure Health and Forensic Services. Nigel spent a full career in the British Army and in his later years of service he specialised in administrative management. He was originally recruited by the Practice to manage GP Led Health Centres and the Secure Health programme in Suffolk. He has recently moved to be Head of Secure Health and Forensic Services, where his military background ideally suits him to work within this field.

Working in Secure Health

What type of experience will you need to have?

Our clinical staff are a combination of GPs working predominantly in Secure Health but also GPs who practice in other primary care environments combining this work with Secure Health on a regular basis. The most important thing is that you are interested in this speciality and have experience in Primary Care, being able to work within a challenging and rewarding environment to meet the health needs of your patients.

How do we support GPs?

We talk to all interested GPs to understand their experience and training needs. Prior to working all GPs will be given corporate, clinical and site specific information such as prescribing protocols and GPs with no or little Secure Health experience will also shadow experienced GPs on site to learn about Secure Health.

All GPs then have access to an experienced Secure Health GP on the telephone for advice. In addition for prisons with IDTS we also have a rota of RCGP2 trained GPs who are available to give clinical guidance as required.

Dr Haas leads and delivers a secure health training programme for GPs which rolls across the year and moves from area to area. This includes induction sessions for all new GPs combined with specific training dedicated to various clinical topics. All our GPs will need to have or be working towards RCGP1 as a minimum.

To find out more about our clinical services or to arrange an exploratory meeting, whether you are a commissioner or interested in working for us in Secure Health please contact Nigel Dransfield nigel.dransfield@thepracticeplc.com.