What’s the emergency when prisoners go to A&E? A&E attendances by people in prisons in England (Nuffield Trust, 28 May 2026)

Summary

There are huge pressures facing prison health services. This new report from the Nuffield Trust is the first to offer an in-depth assessment of A&E use by people in prison and adds to mounting evidence that health care is harder for prisoners to access. It finds a higher-than-expected number of A&E attendances by prisoners due to paracetamol overdose, seizures, and acute coronary syndrome, with opportunities for targeted intervention in these areas to avoid health crises.