Concern for patients in custody after U-turn

Vulnerable patients could be put at risk after the Government reversed its plans to make the NHS responsible for commissioning healthcare for people in police custody. BMA council chair Mark Porter has written to home secretary Theresa May to express his concern at the U-turn and request further clarity on the reasons for the change. ‘The BMA is extremely disappointed by this decision, especially given its close proximity to the intended date of transfer and the amount of positive work achieved by those involved to date,’ Dr Porter writes. ‘Doctors question the justification for such a U-turn on policy and request an explanation of how the spending review settlement directly affected the decision not to transfer commissioning responsibilities.’ Healthcare for people in custody is currently supplied by individual police forces, but the Government had proposed to transfer this responsibility to the NHS by April this year.   Vulnerable patients The BMA has been calling on successive Governments to improve care standards for those in custody since 2009. The association has pointed out that many of those in custody are likely to be among the most vulnerable patients with complex medical needs relating to mental health or drug and/or alcohol abuse. By transferring responsibility to the health service, the BMA hoped to see increased improvement and equality in care standards provided for those in custody, as well as greater clinical governance and inte...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news