Chronically ill prisoners risk of being transferred without medication because of gaps in care

Around 120 prisoners with chronic conditions are moved between prisons every day in England, but gaps in care mean many are at risk of going without their medication, says a report.1

The report by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB)—an independent organisation funded by the government—highlighted the case of Martin, a 43 year old inmate who had multiple seizures after his epilepsy drugs were not transferred with him to a new prison. This was “just one example of a serious outcome when medication was missed.”

The branch has now called for a number of changes to improve the care of patients in prison including integrating the two IT systems used and changing the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection process.

The investigation looked …