HC Deb 07 March 1995 vol 256 cc97-8W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what different arrangements exist for the billing and funding of the outside treatment of prisoners with(a) mental illness and (b) physical illness;

(2) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the purchaser-provider split between health authorities in respect of patients who are imprisoned; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis

Responsibility for meeting the costs of treatment provided to prisoners in national health service accident and emergency units is met by the district in which the hospital is located. Otherwise responsibility for outside treatment falls to the health authority in the prisoner's usual district of residence, determined by the address at which they were resident immediately before detention. Where that cannot be determined satisfactorily, responsibility falls to the district in which the offence, or alleged offence, in respect of which the prisoner is detained was committed. There is no difference between the arrangements for funding treatment of mental and physical illness.

Purchasing authorities are required in their strategic and development plans to take account of the health care needs of all those who are normally resident in their district. This will include the needs of people who are in prison and who may require care and treatment in the NHS. These arrangements are subject to the normal monitoring process undertaken by the NHS Executive.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision the NHS provides for those prisoners suffering from mental illness too severe to be dealt with in prison but not severe enough to warrant incarceration in a Rampton-level unit.

Mr. Bowis

Prisoners who are transferred to national health service hospitals under provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 may be admitted to general psychiatric hospitals, specialist medium-secure units, or one of the three special hospitals. My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will name the hospital on a transfer direction following recommendations made to him by two medical practitioners who will have assessed the prisoner and advised on the level of security required.