Number of ambulance call-outs to English prisons almost doubles in four years, figures show

The number of ambulance call-outs made to English prisons has almost doubled in four years, with 999 calls to treat inmates now made at a rate of one every 40 minutes, figures show.

The new data is the latest indicator of the levels of crisis now gripping prisons in England and Wales, as self-harm and violent attacks hit record levels for the second time in a year.

The chaos is making it increasingly difficult for the prison service to retain staff, with The Independent revealing last week that a third of prison officers who leave the service do so within a year of starting the job.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Sunday Telegraph show that more than 12,200 ambulance call-outs were made to English prisons last year, nearly double that of 2013/14 when just 6,677 emergency calls were made.

A separate freedom of information request showed more than 340 people had faced disciplinary or judicial proceedings for bringing in drugs, mobile phones or other banned items in the past six years, according to The Observer.

The figures, from the Ministry of Justice, showed that the highest number of staff were caught last year, when the figure stood at 71 – compared with 45 in 2012.

Last month, the government was accused of being “asleep at the wheel” after ministers were forced to “step in” and take full control of the privately-run HMP Birmingham, a jail that has been dogged by soaring violence, drug use and appalling living conditions.

An inspection this year at government-run Liverpool prison found that many of the 1,155 prisoners were living among rats and cockroaches, as well as broken windows and filthy toilets.

Rory Stewart, the prisons minister, promised last month he would resign if he failed to bring down the level of drug abuse and violence.