HL Deb 20 May 2003 vol 648 cc74-5WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress they are making in providing National Health services for convicted prisoners suffering from treatable mental ill-health. [HL2845]

Baroness Andrews:

All prisons and their National Health Service partners are working to implement the improvements to mental health services set out inChanging the Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Servicesin Prisons published in December 2001. Prisoners who need inpatient treatment for mental disorder may be transferred to psychiatric hospitals. In addition, NHS-funded, multi-disciplinary, mental health in-reach teams are already in operation, or being developed, at 48 establishments in England and Wales and should be introduced at another 46 by 31 March 2004.