Prisoners at a Scots jail are being given sedatives as early as 3.30pm to help them sleep, according to a new report.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland found inmates at HMP Grampian in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire 'were not being given medication as prescribed'.
The facility was ranked as 'poor' and slammed for staff shortages which had affected its standards, in a damning report from February last year.
A follow-up inspection published today from October 2019, where the sole focus was healthcare, found major errors in how medication was prescribed.
In a report being published today, inspectors wrote: “Patients were still not being given medications as prescribed.
“For example, in some halls, afternoon and evening medication was given together, and these medicines may be given as early as 3.30pm.
“This was a concern as an appropriate gap between doses may not be achieved, and sedating medication was being administered very early.”
Staff shortages were blamed for the poor medical care after it emerged last year that prisoners arriving after 9.30pm were not being subjected to critical medical checks.
However a follow up visit found 'clear improvements' as late shift nurses had been introduced and remote checks in custody for arrivals would take place if there was no nurse available.
Training has increased for staff, more coaching is being given to managers, agency workers are working more alongside the prison and health checks after a week behind bars is being brought into force.
Chief inspector, Wendy Sinclair, said: “The issues here are resolvable.
“They’ve taken on board our concerns, and will address them, but it will take time.
“It will take hard work to get the dispensing right and it will be resolved, just maybe not right away.”
She added: “We were really impressed by the difference.
“There’s been huge changes and it’s really down to the willingness of the staff to improve rather than just accept they’re doing things wrong.
“On the whole the inspection showed a great emerging picture.”
