Another issue is that the shortage of beds in secure psychiatric hospitals results in significant transfer delays for prisoners.
During the reporting year, a total of 48 prisoners transferred to secure psychiatric hospitals, compared with 34 in 2023-2024 and 56 in 2022-2023.
The target time for transfer is 28 days from the date of referral. This target was met in 45% of cases, with a further 27% waiting more than 56 days.
This puts considerable pressure on staff, other prisoners and beds, the IMB found.
The board praised prison staff for their performance in extremely challenging conditions, highlighting that HMP Bronzefield was never intended to provide the specialist mental healthcare to the extent now required.