NHS trusts are failing to provide acceptable and appropriate healthcare for inmates at British prisons, a joint report said on Thursday.

The Healthcare Commission and HM Inspectorate of Prisons said primary care trusts' healthcare services were "variable... [and] did not always meet the health needs of individual prisoners".

The watchdogs' report cites poor planning and unmonitored training, with less than a quarter of trusts contacted having recently launched healthcare assessments.

Nine out of ten prisoners have either been diagnosed with a mental health, drugs or alcohol problem, Anna Walker, chief executive of the commission, said.

She said healthcare for offenders is "not what it should be".

"This must change, not just because it is the right thing to do for individuals, but because it is the right thing to do if we are serious about addressing the causes of crime," Ms Walker explained.

"Planning and commissioning the right health services for prisoners is the first step to ensuring that health needs are met."

Damme Anne Owers, chief inspector of prisons, added: "This report shows the value of the joint approach to inspection of prison healthcare, with the Healthcare Commission inspecting commissioning and the Prisons Inspectorate inspecting delivery on the ground.

"Together, we can identify improvements and gaps, and ensure that recommendations for improvement are effectively followed up, either with the PCT or the prison."


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