5th Report - Ageing prison population

The government's response focused on the publication of updated prison population projections, which did not address the recommendation regarding the necessity of a clear, evidence-based definition of an older prisoner or the need to keep such definitions under review.

The government did not commit to publishing updated projections for the ageing prison population. Instead, it described investments in new prison places designed for older prisoners and committed to providing an update on a long-term estates strategy.

The government's response mentions NHS England and HMPPS working to support vulnerable patients in healthcare, but it does not address the recommendation for ensuring best practice on older prisoner regimes or designating older prisoner leads in all prisons.

The government's response details the procurement and rollout of telemedicine software and equipment across prisons to ensure access to health services during the pandemic. It does not address the recommendation for designated older prisoner healthcare leads, staff training on age-related issues, or general resourcing for an older prison population.

The government's response focuses on healthcare providers having targeted conversations with older prisoners about symptoms, but does not address the recommendation to review increasing telemedicine or other innovative ways for prisoners to access medical advice.

The government describes general initiatives to develop social care in custody, including a partnership board and social care training, but does not specifically address reviewing alternative housing arrangements for prisoners with advanced dementia.

The government's response discusses end-of-life care and early release on compassionate grounds, but does not address the recommendation regarding training and oversight for peer support schemes for older prisoners.

The government's response focused on pre-release planning for older offenders under a new resettlement model, which did not address the recommendation to ensure properly resourced palliative care in prisons or to review care outside prison for terminally ill prisoners and the effectiveness of compassionate release.

The government's response discusses various accommodation services for offenders upon release, including Approved Premises and Langley House Trust, but it does not address the recommendation to designate a single staff member responsible for progressing compassionate release applications.

The government's response focuses on ensuring prisoners are pre-registered with a GP in their release area to facilitate healthcare continuity. It does not address the recommendation for suitable provision of age-appropriate post-release accommodation for older prisoners.