Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Warner (Labour) on Monday, 5 June 2006.
NHS: Denial of Treatment
- Question
- On what legal basis Mr Edward Atkinson has been told that National Health Service treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, will be denied him in the future except in life-threatening circumstances; what other categories of offender are also denied hospital treatment; and how many other prisoners in the United Kingdom have been banned from receiving healthcare in National Health Service hospitals.
- Answer
-
The guidance framework on the withholding of National Health Service treatment from violent and abusive patients was issued by the Department of Health in 2001 following on from the cross-government Zero Tolerance campaign introduced in 2000, to tackle violence in the NHS. The guidance highlighted that the withholding of NHS treatment from violent and abusive patients will always be a last resort, but should be an option available to managers and staff working in all NHS trusts, with certain exemptions including those requiring urgent medical treatment or under the age of 16. The guidance made explicit that all NHS trusts develop local policies on withholding treatment from violent and abusive patients in consultation with independent legal advice on the terms and application of such a policy; and trusts must also have in place clear defensible policies and procedures outlining the circumstances where the withholding of treatment is justifiable. Since then the Government created the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) in April 2003. The NHS SMS has launched a comprehensive strategy, which has replaced work previously undertaken under the NHS Zero Tolerance campaign. The NHS SMS strategy places a particular emphasis on the introduction of preventive measures to stop violent incidents occurring in the first place. In 2004, the NHS SMS issued guidance covering the application of this strategy in the context of tackling the whole issue of non-physical assaults on NHS staff.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 5829; 682 c157WA
- Session
- 2005-06
- Related items
- Subjects
- Access Hospitals Offenders NHS Patients Prisoners Violence Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn Atkinson, Edward
- Link
- View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk
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- Timestamp
- 2013-11-25 02:36:33 +0000
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