Description of the contract
HMP Swansea is a category B/C prison for adult males remanded into custody from the local courts, as well as convicted and sentenced prisoners. The prisoner profile is a familiar one across the UK; mainly young men from deprived backgrounds with low literacy and educational attainment, often with a history of drug taking and alcohol abuse, underlying poor nutrition and heavy smoking. Overall maintaining good oral health is a challenge. Many prisoners come into custody from areas of substantial deprivation with very high levels of treatment need. These circumstances are often compounded by a history of prolonged substance misuse, tobacco use, excess alcohol consumption and infrequent dental attendance when outside the prison.
The nature of the prison environment makes the delivery of care as equally challenging as the oral health of the patients. The population presents with incredibly high needs and there are a high number of emergency and urgent cases. The high turnover of prisoners in remand or short-stay institutions, where short sentences or frequent transfers between facilities mean courses of treatment can go unfinished as prisoners are moved on.
Aims
To ensure that Swansea Bay UHB’s contracted dental services for men at HMP Swansea is driven by the men’s needs, their best long term interests, and minimises risks to themselves as individuals.
To ensure care is consistent with relevant national and Swansea Bay UHB guidelines and policies and recognised best practice and is provided:
• in a safe environment
• by individuals who are competent to deliver the needs of the men and assess their best long term interests
Underpinning Principles and Objectives of the Service
The purpose of this dental service provision is to promote a high quality, and preventative oral health focused dental care in a secure setting that is comparable to the service patients should expect to receive in a primary care setting.
The service will be evidence based and will enable the dental team to exercise professional judgement in working with patients to agree outcomes that will best promote better oral health and prevent ill health.
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