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Health Services

Prisoners in the Victorian prison system are provided with a level of health care in line with appropriate community standards. Qualified practitioners deliver a range of services, including medicine, dentistry, optometry, psychiatry, and physiotherapy, and also cater for prisoners with special health care requirements.

Corrections Victoria is responsible for:

• developing policy and standards for healthcare services
• procuring and managing contracts with healthcare service providers
• supporting the Corrections Health Board in its functions.

Three-tiered intervention model

The following three-tiered intervention model underpins Victoria's approach to prisoner health care services.

Primary health care

This is the first level of health services provided at each prison location across Victoria. Primary health care is provided by medical practitioners, dentists, nurses and other allied health professionals. It also covers certain diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Primary health care services include:

• general practitioner services
• nursing (including psychiatric nursing)
• pharmaceutical
• pharmacotherapy treatment
• dental
• audiology
• optometry
• podiatry
• physiotherapy
• dietary
• health promotion and prevention.

Secondary health care

This includes diagnostic and treatment services for patients with conditions requiring more complex and specialised skills and facilities. These services usually follow a referral from a primary health care setting. Secondary health care services to Victorian prisoners include:

• inpatient services
• ambulatory care
• psychiatric services not requiring involuntary admissions
• specialist medical outpatient services.

Secondary health care services for male prisoners are provided by St Vincent's Correctional Health Services. Women prisoners requiring secondary health services are generally referred to either St Vincent's Hospital or the Royal Women's Hospital.

Secondary health care services can also be accessed from community health services and hospitals as required. Formal written agreements are made with appropriate hospitals and community health providers to ensure that arrangements are in place for outpatient appointments, admissions, and terms of care as required.

Tertiary health care

This provides a greater level of specialist care which requires sophisticated forms of diagnostic and treatment services. Tertiary health care services are provided within major hospitals.

Tertiary health care services for male prisoners are provided by St Vincent's Hospital (St Augustine's Unit). Women prisoners requiring such services are generally referred to either St Vincent's Hospital (St Augustine's Unit) or the Royal Women's Hospital.

Tertiary health care services can also be accessed from community hospitals. Formal written agreements are made with appropriate hospitals to ensure arrangements are in place for inpatient services and terms of care as required.

Healthcare providers

There are currently four health care providers who deliver services across Victoria's prison system.

Services to privately operated prisons

• St. Vincent's Correctional Health Service - provides primary health care to Port Phillip Prison, operated by GSL Custody Service Pty Ltd, and secondary and tertiary health care throughout the prison system
• GEO Group Australia Pty Ltd - provides an in-house service delivery model at Fulham Correctional Centre.

Services to publicly operated prisons

• Pacific Shores Healthcare (PSH) - provides primary health care services to all public prisons operated by Corrections Victoria
• Forensicare - provides psychiatric health care services, including the management and provision of services within the Acute Assessment Unit at the Melbourne Assessment Prison.

Governance of health services

Monitoring

On behalf of the Department of Justice and Corrections Victoria, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Prisoner Healthcare Unit undertakes an independent role in the monitoring and auditing of prisoner health care services across publicly and privately managed prisons.

Corrections Health Board

The Corrections Health Board is an advisory committee that was established in 1999. Membership includes representatives from the DHS and Corrections Victoria, and independent members with expertise in issues related to prisoner health care.

The Corrections Health Board provides expert advice to Corrections Victoria and has a key role in identifying health issues requiring redress and supporting Corrections Victoria in responding to these issues.

Legislation

• Corrections Act 1986 s.47 (1) (f), (g), (h), (c), (b)
• Corrections Regulations 2009
• Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981
• Health Act 1958
• Mental Health Act 1986

Links to the relevant legislation can be found under the heading 'Web Links and Legislation' at the top right-hand side of this page.