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Every four days a person takes their life in prison, and rising numbers of ‘natural’ and unclassified deaths are too often found to relate to serious failures in healthcare. The lack of government action on official recommendations is leading to preventable deaths. Deaths in prison: A national scandal exposes dangerous, longstanding failures across the prison estate and historically high levels of deaths in custody, and offers unique insight and analysis into findings from 61 prison inquests in England and Wales in 2018 and 2019. The report details repeated safety failures, including mental and physical healthcare, communication systems, emergency responses, and drugs and medication. It also looks at the wider statistics and historic context, showing the repetitive and persistent nature of such failings. The report by INQUEST sets out the following recommendations to improve safety and prevent future deaths: 1. Halt prison building, commit to an immediate reduction in the prison population and divert people away from the criminal justice system. 2. Prison staff, including healthcare staff, require improved training to meet minimum human rights standards to ensure the health, well-being and safety of prisoners. 3. Ensure access to justice for bereaved families through the provision of automatic non-means tested legal aid funding for specialist legal representation to cover preparation and representation at the inquest and other legal processes. Funding should be equivalent to that of the state bodies/public authorities and corporate bodies represented. 4. Establish a ‘National Oversight Mechanism’ – a new and independent body tasked with the duty to collate, analyse and monitor learning and implementation arising out of post death investigations, inquiries and inquests. This body must be accountable to parliament to ensure the advantage of parliamentary oversight and debate. It should provide a role for bereaved families and community groups to voice concerns and provide a mandate for its work. 5. Ensure accountability for institutional failings that lead to deaths in prison. For example, full consideration should be given to prosecutions under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, where ongoing failures are identified and the prison service and health providers have been forewarned. The reintroduction of The Public Authority (Accountability) Bill would also establish a statutory duty of candour on state authorities and officers and private entities.

This book outlines important suggestions by international experts to improve the health of those in prison and to reduce both the health risks and risks to society of imprisonment. In particular, it aims to facilitate better prison health practices in the fields of: human rights and medical ethics communicable diseases noncommunicable diseases oral health risk factors vulnerable groups and prison health management. It is aimed at professional staff at all levels of responsibility for the health and well-being of detainees and at people with political responsibility.

This document sets out the partnership agreement between: The Ministry of Justice Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service Public Health England The Department of Health & Social Care and NHS England. It sets out the basis of a shared understanding of, and commitment to, the way in which the partners will work together. This National Partnership Agreement sets out: the defined roles of the five partners the commitment to working together and sharing accountability for delivery through the linked governance structures core objectives and our priorities for 2018-21, and a link to the workplans that provide the details of the activities to deliver priorities how they are working together to improve data and evidence so that they can better understand the health needs of people in custody and the quality of health and social care services delivered to people in prisons.

Prisoners should have the same access to healthcare as everyone else. This page looks at what healthcare you should get if you are in prison and what to do if you are not getting the help you need.

How offender healthcare is managed in prisons and in the community. Guidelines and information on: healthcare in prisons in England healthcare for offenders in the community in England healthcare for offenders in Wales Community Sentence Treatment Requirements National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England 2018-2021.

The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigated the case study of Martin, a 43-year old inmate, who suffered multiple seizures after his epilepsy medication wasn’t transferred with him to a new prison. Each day around 120 prisoners with ongoing medication needs are moved between jails. Martin’s case is just one example of a serious outcome when medication was missed. Prisoners may also need to be treated in the community at local hospitals, with prison security staff being taken away from planned duties to accompany them. This report highlights where improvements can be made in the communication between health and prison systems to improve patient safety and provides valuable insights, which will guide the work of partner organisations committed to improving the quality of healthcare in prisons through the National Prison Healthcare Board for England. A summary and the final full report are available.