Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 44
44
Accepted
Require Government to outline plans for upholding prison healthcare equivalence and integrating services
Recommendation
The Government must set out how it will ensure that the principle of equivalence in prison healthcare is upheld in practice. This should include a plan to address the operational barriers to healthcare delivery—such as staffing shortages, late receptions, escort constraints and lack of electronic records—and demonstrate how health and wellbeing services will be integrated into its wider rehabilitation strategy and the NHS ten-year plan. (Recommendation, Paragraph 203)
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, referencing the National Partnership Agreement and the NHS 10-Year Health Plan as key to upholding healthcare equivalence. They are addressing operational barriers through continued collaboration, data collection on service delivery, and the re-procurement of integrated clinical digital systems by early 2026.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Accept. The Government is committed to ensuring that people in prison have access to an equivalent standard, range and quality of health care in prisons to that available in the wider community. This is reflected in the National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England between MoJ, DHSC, HMPPS, NHS England and UK HSA published in February 2023. This sets out shared strategic priorities to enable the delivery of safe and effective care that improves health outcomes for people in prison and those subject to supervision by the probation service in the community. HMPPS will continue to work closely with health partners to look at issues that impact equivalence, such as staffing levels and timely and appropriate information sharing. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, also presents a significant opportunity to improve access to healthcare through the recruitment of more GPs and shift from sickness to prevention and align a whole system response. For those in contact with the criminal justice system, who are traditionally harder to engage and tend to experience co-morbidities, we are considering targeted interventions that can improve access to, and engagement with, services, both upon release and in custody. We have made significant progress in the last 18 months to ensure the principle of equivalence is upheld in practice. Key activity includes: • Progressing improvements in the system, including the development of a metric to capture prisoner attendance at healthcare appointments. • We have also commissioned a data capture exercise across all prisons in England and Wales to collect information on Escorts, Bedwatch and Constant Supervision, to collect information on missed and cancelled appointments, waiting times, local treatment services and the use of digital and technology in delivering healthcare. • We recognise that Health systems are a key function to the delivery of healthcare in custody. NHSE is undertaking a re-procurement of the current Integrated Clinical Digital systems early in 2026, this will include requirements for interoperability with criminal justice systems, as well as other community health systems such as National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).