Prisoners in Police custody will have access to medical care without having to leave Hamilton Station in future, thanks to a new examination room.

The facility was unveiled yesterday as the culmination of a year-long joint project on the part of the Police and the Government Ministries of Works and Engineering and Health.

It was prompted by the pending implementation of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, which requires higher standards when it comes to the treatment of patients in custody along with other wide-ranging reforms to investigations, arrests and searches. Chief Inspector Mark Crampton, who is heading the implementation of PACE, said all detainees will be asked questions during a risk assessment when they first arrive in custody.

The Police will attempt to find out whether they are suffering from the effects of drugs or alcohol or have any physical or mental health problems.

"If they have lice, hepatitis or AIDS we need to know. At the moment we're not doing that. Unless they tell us, or it's obvious that they're suffering, we won't know," he explained.

"The whole idea is to safeguard the Police and raise the level of care of prisoners and reduce litigation to us. "The last thing we want is their evidence being called into question because they're high on drink or drugs, and we don't want a prisoner dying in custody."

Depending on the outcome of the risk assessment, the Police may request the attendance of an on-call Police doctor to examine the patient and give further advice. Minor injuries and illnesses may then be treated in the room, which has the same equipment as a standard doctor's surgery, although serious cases needing urgent treatment will continue to be taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital as before.

"We would anticipate a 50 percent reduction in persons going to the hospital that could be treated in the medical room," said Chief Inspector Crampton.

"The benefits of the new scheme will reduce risks to both detainees and Police officers and reduce the number of occasions where Police resources are required to escort detainees to the hospital for minor injuries and treatment."

In addition, PACE means that from September, more samples will be taken from suspects such as blood and semen, to help in the fight against crime. "A medically qualified professional is responsible for such treatment and the taking of some of these samples.

"The new medical room will provide a suitable, appropriate and fully equipped doctors surgery room to conduct these functions in the safe and secure environment of the custody area," said Chief Inspector Crampton.

Two doctors employed by the Ministry of Health have successfully completed a Police surgeons' training course in the UK to assist them in their new role.

Victims of crime will not be examined in the medical room in order to protect forensic evidence from contamination.

The equipment from the new room will be transferred to the new Hamilton Police Station when it opens in 2010.