§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 27 April 2004,Official Report, column 961W, on the Prison Health Service, what issues had been raised by local services concerning the existing local protocols for ambulance and paramedic access. [171267]
§ Dr. LadymanFeedback from local services highlighted the scope to strengthen protocols for ambulance and paramedic access to prisons in three specific areas
ensuring that ambulances are called promptly to incidents within prisons when required, and that there are clear arrangements for doing so in emergencies without the need first to consult prison health care staff;distinguishing between access for an ambulance vehicle and access for a paramedic to attend the patient; andtaking account of the potential impact of new European Committee for Standardisation Regulation for Ambulance Vehicles (British Standard Specification EN 1789), given the need for a suitably risk assessed Prison Service escort to attend with the vehicle.