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Epilepsy: Offenders

Answer

There has been no centrally commissioned research or audit on this matter. Local primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for assuring the quality of care provided in primary care settings to their local population, which includes all publicly run prisons.All clinical staff are regulated and subject to the same standards of practice including those providing care in prisons. The standards of care are found in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance CG20. The standards of care expressed in the New General Medical Services Quality Outcomes Framework will be monitored, as they are in general practice, across the prison estate following the roll out of a general practitioner clinical IT system.The Department of Health and the Prison Reform Trust have recently published two new information books for prisoners with a disability. Copies have been placed in the Library. The first book is a short, easy-read version for prisoners with learning difficulties, the second book contains more in depth detail for prisoners on their health, daily life, and how to get help in prison and on release this includes information on epilepsy.Since 2006, PCTs have been responsible for commissioning health services for their offender health population. In commissioning these services, the NICE guidelines for epilepsy provides the benchmark for providers of these services.The Department does not collect information on the number of people in prisons and young offender institutions that have epilepsy.Offenders are now all screened on arrival in prison by a trained nurse or trained officer to find out what their health needs are and get them the right treatment. All new offenders entering prison reception either on remand or sentenced, have an initial health assessment undertaken to ensure that any immediate health needs are identified on the first night with a fuller comprehensive health assessment completed within five days of admission into custody.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

497 c713-4W; 289955

Session

2008-09

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP2009-2492
Monday, 12 October 2009
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Epilepsy Prisoners

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk