Prison group to boost access

Mental Health Nursing,  Dec 2001  

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The government has set up a new Expert Group for mental health services in prisons.

It will be chaired by National Director for Mental Health. Professor Louis Appleby and will help guide the development of improved mental health services for prisoners.

The Expert Group includes members responsible for mental health policy in the Department of Health, Home Office, Prison Service, practitioners working in the field and others with experience of mental health services in custodial settings. The group will meet six times a year and the overall remit will be to provide advice about the planned reforms and improvements to mental health services for prisoners.

In particular the group will oversee the implementation of the in-reach of community mental health services into prisons as set out in the NHS Plan, acting as a sounding board and source of external scrutiny as the practical details of policy and implementation are developed.

Health minister Jacqui Smith commented: "It is easy to forget that prisoners are patients too but Prison Service standards make it clear that prisoners should have access to the same range and quality of health care services as are available to the general public through the NHS.

"Sadly historical problems of professional isolation, staffing difficulties and, often, inadequate facilities have meant that prison mental health services cannot cope with the demands placed on them. "The Expert Group needs to ensure that the National Service Framework for Mental Health is extended to prisons and that the mental health services reflect current thinking and best practice in the NHS."

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association Dec 2001
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