Written question asked by Lord Howie of Troon (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Darzi of Denham (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 December 2008.

Prisoners: Mental Health

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what processes exist within prisons in England and Wales to ensure that offenders suffering from severe psychiatric disorders receive treatment appropriate to their condition.

Answer: There are 102 National Health Service mental health inreach teams in prisons providing NHS services, to which all prisons have access. Mental health treatment and care is delivered in prison, as is general health treatment (for example, for prisoners with diabetes or heart disease) unless urgent NHS treatment is needed, in which case prisoners are transferred to the NHS outside of the Prison Service. A person whose mental illness is too severe to justify their remaining in prison is transferred to NHS secure services. In 2007, 926 prisoners with severe mental illness were transferred to hospital, compared to 723 in 2002, an increase of 28 per cent. Commissioning responsibility for mental health care and treatment within the prison estate transferred fully to primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2006. All prison mental health services are now mainstreamed within the NHS. Funding is not ring-fenced for prison healthcare, and it is for each PCT to decide upon spending levels for specific healthcare treatments and services, including offender mental health, and to commission these services.

Secondary information