If you have a loved one in a London prison with health problems, we want to hear from you.

Pact is piloting a new service with the NHS offering families the chance to shape how prison healthcare services are delivered and developed.

We support families and loved ones to share their experiences of prison healthcare – and help prisons and healthcare providers to listen to them. We can't intervene in individual cases, but we will talk to decision-makers about how systems could be improved so that prison healthcare is better for everyone.

Share your experience

• Coffee Mornings - Come along to one of our coffee mornings in Central London – a safe, non-judgmental space to get support and chat with people who know what it's like. Email Miriam* at [email protected]
• Talk to us - Book a 1:1 video call with us. Send us an email* at [email protected]
• Join the Team - Join our group of family members who are paid to get more involved, including by feeding back directly to NHS London. Find out more and apply at Pact Live Vacancies.

*You can read our privacy notice at www.prisonadvice.org.uk/privacy.

Concerned about a loved one in prison?

If you have an urgent or life-threatening concern about the health and wellbeing of your loved one, please get in touch with the prison directly. Contact details in the event of an emergency are available on the Prisoners' Families Helpline website.

Why families’ voices matter

Families and carers tell us that they often feel locked out of decisions around their loved one’s care in prison and that their fears and concerns are ignored. Not only does this adversely affect prisoners’ health and wellbeing, but it also causes unnecessary stress and anxiety to family members. The situation is placing additional pressure on an already overwhelmed NHS.

Starting in London, the Listen to Families programme aims to create mechanisms and opportunities for families’ voices to be heard and to influence how prison healthcare is delivered and developed.

Listen to Families aims to:

• improve families’ and carers’ experiences of health and justice services
• ensure that commissioners and providers identify, consult on, and meet families’ and carers’ needs
• listen to families’ and carers’ voices and address their experiences and concerns about health and justice services, finding viable solutions to improve services
• ensure that commissioners and providers implement and address service changes confidentially in consultation with families and carers.

Our Reports:

	We have temporarily removed the Autumn 2023 Listening Report subject to further conversations with NHS London. Please e-mail [email protected] if you want to know more.
Summer 2023 Listening Report	Summer 2023 Appendix	Summer 2023 Update for Families

Find out how we work with the NHS and healthcare providers as we prepare our reports.