CAT/C/54/2 the exact situation in the country visited, enabling the Subcommittee to engage with and fulfil its mandates under article 11(b) (i)–(iv); such visits, which are to be short, are particularly practical for that purpose. 2. Working groups 48. The working group on reprisals, having drafted a policy on reprisals that is being used by the Subcommittee as an interim working tool, was discontinued since it had concluded its work. Similarly, the working group on Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners was also discontinued, having developed a Subcommittee position paper on the issue. 49. The working group on medical issues continues to engage with relevant bodies and experts in developing a paper on the Subcommittee approach to safeguarding the rights of persons institutionalized and medically treated without informed consent. It is also formulating a policy approach for the Subcommittee with regard to obtaining access to relevant medical information during visits. The working group is also considering the establishment of a medical advisory panel to assist NPMs and exploring the possibility of holding a workshop on interviewing techniques. 50. The working group on procedural issues revised the Subcommittee’s guidelines on visits and, at its twenty-fourth session, the Subcommittee adopted the newly entitled “Guidelines of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in relation to visits to States parties under article 11 (a) of the Optional Protocol” (CAT/OP/5), to reflect the different types of visits currently undertaken and other developments in working practices. The working group aims to produce a handbook on procedure, which will include the functions and responsibilities of members, taking into account the Guidelines on the independence and impartiality of members of the human rights treaty bodies. 51. The Subcommittee established a working group on jurisprudence and thematic issues, which will draft a series of thematic papers on cross-cutting issues, drawing from the work of the Subcommittee. The working group is currently concentrating on drafting position papers on the relationship between torture and the transfer and relocation of prisoners, and the relationship between discrimination and the prevention of torture, with a focus on women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. 52. The ad hoc intersessional working group on the self-assessment tool for national preventive mechanisms is in the process of reviewing the self-assessment tool and the NPM matrix to make them clearer, more user-friendly and aligned to the approaches of the Subcommittee. 3. Regional teams 53. As anticipated, merging the work of the regional focal points and the NPM teams to form regional teams has proven beneficial, resulting in increased dialogue and communication with NPMs. The year has seen a marked increase in the number and intensity of contacts, with engagement initiated both by the Subcommittee and by various NPMs on a diverse range of issues, facilitating the exchange of information and advice. The regional teams have thus become distinctive and dynamic forces in assisting the overarching goal of prevention within the Optional Protocol framework. 54. Given their increased workload, the Subcommittee has allocated increased meeting time to regional teams so that their intersessional work can be followed up and future 11