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<p>Improving the physical and mental health of people in prison is a top priority
for this Government. It is recognised that there are large numbers of people in prison
with mental ill health, and it is essential that they are treated in the most appropriate
environment for their needs.</p><p> </p><p>When people do go to prison, they should
receive the same standard and access to National Health Service healthcare treatments
and care as people in the community.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2013, NHS England has
commissioned health services for prisoners in England. Public Health England guidance
supports NHS England commissioners and health care providers to undertake Health Needs
Assessments which are a method for reviewing the health issues facing the prison population.
The guidance advises that Health Needs Assessments are undertaken every three years,
with an annual ‘refresh’.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England is working with partners in Her
Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and Public Health England to improve and redesign
services for people in prison with mental health needs. This includes revising approaches
to secure hospital transfers under sections 48 and 49 of the Mental Health Act 1983
when a person needs to be in a hospital setting for their mental health. NHS England
is reviewing the mental health service specification for prisons, in line with the
commitment set out in the Next Steps for the Five Year Forward View.</p><p> </p><p>It
is important to ensure that care started in prison can be continued on release into
the community. Enabling offenders to access necessary treatment and support is vital
to reduce reoffending. Progress has been made in this area and general practitioner
(GP) practices are now required to pre-register prisoners prior to their release.</p><p>
</p><p>This is further aided by work on the Health and Justice Information System.
From 2019, NHS England will introduce the system to enable patient data to be shared
with community services for the first time. This means that on release from prison,
the patients up-to-date clinical record can be transferred to the GP with whom the
person registers. This information sharing is key to ensuring continuity of care.</p>
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