About 3.30pm, the prisoner was at Wollongong Hospital, where he escaped from Corrective Services custody and ran out into the street.

The Mercury believes the man to be Ian Charles Austin, 34, of Barrack Heights, who appeared in Port Kembla Court on Friday over a string of armed robberies of post offices.

In court, he was accused of twice holding up the Unanderra post office, as well as outlets in Lake Heights and Unanderra.

Austin, who denied playing any part in the robberies but claimed to know who the real offenders were, was refused bail and remained in custody.

On Saturday, the prisoner was taken to Wollongong Hospital after complaining of abdominal pain.

He was accompanied by two armed Corrective Services officers.

While at the hospital, the prisoner allegedly punched one of the officers in the face and tried to steal his firearm before escaping from the hospital.

Once outside the front doors, the prisoner ran down Crown Street and into Staff Street, with Corrective Services officers in hot pursuit.

During the chase, one of the officers fired two warning shots and the man then stopped running.

He was then apprehended with the help of a member of the public.

Nobody was injured by the two shots and the Corrective Services officer was treated for minor facial injuries.

After the prisoner was captured, police closed off Staff Street in both directions and established a crime scene.

A second crime scene was also established within the hospital itself.

The prisoner was taken to Wollongong police station on Saturday night where he was charged with escaping lawful custody and offences relating to assaulting and resisting an officer.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on January 21, 2015.