Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people aged (a) 14-17, (b) 18-25 and (c) 26 and over who enter prison custody receive a screening for previously acquired brain injury within 24 hours.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. When children and young people between the ages of 14 and 17 years old enter the secure estate, they receive the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) reception assessment within two hours. This is an evidence-based assessment tool for use with under 18-year-olds, and includes questions on traumatic brain injury. The questions included in the assessment ask whether they have ever experienced any loss of consciousness for over 30 minutes and whether they have experienced repeated loss of consciousness on more than three occasions.
The child or young person will receive a further neurodisability assessment within ten days of admission as part of the CHAT. This also includes questions on traumatic brain injury. Clinicians would then determine the need for any ongoing referral as necessary.
Those over the age of 18 years old who are entering the adult estate receive the reception assessment within 24 hours. This includes questions on whether they have disabilities and specifically asks:
- whether they have had a head injury in the past few days, and asks them to provide details about this; and
- whether they have been a victim of domestic abuse.
Practitioners are then asked to record whether a head injury is apparent or not and whether there is a history of loss of consciousness. Practitioners will also assess the severity of any potential head injury and whether any treatment is needed.
Within one week of entering the adult estate, a secondary assessment will be conducted. This includes questions about brain injury. As part of the secondary assessment, practitioners will:
- note the number of head injuries and number of losses of consciousness;
- note any memory or concentration impairments; and
- ask if the patient has ever lost consciousness for more than 20 minutes, and asks them to provide details about this.
It would then be the clinicians’ discretion as to whether to also carry out a validated acquired brain injury screening tool as required.