Consultation display

Provision of health and social care in the adult prison estate

Response to the consultation

Evidence submitted in response to this Consultation

Purpose of the consultation

While prisons are not devolved, the healthcare system is, and the Welsh Government has a clear set of responsibilities in providing health and social care services to prisoners held in Wales.

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry focused on Welsh prisoners’ experiences of health and social care services in the adult prison estate. It considered:

  • The effectiveness of current arrangements for the planning of health services for prisoners held in Wales and the governance of prison health and care services, including whether there is sufficient oversight. 
  • The demand for health and social care services in Welsh prisons, and whether healthcare services are meeting the needs of prisoners and tackling the health inequalities of people detained in Welsh prisons. 
  • What the current pressures on health and social care provision are in Welsh prisons, including workforce issues and services, such as mental health, substance misuse, learning disabilities, primary care out of hours, and issues relating to secondary, hospital-based care for inmates.
  • How well prisons in Wales are meeting the complex health and social care needs of a growing population of older people in prison, and what potential improvements could be made to current services. 
  • If there are sufficient resources available to fund and deliver care in the Welsh prison estate, specifically whether the baseline budget for prisoner healthcare across Local Health Board needs to be reviewed. 
  • What the current barriers are to improving the prison healthcare system and the health outcomes of the prison population in Wales. 

While focused on the adult prison estate in Wales, the Committee considered evidence on the female prison population and the issues facing those Welsh prisoners held in the secure estate in England.  Specific issues relating to children and young people may also be explored further.

The deadline for responses was 14 May 2019.

Contact details

Should you wish to speak to someone regarding this consultation, please use the below contact details:

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Welsh Parliament
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1SN

Email: Contact@Senedd.Wales
Telephone: 0300 200 6565