Vol. 432 No. 5
5 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to any difficulties which have arisen in prisons because the staff are not informed when prisoners are on medication; and if she will take steps to change this practice.
I am not aware of any specific instance where difficulties have arisen in a prison because staff were not informed when prisoners were on medication. However, I understand that the Prison Officers' Association has expressed some concern on this issue in recent times.
Generally speaking, information about the medication prescribed for an offender is a matter between the prison doctor and patient. Where an offender is given medication which might affect his or her co-ordination or alertness, a procedure is in place, (1) to inform the patient of the potential side effects and (2) to notify the prison authorities that the offender is receiving medication which might affect safety in, say, a workshop environment. This policy was reiterated and formalised in a circular to prison doctors and governors issued by the Director of Prison Medical Sevices on 9 June 1993.
I am delighted the circular has been issued since I tabled the question. Perhaps I do not need to ask a supplementary question. I am sure the Minister is aware that a recent survey of our prisons indicated that there were no procedures for informing the governor of medications being taken by prisoners. As a result, I understand difficulties have arisen in workshops and so on. If the circular has been issued and there is a procedure for informing the governor and the prison staff I am sure we can avoid the difficulties that have arisen.
I thank the Deputy for her support in regard to the circular relating to the confines of confidentiality between doctor and patient and having regard to the safety aspect in which the POA was particularly interested, that circular was issued.
