§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the working group set up by the president of the Royal College of Physicians to advise the director of prison medical services on qualifications and training for prison medical officers.
§ Mr. MellorThe following comprise the President of the Royal College of Physicians' working group.
- Sir Raymond Hoffenberg, KBE, MD, PRCP,(Chairman)
- Dr. H. Baderman, FRCP(Honorary Secretary)
- H-J. B. Galbraith Esq. MD, FRCP
- M. R. Baker Esq. MD, MFCM
- T. H. Bewley Esq. MD, PRCPsych
- Dr. J. Higgins, FRCPsych, DPM
- Dr. J. L. Kilgour, CB, FFCM, MRCGP
- R. Lancaster Esq. SRN(Royal College of Nursing)
- Dr. E. E. J. Martin, MA, FRCGP
- Dr. K. H. Nickol, FRCP, FFOM, DIH
- Dr. Richard Smith, MB MHB
- Mrs. E. Whitaker, OBE, JP,(Board of Visitors, Wakefield Prison)
- Observers
- Dr. Pamela G. W. Mason, FRCPsych, DPM,(DHSS)
- K. R. North Esq.(Home Office)
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since 421W July 1985 in establishing a unified nursing service for prison establishments, indicating the numbers of nursing staff currently holding formal nursing qualifications and the numbers training exclusively in service.
§ Mr. MellorAn essential first stage in the development of a unified service is the recruitment of men and women with nursing qualifications to train as prison hospital officers (uniformed staff combining custodial management and nursing skills). Since July 1985 there has been a 60 per cent. increase in the number of hospital officers who hold a nursing qualification. Currently just under 300 members of the prison nursing service hold a qualification, including some 160 hospital officers. On 9 April, four qualified nurses were receiving or had been accepted for prison officer training with a view to becoming hospital officers and over 100 applications were under consideration.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the proposals for changes in prison service medical documentation which have been endorsed by Ministers, indicating what changes have so far been implemented.
§ Mr. MellorThe proposals centre on a system of discrete medical files for individual prisoners which transfer with them from one establishment to another under sealed cover for the attention of the medical officer. In addition to the modification of various medical documents, other proposed changes include a central storage facility for the medical files of discharged inmates. Medical officers will be further encouraged to seek previous medical histories on any new inmate, irrespective of category, whenever there is reason to think that to be clinically indicated. The Department will clarify with DHSS opportunities for conveying to general practitioners medical information arising during the currency of imprisonment.
Managing medical officers have been asked to introduce the central proposal; most of them have done so and the remainder are working to that end.