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The challenges facing mental healthcare provision in prisons are well established, however these have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to understand mental healthcare service delivery in prisons in the context of the pandemic. Forty-four inspection reports published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) for England and Wales were analysed thematically, focusing solely on sections specific to secondary mental healthcare delivery. Conclusions highlight the need for greater resource and investment in prison mental health services, as well as action to maximise the opportunities to advance service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Care Programme Approach (CPA) can be an effective tool in coordinating the care and treatment needs of people with mental illness and learning disabilities. Within prisons settings, the CPA has been poorly implemented and the principles underpinning this approach have been lost. This paper presents the key themes identified as part of a consultation process to develop quality guidance on planning effective mental healthcare in prisons in relation to the CPA. It was conducted by the Quality Network for Prison Mental Health Services, a quality improvement initiative organised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Centre for Quality Improvement. The information derived from the consultation process indicates that there is a substantial need for standardisation and consistency in the application of the CPA process within prisons, for the purposes of enhanced care delivery, greater continuity of care, and improved patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]