An MP is urging more hospitals and prisons to sign up to a scheme where prisoners can be checked over via videolink to save the taxpayer money.

Figures reveal more than £285,000 was spent on taxis by Yorkshire prisons last year, mainly on transporting inmates to hospitals.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said Red Embedded, a hi-tech company based in Saltaire in his Shipley constituency, provides video link for prisoners to hospitals so that they did not have to leave the jail unnecessarily.

He said the scheme, which is used by Airedale General Hospital at Steeton, near Keighley, should be replicated across Yorkshire to keep costs down.

He made the call after he uncovered figures which showed Yorkshire prisons spent £285,192 on taxis last year. Leeds paid out £41,386 and Wakefield £27,707.

Mr Davies said: “In many cases the taxis are for transport to and from hospitals so I want more hospitals to use the system that Red Embedded and Airedale General Hospital use as it saves the taxpayer money.

“The prisoner can still be seen by a doctor via the videolink and the doctor can zoom in on whatever they need to see and if the patient does not need to be physically seen this would massively reduce the cost of taxis.

“Using the videolink also means fewer security issues as people are not being let out of prison.”

In a letter to Mr Davies, the Ministry of Justice said: “The MoJ recognises the importance of balancing costs to the public purse with its aims of providing the highest level of care and support to all prisoners.

“The most efficient means of transport is considered in all cases. Taxis are largely used for the transportation of prisoners with prison officers under escort to key appointments outside of the prison such as to hospital.”

The MoJ say prisoners receiving hospital treatment tend to remain in prisons near their hospital.

Red Embedded is a hi-tech firm based at Waterside, Salts Mill Road, Saltaire. It is working with the Advanced Digital Institute, based in the same building, to further develop its video link system to allow vulnerable patients to speak directly to their GP using a home TV.