Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of prisoners received mental health screening check on entering prison.

Each prisoner is offered a healthcare screen at reception on arrival before being escorted to the residential unit. The reception screening is designed to ensure that the individual is safe before the offer of a second screen within seven days.

Both reception and secondary health screenings contain mental health screening questions to identify immediate risks and whether a referral to the prison integrated mental health service is required. Between April 2021 and February 2022, 87% of people entering prison received a reception screen within 24 hours of arriving.