Hidden Homeless

Healthwatch Essex wanted to understand the specific health, care and wellbeing needs of prison leavers and ex-offenders.  They used a variety of methodologies and reached a total of 43 people.

Issues faced by this group include:

• The length of time taken to register with a new GP on release from prison, and the implications for medication supply
• Levels of poor mental health and self harming, violence and debt within the prison population
• Frustration with prison staff who didn’t always keep promises
• The lack of availability of appointments with health care professionals within prison and long waits to get one
• Prison staff not always being able to escort prisoners to healthcare appointments
• Not being able to register with a new GP on release due to lack of proof of ID and address
• The lack of housing for people being released from prison
• The impact of prison on prisoners’ relationships with families

Interviews with professionals found that:

• Community mental health support is very hard to get and will not work with ex-offenders if they have active addiction issues. Those who leave prison without an address don’t get follow up health appointment
• The lack of access to primary care notes for prison health care providers made it difficult for prisoners to get good healthcare in prison
• The unnecessary supply of painkillers to prisoners who have dental abscesses but cannot access NHS dental care