Inquiry5

The Fifth Senedd Health, Social Care and Sport Committee held an inquiry into health and social care provision in Welsh prisons.

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 Committee’s inquiry focused on Welsh prisoners’ experiences of health and social care services in the adult prison estate.

The Fifth Senedd Committee published its report in March 2021. The Welsh Government responded in August 2021.

The Sixth Senedd Health and Social Care Committee wrote to the Minister for Health and Social Services on 8 July 2022 to seek an update on the Fifth Senedd Committee’s recommendations. The Minister responded on 2 September 2022.

Background

The overall responsibility for the development of prison healthcare in the public sector prisons in Wales rests with the Welsh Government. Accountability for the planning of health services for prisoners is held by NHS Wales, but this responsibility can only be exercised in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). At a local level, Prison Health Partnership Boards, jointly chaired by Local Health Boards and the Governors of the prisons, have responsibility for the governance of prison health services.

The exception is for HMP Parc. Primary healthcare services are funded and commissioned via the Ministry of Justice under a private contract with G4S. NHS Wales is responsible for the commissioning of secondary/tertiary care services.

The Welsh prison estate

The prisoner population in Wales is male only and was 4,291 at the end of April 2018.  Prisoners are held across five sites in South Wales and at HMP Berwyn in North Wales; each prison having a different profile, function and security category. There are no female prisons in Wales. The nearest female establishments are HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire and HMP Styal in Cheshire. HMP Parc is mainly an adult prison, though it also has a Young Offenders Institution (YOI) where most of the 18-24 year old prisoners in Wales are held.  The Health Board in which the prison is located is responsible for providing healthcare services. The relevant Health Boards are: 

• Aneurin Bevan Health Board – HM Prisons Usk & Prescoed
• Monmouthshire Cardiff & Vale University Health Board – HM Prison Cardiff
• Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board – HM Prison Swansea
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board – HM Prison Berwyn

Each prison has its own healthcare facilities.  GPs, nurses and healthcare assistants work on site in each prison.

Evidence sessions