Mental Health Services: Prisoners

(asked on 11th January 2024) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people entering prison underwent reception screening for mental health issues; and how many of these were undertaken by a person with a recognised mental health qualification, in each of the last five years.


Answered by
Lord Markham Portrait
Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 17th January 2024

Everyone coming into prison either from courts or transfer from another prison or on remission from a psychiatric unit receives the first reception screening. This screening is based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and includes questions on a person’s mental health. The clinicians undertaking the initial reception screening could be either a general nurse or a mental health nurse. We do not have the breakdown of those that undertake reception screenings when seeing prisoners and their qualifications.

Any patient that requires further support or investigations for physical or mental health conditions is appropriately referred on to the relevant team. It is important to note that the initial health screen on reception is to keep people safe in the first few days. A more comprehensive second screening is undertaken within seven days of arrival.

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