Counterterrorism in the NHS: Prevent Duty Safeguarding and the New 'Pathology' of Radicalisation (360G-Wellcome-205365_Z_16_Z)

This project explores the delivery of counter-terrorism policy through NHS England since the 2011 Prevent Review. Despite the historical novelty of enacting counter-radicalisation through UK healthcare, there is no academic study of how the new 'Prevent Duty' has been implemented or its effects. The key goals of the pilot study are to analyse: 1) what kinds of counter-terrorism expertise have been created in the NHS; 2) how the Prevent safeguarding duty is implemented vis-a-vis medical ethics, and 3) how counter-terrorism safeguarding is situated in histories of medico-security collaboration. Three methodological streams are used to deliver the research goals. First, academic literature reviews within fields of critical criminology and medical humanities will situate Prevent's positioning of political violence as a healthcare safeguarding issue. While the practice of counter-terrorism through healthcare is novel, the history of medicine is replete with examples whereby social deviance has been identifed as pathological and treatable - with varying ethical results. Second, expert interviews will be conducted with the safeguarding teams at NHS Trusts across the Midlands to identify the structures and official discourses through which counter-terrorism is enacted. Third, focus groups will be held with NHS staff to explore the everyday implementation of the Prevent Duty.