§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison establishments in England and Wales have a formal policy which states that512W the seclusion of mentally ill patients within the health care centre should be governed by guidance in the Code of Practice for Mental Health of 1983. [23854]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 19 January 1998]: The seclusion of mentally disordered prisoners in health care centres is governed principally by guidelines issued to all establishments by the then Director of Prison Medical Services in Janaury 1990. Additional guidance, elaborating on those guidelines, has been issued subsequently.
Prison health care centres are not hospitals for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983. The care of mentally disordered prisoners in them is not directly governed by provisions in that Act, or guidance in the Code of Practice issued under it. Copies of the Code of Practice have, however, been issued for the information and consideration of prison doctors.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prison establishments in England and Wales have produced a health care plan for prisoners setting out the aims and objectives of the Prison Health Service. [23853]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 19 January 1998]: The aims and objectives of health care in prisons are set out in centrally published Health Care Standards which apply to all establishments. Many establishments reflect these aims and objectives and philosophy of care in patient information literature or other local plans. However, statistics are not available centrally about the proportion that do this.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a patient's charter in respect of the provision of health care within the Prison Service. [23852]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 19 Janata), 1998]: The provision of health care in prisons is governed by published standards. There is no national charter although some prisons have locally produced charters.
The Prison Service and the National Health Service (NHS) have established a joint working group to advise Ministers on the options for the future organisation of prison health care with a view to achieving standards and practices comparable to those in the NHS. The issue of a patient's charter for prisoners will be among the options the group will be considering.