19 Response Not Accepted Self-assessed

Healthcare staff guidance and training on use of force incidents

Recommendation

The Home Office must ensure that guidance is issued to healthcare staff in immigration removal centres clarifying their role in use of force incidents. It must liaise as necessary with NHS England and any relevant medical regulators. The Home Office must ensure that mandatory training is introduced for healthcare staff, and those responsible for managing them, on their roles and responsibilities in relation to planned and unplanned use of force (liaising with NHS England and any other relevant parties). The training must be subject to an assessment.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
The government did not accept this recommendation, stating that NHS England commissions healthcare services and is responsible, alongside the Care Quality Commission, for assuring the quality of health service provision within the detention estate (Official government response, 19 March 2024). This rejection was confirmed in a parliamentary update in January 2025 (Angela Eagle, Written PQ 23170, 15 January 2025).
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 18 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
England
Response
Not Accepted
Not Accepted Home Office
19 Mar 2024

The government does not accept this recommendation. The government stated that NHS England commissions healthcare services and it is their responsibility, alongside the Care Quality Commission, to assure the quality of health service provision within the detention estate.

Read Full Response
Progress Timeline
Parliamentary Answer
14 Jan 2025

Angela Eagle, Written PQ 23170 (15 January 2025): '30 out of the 33 recommendations have been accepted or partially accepted. Following full consideration three recommendations (recommendations 7, 19 and 30) have been rejected.'

Published Evidence

Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.

Insufficient Progress
03 Sep 2025
HM Inspectorate of Prisons Inspection Report

Engagement with charities described as "very limited". 10 people released homeless in past year including 3 assessed as adults at risk.

View detailed findings

Based on Independent Review of Progress visit in August 2025, following up 13 concerns from August 2024 inspection. Brook House run by Serco held 192 detainees at time of visit.

Report on an independent review of progress at Br… View Source
Insufficient Progress
19 Sep 2024
Brook House Inquiry Chair Other

Inquiry Chair Kate Eves described government response as "inadequate" and called for a "reset" with the new government. Warned abuse "becomes a question of when, not if" it happens again.

View detailed findings

In September 2024, Kate Eves told Channel 4 News she was "disappointed with what I see as an inadequate response by the former government to an important report." She noted the inquiry cost about £20 million over four years. Home Office lawyers had argued her "recommendations are not binding."

Channel 4 News interview, September 2024
Source
Report The Brook House Inquiry Report 19 Sep 2023
Responsible Bodies
Home Office Primary
Recommendation age 2.5 yrs
Last formal update 434 days ago