Women prisoners: an analysis of the process of hospital transfers

Abstract

Department of Health guidelines (Bradley, 2009) suggest that transfers of prisoners with mental health problems to hospital using the Mental Health Act should take 14 days from first assessment to transfer. This study examines the extent to which transfers of women prisoners from a large women's prison in England is meeting this target. It considers in detail 100 recommendations for hospitalisation and analyses the process to establish rate of transfer and where applicable reasons for slow transfer. Of the 86 women who completed transfer, the process took 37 days (median) with only 13% of cases being moved within the 14-day recommended period. This study also found that legal routes intended for urgent hospitalisation were no quicker than other methods. The study recommends review of Section 48, the urgent treatment order.

Keywords:

• prison
• women
• mental health act transfers
• Section 48

Notes

1. The category ‘not known’ (n = 1) is included in Minor Offending because the prison system highlights serious offending.