Catalogue description Prison Commission and Home Office, Prison Department: Voluntary Advisory Nursing Board: Minutes

The Voluntary Advisory Nursing Board of the Prison Commission was formed in 1956, with the following terms of reference:

• to advise the Commissioners on the selection and appointment of candidates for the Prison Nursing Service
• to advise on matters relating to the nursing of inmates in the care of female nursing staff
• to advise on matters relating to the female nursing staff
• to hold meetings at convenient intervals for discussion of the above matters.

The Board had free access to all parts of the Prison Service. It was composed of members of the nursing profession outside the Prison Service, 'lady members', the Director of Prison Medical Services or his deputy, and the Assistant Director for Women's (prison) Establishments: the Nursing Matron-in-Chief of the Prison Service was required to be in attendance at all meetings.

Following the transfer of the Prison Commission to the Home Office as its new Prison Department in 1963, the Board became responsible to that department. It continued to function until June 1970 when, in implementation of a recommendation in the 1964 Report of the Working Party on the Organisation of the Prison Medical Service, it was replaced by the Medical and Nursing Central Advisory Committee. The latter committee held only eight meetings between 1970 and 1973, and was informally disbanded in 1978.