The Forensic Services Directorate aims to provide a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff. Patients will have access to their personal possessions where appropriate. However it will be necessary to exclude or restrict some items from patients while they are residents within the secure wards.
Visitors and family play an important role in the welfare of our patients. However, a visiting policy is essential to promote the health, safety, privacy and infection prevention and control of our patients and our community.
All visitors to the Hatherton Centre, Ellesmere House and Clee require collection from reception and escorting to the area which is being visited. Provisions are in place for children visiting. This requires agreement with the Multi-Disciplinary Team before visits go ahead. The ward Charge Nurse is to be contacted in the first instance.
For visitors to the medium and low secure wards photographic proof of identity will be required when you visit. Lockers for valuables (including personal effects such as handbags etc) and items that are prohibited onto the ward areas are provided.
All professional visitors must provide photographic identification or access will not be allowed. In instances where no photographic identification can be provided admission will only be authorised when verification is sought.
Parking is free with an automatic number plate recognition system in use at St George's Hospital site. You must register your car number plate (ask staff when you arrive) to avoid a fine. There is a 30-minute grace period, during which, no fine will be issued
Prohibited items are excluded because their makeup or properties could be hazardous. This may be because they could be used to harm others, because of their harmful properties (such as drugs or alcohol) or their illegality.
Restricted items may also be potentially hazardous. This may be because they could be used to cause distress, to self-harm or to harm others. These items may be restricted but not excluded because they can be valuable tools in encouraging normalisation and resisting institutionalisation, providing rehabilitative, social, educational, recreational and diversionary value. These items will be risk assessed.
Access to some restricted items is a necessary function of forensic inpatient services in order to facilitate aspects of patient treatment and rehabilitation. Patients will be preparing for safe transfer to care in the community; this requires increasing exposure to restricted items that may be freely available in the destination/setting. Individual risk assessments/mitigation plans will be completed.
Access to E-Cigarettes by inpatients will be permitted following a risk assessment and approval from the MDT and managed within the guidelines set out in “The use of e-cigarettes/vapes for inpatients to assist in the management of the Smokefree Policy”.
The use of mobile phones by inpatients within the secure areas will be permitted following risk assessment and approval from the MDT and managed within the guidelines outlined within the “Use of Mobile Phones by Patients on in-patient areas” SOP.
Please note that other than inpatients with access to mobile phones, no staff, visitors or professional visitors are permitted to enter the secure areas with a mobile phone.
Please see Contraband Items List for more information.
Security awareness training is available and covers the following:
For more information contact
Wayne Harvey, Forensic Security Manager & EPRR Officer - 01785 257888 or email wayne.harvey@mpft.nhs.uk
