Learn more about prison healthcare services

All prisons have healthcare services and some also have healthcare wings with in-patient beds. What is available will vary between prisons, but there should always be a team of health professionals whose role is to support your loved one’s health.

Services should cover both physical and mental health needs, as well as dentistry and optician services. Some prisons may also offer occupational therapy, speech and language support, or other specialist services.

The healthcare team should prescribe any medicines your loved one needs and make sure they receive them. If your loved one needs hospital treatment outside the prison, prison officers will usually escort them there and back for security reasons. Prison can make accessing healthcare feel more complicated at times, but your loved one still has the right to healthcare while they are in custody.

The doctors, nurses and other clinicians working in prison are fully qualified and trained, just like health professionals in the community. They must follow the same rules and regulations, so the care they provide is safe and of a good standard.

In England, prison healthcare is commissioned by NHS England. Healthcare provider organisations hold contracts to deliver services and employ the healthcare staff working inside prisons - these staff are not employed by the prison itself. Each prison will usually have a main healthcare provider, and may also use specialist providers for services such as dental care or support with drugs and alcohol. 

In Wales, prison healthcare in public sector prisons is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. Services are provided by NHS Wales and delivered through local health boards.

You can check which organisation provides healthcare at a specific prison on the Care Quality Commission website.

When your loved one first arrives in prison, they should have an initial healthcare assessment with a health professional within 24 hours. This is to identify any immediate health needs, including ongoing medication, physical or mental health problems, or support needed for drug or alcohol withdrawal.

Their medical records should be transferred from community services to the prison healthcare team, as long as your loved one has given consent. This process can sometimes take time, so it may be helpful to check whether their GP or community team has sent the relevant information.

Your loved one will not usually be allowed to bring medication from home into prison. Instead, the prison healthcare team will need to issue a new prescription and provide any medicines from inside the prison.

Within seven days, your loved one should have a follow-up healthcare appointment to review any ongoing needs, address wider health concerns, and offer advice about staying healthy in prison.

Your loved one will be expected to make an application, or ‘app’, when they want to see a healthcare professional or receive support with their health. 

Some prisons have app forms on paper that your loved one can complete and send in from their wing. Other prisons allow people in prison to make app using electronic kiosks.

In some prisons, the kiosks have translations of the app forms in different languages. If your loved one struggles with reading and writing, they should speak to their wing officer who may be able to help them find support.

Sometimes the staff in prison will notice that your loved one requires support with their health and either encourage them to make an app or make a referral for them. However, in general, your loved one is responsible for taking the initiative and requesting healthcare support for themselves.