Prison Transfer Interfaculty
Project
Lord Bradley's review of people
with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the
criminal justice system contained a total of 72 recommendations to
Government. Among these were a recommendation that the Department
of Health develop a new minimum target for the NHS of 14 days to
transfer a prisoner with acute, severe mental illness to an
appropriate healthcare setting.
In response to Lord Bradley's
Report, the Government accepted in principle the direction in
respect of 14-day prison transfers and in the House of
Commons Phil Hope, Secretary State for Health, recognised
the importance of ensuring that prisoners with severe mental
illness who require treatment in hospital have timely access to
that treatment.
The Government are considering the
feasibility of introducing a 14-day transfer standard. A specific
project to address prison transfers has been established and this
project will be focusing on the provision of guidance and support
to the national health service and Criminal Justice System to
ensure transfers happen both smoothly and as quickly as
possible.
The College has produced a
report which has drawn upon the experiences and the expertise of
psychiatrists working within prisons and hospitals to identify some
of the delays in transfering prisoners with mental health problems
to appropriate health care settings. This report is an
opportunity to highlight good practice within these settings. Some
key findings of the report are:
- A 14 day transfer target is reasonable but there are
reservations about its practical implementation
- Many barriers to timely transfers appear to be largely
administrative
- Particular issues exist with identification of responsible
authority and dispute resolution
Although a clear majority of
psychiatrists agreed that 14 days is a reasonable target to
transfer a prisoner with acute, severe mental illness to an
appropriate healthcare setting to secure treatment as quickly as
possible, there were some reservations about how this could
practically be achieved. Many of the problems identified as
contributing to the delays in the prison transfer process appear to
be administrative, such as information-sharing, poor communication,
etc.
However, these administrative
problems can lead to significant cumulative inefficiencies within
the system, which can be costly and result in delays.
With the prison population rising
rapidly, reforms to the health and criminal justice system will
require careful consideration. The moral and ethical imperative to
provide equivalence of care for those within prisons cannot be
ignored and any delay is unacceptable.
For more information regarding the Prison Transfer Project,
please contact Masood
Khan