Custody inspection report - Highland and Islands

Police Scotland should improve CCTV viewing equipment and conditions for officers at Lerwick and Stornoway custody centres to ensure the location, number, and quality of screens is sufficient to provide clear imaging of detainee cells, including when displaying multiple camera feeds.

Police Scotland should review the potential risks associated with the lack of available modern fingerprint identification equipment at ancillary custody centres and address the deficits identified.

Police Scotland should ensure that policy relating to single officer custody centre staffing is adhered to and strictly underpinned by appropriate supervisory scrutiny, with the rationale and authority for such decisions consistently recorded on the National Custody System.

Police Scotland should ensure that staffing of ancillary custody centres, and the care and welfare of detainees therein, is intrusively supervised to ensure essential care and welfare standards are maintained and checks are accurately and timeously recorded on the National Custody System.

NHS Highland and Police Scotland should ensure that all infection and prevention control and health and safety risks are identified and managed during building works that will affect healthcare facilities in custody centres.

NHS Highland should ensure that all PPE is stored appropriately in all custody centres to reduce the risk of contamination.

NHS Highland should ensure that all sharps bins in all custody centres are labelled and managed in line with current guidance to ensure safe and effective waste management.

NHS Highland and Police Scotland should ensure that all infection and prevention control and health and safety risks are identified and managed during building works that will affect healthcare facilities in custody centres.

NHS Highland should demonstrate that assurance and monitoring systems are in place to support IPC practice and ensure that infection-related incidents are detected and responded to.

NHS Highland and Police Scotland should ensure that custody staff involved in the checking of controlled drugs have had appropriate training.

NHS Highland must establish a clear, standardised referral pathway for mental health assessments in custody, supported by formal collaboration between custody healthcare teams and secondary mental health services, to ensure timely, coordinated, and person-centred care.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that healthcare staff working within custody centres are trained in relevant human rights protocols.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that information on how to make a complaint is clearly visible and shared with patients.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that recommended PPE is available and stored appropriately to reduce the risk of contamination.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that all sharps bins are labelled and managed in line with current guidance appropriately to ensure safe and effective waste management.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that all clinical waste is segregated into suitable colour-coded and appropriately labelled receptacles for disposal.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that all potential IPC and health and safety risks are identified, communicated and managed to reduce potential risk for patients and staff.

NHS Western Isles should demonstrate that assurance and monitoring systems are in place to support IPC practice and ensure that infection related incidents are detected and responded to.

NHS Western Isles should review its process for sharing healthcare information on patients with custody staff to reduce the risk of healthcare information being missed or recorded incorrectly.

NHS Western Isles should ensure that the SOP for the administration of medication is completed as a priority to ensure the safe administration of medications for their patients.

NHS Shetland should ensure that clear and accessible information on how to provide feedback or make a complaint is visibly displayed in the custody centre to support transparency and service user engagement.

NHS Shetland and Police Scotland should ensure that the treatment room in the custody centre is maintained to a high standard to allow for effective decontamination.

NHS Shetland should ensure that hand soap, alcohol-based hand rub and hand towels are appropriately stored and ready for use.

NHS Shetland should ensure that sharps bins are labelled and managed in line with current guidance to ensure safe and effective waste management.

NHS Shetland should demonstrate that assurance and monitoring systems are in place to support IPC practice and ensure that infection-related incidents are detected and responded to.

NHS Shetland and Police Scotland should ensure robust governance is in place to manage the secure and accurate sharing of healthcare information.

NHS Shetland should introduce a process to provide evidence that emergency equipment in Lerwick custody centre has been checked and is ready for use.

NHS Shetland should ensure that only healthcare staff have access to drug key and cupboard in Lerwick custody centre.

NHS Shetland should ensure that there is secure transfer of medicines between sites and appropriate guidance and processes in place to support this.

NHS Shetland and GEOAmey should ensure that GEOAmey staff have appropriate training in the use of compliance aids to allow them to administer medications safely.

NHS Shetland should ensure that the ‘Dispensing Process for Urgent Medicines required for custodies detained in Lerwick Police Station’ document is reviewed and updated as required.

NHS Orkney should develop relevant training and induction for staff providing care in custody settings to ensure they are equipped with the specific clinical, legal, and operational knowledge required for this environment.

NHS Orkney should ensure clear and accessible information on how to provide feedback or make a complaint is visibly displayed in the custody centre to support transparency and service user engagement.

NHS Orkney should strengthen data collection processes for custody healthcare by promoting consistent use of Adastra, introducing a centralised system for recording healthcare interactions, and utilising Police Scotland’s detention records to better understand service demand and inform planning.

NHS Orkney should develop and implement clear, structured protocols for custody healthcare to improve consistency, enhance interagency communication, and support police staff in delivering safe and coordinated care.

NHS Orkney should ensure that all PPE is stored appropriately to reduce the risk of contamination.

NHS Orkney should ensure that all sharps bins are labelled and managed in line with current guidance, to ensure safe and effective waste management.

NHS Orkney should review its process for sharing healthcare information with custody staff to minimise the risk of information being missed or recorded inaccurately. A system must be established to ensure that all interactions with NHS staff while a person is in police custody are documented within a single, unified system.

NHS Orkney must ensure approved processes are in place and these are documented and approved through the appropriate governance routes to support staff with the supply, storage, administration, and the safe destruction of medicines.

NHS Orkney and GEOAmey should ensure that GEOAmey staff have appropriate training in the use of compliance aids to allow them to administer medications safely.