A stark disparity in healthcare access has been exposed, with a report finding individuals held at Scotland's only immigration removal centre receiving faster and more readily available medical services than many residents relying on the National Health Service.
Inspection Reveals Efficient On-Site Healthcare
An inspection of Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) near Strathaven, Lanarkshire, carried out between August and September this year by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, painted a picture of efficient medical provision. The report, authored by Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor, stated that detainees had 'good access to primary care services, with low waiting numbers and short waiting times'.
Those held at the centre, which can accommodate up to 150 people with plans to increase to 200, are actively encouraged to visit an on-site health centre to discuss issues and book appointments. The report noted that management of long-term conditions was generally well run and patients with complex needs were managed well.
Additional services were also highlighted:
- Podiatry and optometry were available with 'acceptable waiting times'.
- A mental health team, including experienced nurses and a visiting psychiatrist, had expanded to offer a seven-day service.
- Urgent mental health referrals were seen within 24 hours, with non-urgent cases within five days.
- Dental services provided urgent care appointments three times a week.
Sharp Contrast to Pressured Scottish GP Services
This standard of care stands in sharp contrast to the experience of many Scottish patients. Primary care services across Scotland are under intense strain, with significant challenges in securing GP appointments and lengthy waiting lists for hospital treatment.
Recent data underscores the crisis:
- The General Practice Workforce Survey 2025 found 3.8% of GP posts in Scotland were vacant at the end of March.
- The number of GP practices has fallen from around 1,000 in 2011 to 889 in 2023.
- Over the same period, the number of patients per full-time GP has risen from 1,500 to 1,715.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has even issued guidance for practices to manage frustrated patients, acknowledging that the struggle to get an appointment often feels like 'competition with hundreds of other people' because, quite literally, it is.
Political Reaction and Immigration Focus
The revelations have prompted strong political criticism. Meghan Gallacher, the Tory MSP for Central Scotland, said: 'Scots patients will be dismayed that they can’t access the same standard of healthcare available at Dungavel. The many thousands languishing on waiting lists will want to know why they are receiving poorer treatment than illegal migrants and convicted criminals.'
The report's details emerge amid a renewed political focus on immigration, an issue expected to feature prominently in next year's Holyrood elections. A significant proportion of those held at Dungavel are foreign national offenders; in the past six months alone, 37% of new arrivals were foreign national prisoners. These individuals are transferred to Dungavel after serving part of a UK prison sentence before being processed for deportation.
Operated by private contractor Mitie on behalf of the Home Office under a £92 million contract since 2021, the centre's health services are delivered by another private firm, Med-Co Secure Health Services.
