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Women prisoners: an analysis of the process of hospital transfers
- Authors:
- BARTLETT Annie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 23(4), August 2012, pp.538-553.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Department of Health guidelines suggest that transfers of prisoners with mental health problems to secure psychiatric hospitals for treatment under the Mental Health Act should take 14 days from first assessment to transfer. This study examined the extent to which transfers of women prisoners from a large women's prison in England met this target. It analysed pre-existing routinely collected data relating to 100 recommendations for hospitalisation to establish rate of transfer and, where applicable, reasons for slow transfer. The article reports on the data analysis and results, including characteristics of women transferred and not transferred to hospital, diagnosis and transfer duration, offending behaviour and transfer duration, and type of hospital placement and transfer duration. The study found that, of the 86 women who completed transfer, only 13% of cases were transferred within the recommended 14 days, and that the process median was 37 days. Less serious offending was related to shorter transfer times, but legal routes intended for urgent hospitalisation under section 48 of the 2007 Mental Health Act were found to be no quicker than other methods. The authors conclude that transfer delays are not acceptable and that the use of the section 48 urgent treatment order needs review.