Early Days in Custody (EDIC) healthcare procedures

EDIC & health screenings

When your loved one first arrives in prison, they will go through an induction. This is when they are given information about how the prison works and what support is available. It can feel overwhelming, as there is often a lot to take in at once.

Prison staff and healthcare teams often call this period the “early days in custody”, or "EDIC". During this time, healthcare staff must complete checks within set timescales.

On the first day your loved one should have an initial health screening with a registered nurse. This is a short check to identify any urgent health or safety needs.

They should also have a second, more detailed health screening within seven days. This helps the healthcare team understand what broader support or treatment may be needed.

First health check

A quick check for urgent needs in the first couple of days

Medicines
Injuries of urgent physical needs
Long-term conditions, allergies, or disabilities
Pregnancy
Mobility, diet, and daily living
Upcoming appointments
Alcohol or drug use
Mental health

Second health check

A more in-depth check for health and support needs in the first week

What was found at the first check
Basic health checks
Alcohol or drug use
Head injuries
Smoking
Sexual health
Family history of serious illness
Gynaecological health
Planning treatment up to release

Sharing health information with family members and carers

During the early health checks, healthcare staff may ask your loved one if they want a family member, carer or other loved one involved in their care. If this does not happen, your loved one can ask at any time, even after induction.

If you would like to be involved, speak to your loved one and encourage them to tell healthcare staff. They can do this by submitting a healthcare application or speaking to the healthcare team. In prisons with a Pact Family Link Worker, they will also be able to help.

You can also contact the prison through a Safer Custody form. Explain your concern and ask for the message to be passed to healthcare, so they can speak to your loved one about consent. In London, families can use the Call PHILL helpline.

Please remember that healthcare staff can only share your loved one’s health information with you if your loved one gives consent. They can choose what is shared and can change or withdraw consent at any time.

Consent to share health information

Before healthcare staff can share information with you, your loved one must give consent. This usually means them completing a form with the healthcare team. The prison may also need to check that contact is safe and appropriate. Until this is agreed, healthcare staff cannot share health information with you.

Once consent is in place, you may be able to speak with the healthcare team about your loved one’s needs, care plan or treatment. You can also share helpful information, such as their medical history, previous treatment, triggers, or any adjustments that help them use healthcare services.

Your loved one can give consent at any time. They can also choose what information is shared, and they can change or withdraw their consent at any time.

Even if healthcare staff cannot share information with you, you can still share information with them. This could include concerns about your loved one’s wellbeing, medication, symptoms, triggers, or important letters from a doctor.

To pass information to healthcare, you can use the prison’s Safer Custody contact form and ask for your message to be shared with the healthcare team. If your loved one is in a London prison, you can also contact Call PHILL . In some prisons, Pact’s Family Link Worker will be able to help.

Mental Health services & Early Days in Custody

During the early health checks, healthcare staff should ask your loved one about their mental health. This may include questions about self-harm, suicide risk, past mental health needs and family history of mental illness.

If they need more support, healthcare staff may refer them to the prison GP or mental health team. More information about mental health services in prison is available here.

Sometimes the mental health team may contact family members, carers or loved ones for more information. If they do not contact you, but you are worried or have information to share, you can use the prison’s Safer Custody form and ask for your message to be passed to healthcare. If your loved one is in a London prison, you can also contact Call PHILL . In some prisons, Pact’s Family Link Worker may be able to help.

Arriving in prison & GPs

When your loved one arrives in prison, they may be asked if they want to register with the prison GP.

For many people, this is helpful because it allows the prison healthcare team to request their medical records from their community GP. Without these records, staff may not have the full picture of their health needs.

As a family member, friend or carer, you may be able to encourage your loved one to register if this would help their care.

If your loved one is only in prison for a short time, it may be worth asking healthcare staff what is best. Registering with the prison GP may mean they are removed from their community GP list, which could affect care after release.

"Your loved one in prison might be reluctant to involve you in their healthcare, and their privacy must be respected. However, it is worth reminding them that there are benefits to having someone who knows them that can support them and take things off their plate, where possible. Their friends and family in the community may be able to access things like medical records from their GP more easily, which can be helpful to them."

Advice from a family member with a loved one in prison