To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether asylum seeker detention centres will be able to provide a medical report within the seven-day appeals period that starts as soon as a notice of intent for removal is given to an asylum seeker.
Answered on
10 October 2022
All immigration removal centres (IRCs) have dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the NHS or appropriate providers. All detained individuals entering an IRC receive a healthcare screening within 2 hours of their arrival and are offered an appointment with a doctor within 24 hours. In addition, residents have full access to the 24-hour on-site healthcare team during their stay in the IRC.
Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 requires General Practitioners (GP) working in IRCs to report to the Home Office where they (i) have concerns that an individual is likely to be to be injuriously affected by continued detention or any conditions of detention, (ii) suspect that an individual has suicidal intentions or (iii) have concerns that an individual may have been a victim of torture.
All reports raised under Detention Centre Rule 35 are now considered by a single Home Office team, independent from detained casework commands. The team considers the individual circumstances of the case in line with the Adults at Risk in Detention Policy. Following due consideration, a decision will be made and relayed to the individual, the relevant IRC, and the detained casework team as to whether or not continuing detention remains appropriate. Contingency plans are in place to manage any increase in Rule 35 requests from residents, which includes scheduling extra GP appointments where necessary and proactively striving to reduce waiting times. Work is underway in collaboration with healthcare providers across the immigration removal estate to develop and refine training for on-site healthcare teams on the importance and correct use of Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001.