Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Deferred
Paragraph: 53
Review mental health services specification for competent professional screening of prisoners
Recommendation
The NHS should review its mental health services specification so that mental health screening is always carried out by a competent mental health professional with experience of the criminal justice system.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response details the support mechanisms available for HMPPS staff wellbeing, including access to therapies for trauma, reflective sessions, and a specialist 'Post Covid Syndrome' service. It does not address the recommendation for the NHS to review its mental health services specification for prisoner screening.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
53
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
NICE guidance on the Physical Health of People in Prison (NG57)10 and the Service Specification for Integrated Mental Health Service for Prisons (2018) in England specify that screening, assessment and treatment for mental health issues should be in place as appropriate and delivered by professionals and allied staff who are suitably competent, well led, properly supervised and operating within a clear quality and clinical governance framework supporting safe and effective delivery. Where a referral is made to the mental health team during any point of the prisoner health pathway, services are required to ensure that competent practitioners who have experience of working with people in contact with the criminal justice system and mental health problems perform the mental health assessment.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗