Jail to treat inmates with HIV

A specialist health centre may be set up at Lincoln Prison

An East Midlands jail is setting up a centre for prisoners needing specialised health care.

Inmates with disabilities, and HIV and Aids will be transferred from other jails in the region to Lincoln Prison.

A temporary unit was set up by a team from the prison, St Barnabas Hospice and the primary care trust when they were dealing with a prisoner with Aids.

The Prison Service is helping to fund training for the project with a grant of £50,000.

Specialised courses

The inmate, who was considered too dangerous for release, was transferred to Lincoln Prison shortly before his death.

He was treated at a high dependency suite, which was set up by refurbishing two old prison cells

Fred Wheeler, director of patient care for the St Barnabas Hospice in Lincolnshire, said it highlighted a lack of appropriate care within a prison setting.

"We looked at the environment of care and set out to create a better facility because training was totally inadequate for staff working at the prison.

"There are increasing numbers of disabled patients being admitted to prison, and Aids and HIV is on the increase.

"The hospital prison nursing staff have been able to take specialised nursing courses in Aids and HIV and in palliative care."