Published Friday, 22 June 2012
Marian Price, pictured at the rally in Derry last Easter. (© UTV)
The Prisons Service (NIPS) confirmed that she had been moved on Friday from Hydebank.
The 57-year-old was jailed for supporting an illegal organisation after holding a printed speech for a masked man at a dissident rally on Easter Sunday.
Price, also known by her married name Marian McGlinchey, was granted bail last May but she was not released because Secretary of State Owen Paterson made a separate decision to revoke her early release licence.
She originally was sent to Maghaberry but was moved to Hydebank following clinical advice from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, who are responsible for the healthcare of all prisoners in Northern Ireland.
A spokesperson for the NIPS said: "The decision was taken on clinical advice from healthcare staff of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
"Justice Minister David Ford consulted the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, in advance of today's transfer.
"The Trust and the Prison Service have discussed Mrs McGlinchey's healthcare needs on a number of occasions and today's transfer to an outside hospital is consistent with those discussions."
Sinn Féin MLA and Justice Committee member Jennifer McCann welcomed the decision.
"This is a welcome move. Marian Price should of course be released as her continued imprisonment is an affront to natural justice," the west Belfast MLA said.
"Along with party colleagues Raymond McCartney and Sean Lynch we have pressed the Justice Minister to, in the absence of her release, move Marian Price to an outside hospital.
"We welcome this move which will see Marian Price get the care she needs and Sinn Féin will continue to press for her immediate release."
The former IRA prisoner has served a jail sentence for her role in the Old Bailey bombing in 1973 along with her sister Dolours.
Price has been also been charged with providing property for the purposes of terrorism in relation to the murders of two soldiers at Massereene in 2009. She denies the charges.