There should be fewer prisoners going to St Mary’s A&E thanks to some technology.
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust in the Yorkshire Dales has won a contract to provide medical advice and diagnosis over a video link to the Isle of Wight prisons.
The telemedicine system enables officers in the prison to have direct access to doctors in A&E and other specialist area to discuss things such as break or a bad cut, or even for the prisoner to a doctor in Airedale the affected area.
Remote diagnosis
The remote doctors will then able provide advice as to if the prisoner needs to go to A&E, not only saving the prisoner the need to travel, but give possible cost saving, eliminating unnecessary movement of prisoner and the associated transportation/security costs.
As well as urgent treatments, the Isle of Wight prison contract provides Out-patient services such as checkup with diabetics, dermatology or even physiotherapy.
The equipment should be installed in the coming months.
Contract with 20 prisons UK-wide
The forward-looking Airedale hospital has been running the service for more than five years and now have contracts with 20 prisons around the UK.
