In prisons and immigration removal centres (IRCs) we pride ourselves on providing high quality, clinically effective and efficient healthcare which empowers people to take their health seriously. We deliver healthcare to thousands of patients in prisons and IRCs nationwide.
Everyone in prison is entitled to an equivalent level of NHS healthcare they could expect to receive in the community. Services are delivered under one roof by a team of caring, skilled and compassionate professionals working together to meet a range of needs.
On arrival, each person receives a comprehensive assessment covering physical and mental health, substance misuse, social care needs and wider social circumstances. From the outset, we deliver integrated, person-centred care through a multidisciplinary team, ensuring needs are met both on entry and throughout their time in our care.
Where specialist treatment is required, we work in partnership with prison teams to support safe and timely access to hospital appointments.
Healthcare in prisons
We deliver round-the-clock healthcare across more than 60 prisons nationwide, supporting over 41,000 patients on any given day. From reception health checks on arrival through to release planning and transition back into community care, our multidisciplinary teams provide the full range of services each prison community needs- all under one roof.
Our approach moves away from traditional disease-led models of care. Instead of running separate primary care, substance misuse and mental health pathways with little crossover, we deliver an integrated model based on our Health and Wellbeing Approach — looking at all aspects of a person’s life across six domains: physical wellbeing, mental health promotion, social care, relationships, resettlement and transfer, and substance misuse.
Patients are involved in their own recovery from the start, working with our teams to set personal goals and develop care plans they own and can share. As self-awareness and confidence grow, people become active participants in their own health — less likely to rely on high-intensity services and better equipped to manage their wellbeing after release.
Read more about our Health and Wellbeing Approach
Services include:
- Primary care: GP appointments, reception health checks, pharmacy services, physiotherapy, podiatry and optometry — delivered by skilled, compassionate clinicians on site
- Mental health services: integrated support across a wide range of needs, including complex presentations, personality disorders and dual diagnosis
- Substance misuse services: clinical and psychosocial services including medically supervised detoxification, medication management, peer support and health education
- Dentistry: oral healthcare and treatment at a number of our prisons and immigration removal centres
Healthcare in immigration removal centres
We also provide healthcare in immigration removal centres (IRCs), where residents may have complex physical and mental health needs, including trauma, and may face additional barriers to accessing care such as language and communication differences.
Our teams deliver the same high-quality, person-centred care as in our prison services, with an awareness of the specific needs and circumstances of people held in IRCs. Services include primary care, mental health support, substance misuse services and dentistry.
Are you looking for information about a loved one?
If you are a family member trying to find specific information about someone in custody, please visit our Locations page to find the location they are in, and use the contact details listed there to get in touch with the relevant team directly.
