'Go to jail!': A PRIMIS facilitator in prison

Surrey 2004

Data quality in a prison has improved with the help of a local PRIMIS facilitator.

In 2002, East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT* asked for a PRIMIS facilitator to visit HMP Highdown. Tracy Weller, Primary Care Data Quality Facilitator with Surrey Health Informatics Service (HIS), looked into what could be done to help the prison improve the quality of its data, which were all paper-based as the prison did not have a clinical computer system. Local methodologies had been developed, addressing the specific needs of the prison.

Tracy worked with the prison to set up disease registers, and improved prison staff's awareness of legislation and data quality. Tracy's support for HMP Highdown is continuing and more work is planned for the future.

Prison Health is a partnership between the Prison Service and the Department of Health working to improve the standard of health care in prisons. The aim is to provide prisoners with access to the same quality and range of healthcare services as the general public receives from the NHS.

* Since this case study was first produced, East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT was amalgamated into Surrey PCT, following the 2006 PCT restructuring.