STORIES FROM THE INSIDE, Hospital Care for People in Prisons

“People in prison have poorer health and poorer access to health care services than the wider population. The closed prison environment restricts access to secondary care services external to the prison. Transfers to the hospital from prison are limited each day due to the lack of prison officers to escort patients. Prisoners can feel discriminated against when attending hospital appointments, leading to self-exclusion from health services while imprisoned. Hospitals that are informed about these issues can make simple changes to address inequalities. We aimed to influence community health professionals to design improved services through the use of an animation based on prisoner experiences of secondary care. Incarcerated patients have shared their experiences to show the need for service change, not to simply invoke empathy. We aim to produce a tool to engage and inform secondary care staff, not simply tell the prisoners’ stories. These stories will act as the vehicle for change”