Wellington, July 16 NZPA - The Government should consider transferring prison health care out of the Corrections Department and into the health sector, a National Health Committee report into improving the health of prisoners says.

Prisoners are part of the community and their poor health had implications for all, the report said.

There was "no shortage" of evidence to demonstrate there were ways to increase investment in health and addiction treatment that would improve health outcomes and reduce offending, it said.

"The state has a responsibility to care for the health of those it incarcerates," committee chairwoman Pauline Barnett said.

"From our consultations and the evidence we have compiled it is clear considerable benefits can be gained by developing closer ties between prison health services and the health sector."

Corrections' role of ensuring community safety through custody and containment was inconsistent with the demands of integrated primary health care.

The committee recommended:

* "significant" additional investment in services so the health of prisoners, their families and whanau, and the wider community could be improved;

* improvements to protect against the negative effects of incarceration and improve health delivery;

* Government consider the "strong case" for transferring prison health care to the health sector.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins and Health Minister Tony Ryall thanked the committee for its report and said they would be asking their departments for formal advice on it.