Imprisoned rapists and child molesters 'have quicker access to GPs than millions of innocent Britons'

Imprisoned rapists and child molesters have quicker access to GPs than millions of innocent people, a report has found.

Detainees at A jail In those homes, only sex offenders can see a doctor within seven days.

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But NHS Statistics show that more than one in four law-abiding people living in the area have to wait much longer to see their own GP.

Nationwide19 percent of appointments in December came more than a week after booking.

Patients, politicians and campaigners have dismissed the bizarre situation at HMP Bure – built on the first RAF Coltishall Air Base in Norfolk.

Ex-Tory member David Campbell Bannerman, 63, who lives in the county, is currently waiting for a doctor for a month.

The chairman of the Freedom Association campaign group said: “What would Douglas Bader, who was stationed at RAF Coltishall during the Battle of Britain, have thought of this? It's a scandal.”

The Category C prison, seven miles north of Norwich, houses a maximum of 641 prisoners.

A HM Inspectorate of Prisons report released last month said: “GPs provided six sessions per week and patients could usually be seen within seven days.”

Prisoners are also visited by “a range of healthcare professionals” – including a physiotherapist, optician and even a podiatrist.

Pensioners campaign group Silver Voices said: “This stark comparison with prisons reveals the depth of the current crisis.

“In some areas it is almost impossible to see a doctor and the wait time can be up to six weeks.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Healthcare in prison mirrors that in the community and NHS data shows most people see a GP within a week.”