Overview
Mr C, a prisoner, complained that the prison health centre's handling of his complaint forms was unreasonable. He also complained that he had problems in accessing the relevant complaint forms.
Specific complaint and conclusion
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
(a) the prison health centre's handling of his complaint forms from 1 to 3 November 2012 was unreasonable (upheld); and,
(b) prisoners' access to Board complaint forms has been unreasonable (upheld).
Redress and recommendation
The Ombudsman recommends that the Board:
(i) issue a written apology to Mr C for the failure to deal with his complaint in line with their complaints procedure;
(ii) ensure that the local process in place for the management of prison health care complaints is in line with the good practice outlined in the Scottish Government guidance 'Can I Help You?'; and
(iii) take steps to confirm that complaint forms are readily available for prisoners to access.
The Board have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.