Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether public and private sector prisons have different healthcare providers; and if he will make a statement.

Prisoners should have access to the same range and quality of health services, including mental health services, as the general public receives from the National Health Service.

Since 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning healthcare in all prisons in England. However, there are five private prisons where primary healthcare services are commissioned by the Ministry of Justice. In these five private prisons some secondary healthcare services, including substance misuse and mental health, are commissioned by NHS England.

Healthcare services are provided by a range of NHS and non-NHS organisations.

Local Health Boards are responsible for commissioning healthcare services in public sector prisons in Wales.