HC Deb 06 July 2000 vol 353 cc295-6W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has made to the report of the Prison Inspectorate team on the care of prisoners with mental health problems; and if he will make a statement. [129107]

Mr. Boateng

All prisons and the local health authorities in which they are situated have been asked, in line with the programme of reform set out in "The Future Organisation of Prison Healthcare" (March 1999), by March 2001 at the latest jointly to assess prisoners' health needs and identify appropriate services to meet them and effective means of delivery.

These should include inreach into prisons from community mental health teams as part of the broader development of mental health services as set out in the National Service Framework for Mental Health. Implementation of improvements through individual prison health plans is scheduled to begin from April 2001, although reforms are well underway in a number of prisons already.

Sir Peter Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the recommendation of the Joint Prison Service and NHS Executive Working Group in its report, "Future Organisation of Prison Health Care" published in March 1999, with particular reference to progress made in securing the care of mentally ill prisoners in line with NHS mental health policy in respect of its arrangements for referral and admission of such prisoners to high and medium secure psychiatric services. [129004]

Mr. Boateng

All prisons and the local health authorities in which they are situated have been asked, in line with the programme of reform set out in "The Future Organisation of Prison Healthcare" (March 1999), by March 2001 at the latest jointly to assess prisoners' health needs and identify appropriate services to meet them and effective means of delivery.

These should include in reach into prisons from community mental health teams as part of the broader development of mental health services as set out in the National Service Framework for Mental Health. Implementation of improvements through individual prison health plans is scheduled to begin from April 2001, although reforms are well underway in a number of prisons already.

The Prison Service and the NHS are now actively monitoring the number of prisoners awaiting transfer to secure psychiatric hospitals and waiting times, referring particularly difficult cases to the newly established NHS Regional Specialist Commissioning Groups for review or transfer action, as appropriate.