Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what methods a prisoner who is either serving a sentence or on remand in a private sector jail in (a) England and (b) Wales can complain about their health treatment.

There are 13 private sector prisons in England and one in Wales.

Complaints about healthcare in all prisons, including private sector prisons, should first be made to the healthcare provider.

In England if a prisoner is not satisfied with the response, complaints can be made to the commissioner of healthcare services through the NHS Complaints Procedure. If a prisoner is still not satisfied they may escalate their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman.

At HMP Parc in Wales, the process is firstly to approach the provider, and if the prisoner is not satisfied with the response, to contact the prison’s Director of Strategic Support who will commission Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to undertake an independent review of the case.