Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the procedure is for taking an inmate from HMP Berwyn to local A&E services.

Men who present with issues which may require attendance at hospital, short of emergency medical issues, are assessed by health professionals before any decision is made to take them to hospital. There are a wide range of interventions which can be provided by the health and wellbeing team in situ to prevent the need for men to attend at local emergency departments. In the event of a medical emergency a man may be transferred to local services if care cannot be provided within HMP Berwyn but men are transferred back to the prison at the earliest appropriate opportunity.

A risk assessment will decide the level of staffing required for the safe transfer to hospital and during any further hospital stay. This will be completed before any move to hospital from HMP Berwyn except in an emergency. The risk assessment is approved by the Head of Security or the person operationally in charge of the prison.