The need for a broad based set of health care standards to guide the provision of health services to prisoners has been identified in various reports, specifically in various Annual Reports of the Director of Prison Medical Services and in the Report of the Group to Review the Structure and Organisation of Prison Health Care Services (ch. 2.3). Recognising this, the Prison Service Strategy Statement for 2001 - 2003 has identified (Target 8.2) as a core target in the care area the need to define a set of health care standards.