Custody Suites - FOI Response Register

1. Confirm if your health board has a policy in place across all custody centres within your health board area for maintaining opioid replacement therapy (ORT) for detainees whilst in custody and share this policy with me if possible? 

We don’t have a specific ORT policy in place for Custody, however if someone is on ORT we will request support from our SSRS teams to facilitate ORT. Out with core hours support for Medication assisted treatment (MAT) can be provided through on call CPN/Consultant.

2. Confirm if all detainees in custody centres within your health board area that receive prescribed methadone are provided with this or if there are timescales attached that mean detainees are not provided with their prescribed methadone, for example only detainees in custody for 48 hours or more continue on ORT while in custody?

We have no timescales around provision of ORT, if they have an ongoing prescription we will discuss with SSRS teams to maintain that whilst in custody. If we cannot confirm last dose of methadone, we would review this and treat any withdrawal symptoms with Dihydrocodeine as appropriate utilising the Clinical opiate withdrawal scale (COWS)

3. If dihydrocodeine is prescribed in any of your custody centres and the circumstances in which this will be prescribed?

Dihydrocodeine is prescribed within our custody suite where appropriate following assessment of withdrawal symptoms and may be used as part of the treatment plan to manage withdrawal symptoms as noted in Q2.

4. If your health board has a controlled drugs licence, covering all custody centres in your area, to facilitate the storing of controlled drugs on site?

Controlled drugs are not stored on site.