Prison
Cat women's, local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bronzefield
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 10 December 2025
HMP/YOI Bronzefield, a women's local and YOI prison, reported a population of 506 and a CNA of 5271. While some progress was noted in leadership and property management, the report highlights significant concerns regarding healthcare delivery, staffing pressures, and the impact of roll-counts on the regime. Mental health services remain strained, and issues with food provision, complaint handling, and resettlement support persist, many of which were repeated from previous years.
Positive Findings
The Board was pleased to observe progress in addressing issues from the previous report and positive leadership changes. Bronzefield is generally a safe environment for prisoners and staff. Reception staff, particularly, were highly praised. Improvements were noted in property management and the dedication of in-patient healthcare staff. The Board was impressed by the modular education courses, staff commitment in education and employment hubs, and the work of pre-release and chaplaincy teams in supporting accommodation and 'through the gate' services. Positive changes to the incentives scheme and the introduction of therapy dogs were also highlighted as successful.
Key Concerns
Healthcare
Problems in the delivery of healthcare services were, in part, the result of a shortage of nursing staff (with vacancies tending to be filled by agency personnel, some of whom lacked the necessary training) and some GPs refusing to prescribe methadone (as they said they did not have the necessary training). This was combined with poor co-ordination between contracted healthcare providers and the prison and, in some cases, in-fighting between external NHS functions, particularly in relation to the failure to admit very unwell prisoners to appropriate hospital accommodation.
Staffing
Staffing issues principally resulted from: the significant deployment of PCOs to off-site bed-watches and hospital/court escorts, as well as a higher turnover of newly recruited PCOs.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Many incidences of multiple incorrect RRCs, which are not only a security issue but have a negative impact on the regime and result in missed appointments (including social visits and medical) and purposeful activities.
Food/Catering
Inconsistencies in the quality and quantity of food and its distribution via the servery provision in the wings across the houseblocks, which have led to numerous issues for prisoners.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
No consistent improvement in the delays dealing with prisoner complaints.
Mental Health
Mental health services under sustained pressure, due to a complex caseload, staff shortages, uncertain leadership and delayed transfers to secure hospitals.
Healthcare
Issues around under-resourcing in the primary care team and a shortage of permanent, fully experienced nursing staff.
Healthcare
A consistent failure to dispense medication in a timely and efficient manner.
Resettlement/Release
The continued lack of a structured and co-ordinated service between the prison, Probation Service and accommodation providers to support prisoners on discharge.
Resettlement/Release
The stress caused to women approaching release, because details of CAS3 (community accommodation service Tier 3, which offers up to 84 nights of transitional, furnished accommodation and support services to help them find settled housing) or hostel accommodation are only given on release at the first probation meeting, often many hours away from the prison, meaning that women worry they may be homeless.
Mental Health
Repeated
The number of women sent to Bronzefield under a ‘place of safety’ warrant has again increased this year.
Healthcare
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the integration of the healthcare services (under NHS England commissioning) within Bronzefield, notwithstanding the Memorandum of Understanding.
Mental Health
Repeated
The Board continues to be concerned about the number of prisoners coming to the prison who have been identified as acutely mentally unwell (including some prolific self-harmers), so either require being sectioned under the Mental Health Act or admission to a secure hospital... due to a shortage of beds.
Safety
Repeated
The Board also continues to be concerned about the number of displaying complex and challenging behaviour.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
RRC roll counts continue to be frequently late, which has had a negative impact on the regime and security.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Concerns raised by reception peer workers including: induction materials being available only in English; used and dirty water flasks being handed out; only one 500ml flask being given and insufficient stocks; second-hand clothes (often dirty and stained) being handed out; and prisoners routinely being placed on the induction wing who are not there for induction purposes (some being women with mental ill-health/behavioural issues who had been transferred from the healthcare unit), leading to new prisoners being fearful. Also, peer workers feel unappreciated.
Healthcare
Repeated
Deficiency in GP cover in reception.
Staffing
Repeated
Shortage of experienced nurses.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing issues were a concern, with significant deployment of PCOs to off-site bed-watches and escorts, leading to a higher turnover of newly recruited PCOs. Reception staff experienced regular shortages, raising concerns about potential security risks. High staff turnover (71 leavers) and consequent inexperience remain challenges. Key worker sessions were frequently cancelled or postponed due to cross-deployment. While the prison is currently reported as fully staffed operationally with regular recruitment, external escorts and bed-watches continue to impact service provision.
Healthcare
Healthcare services faced significant problems, including a shortage of nursing staff (leading to reliance on agency personnel lacking training) and some GPs refusing to prescribe methadone due to lack of training. Poor coordination between contracted healthcare providers and internal disagreements hindered the transfer of unwell prisoners. Mental health services were under sustained pressure from complex caseloads, staff shortages, and delayed transfers. There was under-resourcing in primary care, a shortage of experienced nurses, and consistent failure to dispense medication timely. GP cover in reception was deficient, causing delays in prisoners receiving prescriptions, sometimes for up to 48 hours. Communication from the healthcare unit was poor, and complaints were difficult to track due to reclassification as 'concerns'.
Regime & Daily Life
The implementation of mandatory reconciliation roll-counts (RRCs) negatively impacted the regime, leading to missed appointments and purposeful activities. Inconsistencies in food quality, portion sizes, and distribution were frequent complaints. The capacity was reduced to stop 'small doubles', and privacy curtains were added to shared cells, though often missing. PODs (internal information system) were unreliable and often out of use. Chaplaincy services, previously cancelled during lunchtime, were successfully moved to the core day, improving access. Medication dispensing issues frequently forced prisoners to choose between collecting medication and accessing meals, fresh air, or work.
Recommendations (13)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 5
NHS / Healthcare Provider: 3
13 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When are the reforms referred to in the Minister’s letter of response to the Board’s 2023-2024 annual report (on 17 January 2025) to be fully implemented (6.3)?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
The Mental Health Bill will prevent the courts from using prisons as a ‘place of safety’ for defendants who meet the criteria for detention under the Mental Health Act. They must be transferred directly to hospital. Progress: The Bill has yet to become an Act of Parliament.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further steps will the Minister take to address the integration of the healthcare services (under NHS England commissioning) within Bronzefield, notwithstanding the Memorandum of Understanding referred to in the Minister’s letter of response to the Board’s 2023-2024 annual report (on 17 January 2025) (6.1)?
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Response
NHS England has supported the contracted services to develop a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] to allow the service to be fully integrated. Progress: An MoU between CNWL, Sodexo and Forward Trust has been developed only in regard to the sharing of patient information. But it is very recent, so there has not been sufficient time to assess its impact (6.1).
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further steps will the Minister take to improve the support available to discharged prisoners (7.5)?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
Commissioned rehabilitative services (CRS) have been extended to all unsentenced prisoners, with a focus on providing urgent releases to address immediate needs to prevent homelessness. New ‘custodial support appointments’ have been introduced to give prisoners released from court an appointment that same day, to include support with accommodation. Progress: There remains a gap between the service that the Probation Service commissioned/prison-operated CRS provides to unsentenced prisoners in custody and the service the community-operated CRS provides when an unsentenced prisoner is released. For those prisoners who are released directly from court on bail/after an acquittal/for sentenced served/where charges are dismissed, the CRS in the community does not provide support (7.5).
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Prison Service plan to provide support to manage prisoners who are acutely mentally unwell (including some prolific self-harmers) who require being sectioned under the Mental Health Act or admission to a secure hospital, but cannot be easily moved due to a shortage of beds (6.3)?
HMPPS
Mental Health
Response
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to introduce a Bill that will include a statutory 28-day time limit for transfers from prison to hospital. Progress: The Bill has yet to be enacted into law (6.3).
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Will the Prison Service help Bronzefield manage prisoners who present with complex and challenging behaviour, either by providing additional support or facilitating the managed distribution of complex and challenging prisoners within the wider women’s estate (6.3)?
HMPPS
Safety
Response
The women’s estate case advice and support panel (WECASP) provides multidisciplinary support to prisons in the management of women with complex needs. At Bronzefield, an offender personality disorder (OPD) service supports prisoners who are screened into the OPD pathway. Progress: Bronzefield has an in-prison service, known as ‘EOS’, to help support prisoners with a personality disorder diagnosis; it has been in place for a number of years. The young adult wing provides a four-week therapeutic programme through the Hope Group. This service is developed by the women’s estate psychology service (WEPS) and is jointly provided by WEPS, the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and Sodexo (6.3).
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What will the prison do to address the issue of the number of complaints not answered within the timelines contained in the Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework, which continues to result in prisoners losing confidence in the system (5.7)?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Response
Timeliness of complaint responses is an improving picture, although still not where the prison would want it to be. Complaints are now considered each day in the morning briefing, and the complaints team also sends out regular reminders. In addition, the prison has started allocating complaints to named individuals, rather than groups. The use of interim responses has been reduced. Progress: Limited progress observed (5.7).
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How the prison plans to prioritise prisoner and key worker meetings for those who have been identified as most likely to benefit from them (5.3)?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
Key work delivery has improved by ‘ring fencing’ key workers on the daily rota to enable them to meet with prisoners to provide the support needed. This has been impacted by a very high volume of bed-watches. Sodexo has also been working with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to reshape key work delivery to ensure that resource follows risk, rather than delivering to a ‘one size for all’ system. Progress: No progress observed during the reporting year (5.3).
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How will the prison ensure that roll counts return to being accurate and timely, given RRC roll counts continue to be frequently late, which has had a negative impact on the regime and security (6.4, 7)?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
Bronzefield was required to introduce a reconciliation roll count following an HMPPS security audit in December 2024. This has not been without issue and senior leaders have given a lot of focus to monitoring delivery of this requirement. This will be a continued focus in the future. The main roll counts at lunchtime and evening lock up are now achieved on time, more often than not. Progress: Limited progress observed (3.1).
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the prison plan to address the concerns raised by reception peer workers, as outlined in the fourth paragraph of section 4.1?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
The new Director has realigned the functional structure to ensure that the early days service properly included reception, first night centres and induction within the same portfolio. This now sits with residence and the TEDS (the early days service, formerly EDIC, or early days in custody) manager is driving better cohesion and collaboration among all parties. However, the significant change in the population demographic, to a very high remand proportion, means that the TEDS provision will be revisited to ensure it genuinely meets the needs of a high remand/recalled population. This is a priority project, which will be delivered in the next six months. Progress: No progress observed during the reporting year (4.1).
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What plans does the prison have to continue to improve co-ordination between the prison and NHS bodies in the timely dispensing of medications and the treatment of very unwell prisoners (6.1)?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Sodexo and CNWL have a much more proactive and collaborative relationship now and it is recognised that medicine administration needs to improve. Delivery is impacted through the significant shift in population to a high percentage of remand women and this requires greater resource than the NHS has currently commissioned from CNWL. This is being addressed. Delivery is also impacted by the ‘core day’, which does not properly cater for medication administration. The Director has commissioned a review with CNWL to help address this. Progress: No progress observed during the reporting year (6.1).
Recommendation 11
Repeated
How does NHS England plan to improve the integration of healthcare services in Bronzefield (6.1)?
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Recommendation 12
Repeated
How does NHS England plan to address the shortage of experienced nurses in Bronzefield (6.1, 6.5)?
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Recommendation 13
Repeated
How does NHS England propose to remedy the deficiency in GP cover in reception (6.1)?
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare
Other IMB Reports for Bronzefield
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.