In some parts of England, NHS clinics are taking part in probation meetings with offenders as part of a pilot scheme to reduce re-offending. Health professionals, primarily mental health nurses under the supervision of general practitioners, sit in on meetings with probation officers. They will screen around 4,000 offenders for problems such as mental illness and risks of drug or alcohol abuse. These addictions can fuel crime. The scheme also helps offenders with mental and chronic health problems or neurodivergent conditions to gain better access to care. It will connect them with local GP surgeries and housing officers. A report by England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty last year showed that offenders with mental health problems are at much higher risk of drug and alcohol addictions.