Mental Health Services: Prisons
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve mental health services in prison and (b) ensure continuity with previous mental health interventions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
NHS England is undertaking the development of a full Health and Justice mental health pathway review and strategy update, considering pre custody, in custody and post custody care. This review is working at pace and is co-produced with people with lived experience. The work is undertaking significant engagement across partner agencies, national policy leads, commissioners and partner agencies.
Ensuring continuity of care for people released from prison back into the community is vital to help them maintain the health gains they made in prison, reduce health inequalities and tackle reoffending. The National Health Service's RECONNECT programme is a care after custody service that seeks to improve the continuity of care of people leaving prison with an identified health need. RECONNECT starts working with people before they leave prison and helps them to make the transition to community-based services that will provide the health and care support that they need.
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