Planning effective mental healthcare in prisons: Findings from a national consultation on the Care Programme Approach in prisons

The Care Programme Approach (CPA) can be an effective tool in coordinating the care and treatment needs of people with mental illness and learning disabilities. Within prisons settings, the CPA has been poorly implemented and the principles underpinning this approach have been lost. This paper presents the key themes identified as part of a consultation process to develop quality guidance on planning effective mental healthcare in prisons in relation to the CPA. It was conducted by the Quality Network for Prison Mental Health Services, a quality improvement initiative organised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Centre for Quality Improvement. The information derived from the consultation process indicates that there is a substantial need for standardisation and consistency in the application of the CPA process within prisons, for the purposes of enhanced care delivery, greater continuity of care, and improved patient outcomes.