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<p>The total number of prisoners who have been transferred to hospital under sections
47 or 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last three years is set out
below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>980</p></td><td><p>936</p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The data are published annually on the gov.uk
website under the Offender Management Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>The average time for
such transfers to take place in each of those years has remained the same: 14 days.</p><p>
</p><p>The time has been measured from the date at which the Ministry of Justice is
provided with a complete application for a transfer warrant - indicating transfer
is appropriate - to the actual date of admission to hospital. The Ministry of Justice
has a target of 24 hours within which to provide a transfer warrant, once the assessments
are complete and the two required medical reports and all other relevant information
is received. This target is met in 95% of cases.</p><p> </p><p>This average time information
is not published. The measure has been drawn from administrative IT systems which,
as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data
entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>We take the mental health of prisoners extremely
seriously, which is why we have increased the support available to vulnerable offenders
- especially during the first 24 hours in custody - and invested more in mental health
awareness training for prison officers.</p><p> </p><p>But we recognise that more can
be done and continue to work in partnership with HMPPS, NHS England and Public Health
England to improve mental health services for offenders at all points of the criminal
justice system.</p>
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