From 1 November 2011, the responsibility for providing prisoner health care transfers to the NHS. This transition should help to improve the provision of throughcare to the prisoner population and lead to a more “joined up” approach to this issue in our prisons.

In July 2008, Ministers approved the transfer of responsibility for the health care of prisoners to the NHS. A National Programme Board for Prisoners' Healthcare was established in March 2009 to pave the way for transfer to take place, and, in August 2010, the Scottish Parliament passed a legislative amendment to enable the change (annex1).