- 62 In none of the prisons visited were there clearly defined criteria for assessing the quality of care provided (such as waiting times to see a doctor, dentist or psychiatrist; availability of required medication; confidentiality of medical consultations and records; etc.). In the course of the visit, several cases of alleged negligence or delay in the treatment of prisoners were brought to the attention of the delegation. For example, in one case concerning Amfissa Prison, an inmate in his mid-50s had been taken to the local hospital on two consecutive days in early August 2009 after complaining about abdominal pains. Thereafter, he spent one week in the prison, apparently in considerable pain, until he was transferred to St Paul’s Hospital in Athens where he died of septicemia. The paucity of records at Amfissa Prison meant that it was not possible to establish whether the prisoner had been examined by a doctor in the week preceding his transfer to Athens or whether there had been any delay in treating this prisoner. The Committee would appreciate receiving the comments of the authorities on this case. In a second case concerning Korydallos Men’s Prison, a man whom the CPT’s delegation had accompanied to hospital in September 2008 and who had been told he should see a surgeon about his scrotal hernia, was again in severe discomfort when met by the delegation in the course of the 2009 visit. An ultra-sound, confirming the presence of the hernia, had been carried out in February 2009 but no action had been taken to refer this man to a surgeon. By letter of 23 November 2009, the Greek authorities informed the Committee that the General State Hospital of Nikaia “Agios Panteleimonas” had recommended that the prisoner be admitted to hospital as soon as a bed became available in order for the scrotal hernia to be surgically removed. The Committee would like to be informed when the operation was carried out. Further, the delegation observed that prison officers in Korydallos Men’s Prison, as well as in other establishments, continued to perform triage functions, for which they are not qualified; the authorities should remind prison officers not to screen requests to consult a doctor. 130. In all prisons, inmates were to varying degrees working in the health care services. In the CPT’s view, prisoners should never carry out triage functions, distribute medication, be present during consultations, have access to medical records or deliver care to other prisoners. The CPT recommends that the necessary steps be taken to replace prisoners performing such nursing duties with qualified health care staff. Further, in view of the fact that many of the prison staff performing nursing duties did not possess the necessary qualifications, the CPT considers that a qualified nurse should be considered as someone who has completed four years of training.