Inmates being moved are not tested

Prisons are not routinely testing inmates for coronavirus before transferring them to other jails across Scotland, it has been revealed.

The admission has triggered demands for tighter procedures amid concerns about the risk of spreading the virus.

North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said he would write to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to call for routine testing, whether prisoners have symptoms or not.

Coronavirus outbreaks have been reported at several Scottish jails recently.

It emerged at the weekend that a wing at HMP Grampian in Peterhead had been forced into lockdown after an inmate developed symptoms.

Teresa Medhurst, interim SPS chief executive, admitted prisoners were moved without routine tests in response to parliamentary questions from Mr Macdonald.

She said: “In line with Health Protection Scotland guidance, individuals in custody are not routinely tested for Covid-19 prior to transfer to another establishment.”

She added: “Any individual who is confirmed as having Covid-19 would not be transferred until their isolation period has ended at the earliest.

“In addition, if an individual presents as symptomatic for Covid19, they also would not be transferred until a test was conducted that produced a negative result, or their isolation period concluded.

Mr Macdonald said: “I urge the prison authorities to agree that prisoners should be tested before transfer from one prison to another, or before release, in order to protect prison staff, prisoners, their families and the wider public.”