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Health and Social Care Bill

My Lords, I am very concerned that prison health is not mentioned in the Government's bundle of amendments. The NHS is now responsible for prison health. This is very important. One of my concerns is that many people in prison have mental health problems, and some of the most complicated problems are those prisoners with a dual diagnoses—mental health and addictions. The rise in infections such as hepatitis is also of concern. We have some very large prisons. Prisoners may fall through the net of care. If the need for inspection of health and social care is not written in this Bill for prisons, it may well be neglected by the commission, which will have an enormous amount to do across the country and in many institutions. The commission might think that prisoners are behind closed doors and are not a priority. That would be totally wrong. Prisoners come in and out as though on a conveyer-belt. Society needs protection and ill prisoners need good health and welfare systems inside and on release from prison. I would like health and social care, including mental health, included in the new clause in Amendment No. 12, ““Matters to which the Commission must have regard””. I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Darzi of Denham, will visit a few prisons and discuss the health needs of these institutions. With the reduction of resources by 40 per cent and reduced inspections by the CQC, I feel worried that prisons may be neglected and forgotten about.