Accessing healthcare while in prison

Ollie is 25 years of age and from Poole. He enjoys weight training, boxing and gardening. Ollie is currently serving his sentence in Portland Prison and upon release, would like to pursue a career in bricklaying.

When you first arrived, did you receive a physical and mental health screening assessment upon arrival?

"As soon as you arrive, they ask if you are feeling well, if you have any medical conditions, injuries and any thoughts of harming yourself. Then soon after arrival, I would say within the first day or so, you get a proper healthcare assessment which covers mental health, medication, long term conditions, and drug and alcohol withdrawal.

"When I arrived, I did have some history of substance misuse and I also have ADHD which I was on medication for, so this had to be written into my health care plan. I would say I received a thorough assessment upon arrival."

How easy is it to get an appointment with a GP, nurse, or dentist?

"It’s fairly easy, you have to apply for an appointment, so you send an application form and then you wait to receive the day/time of the appointment. If it’s urgent, then you will be seen a lot sooner, probably within 48 hours but if it’s not urgent then it can be quite inconsistent. It all depends on how many people are on the list. I suppose it’s similar to being on the outside, whereby you might have to wait a couple of weeks to see a GP.

"With regards to accessing a dentist, I think it’s easier to access a dentist on the inside, than it is on the outside. I wasn’t able to see a dentist before I got sentenced."

Do you have any health needs that haven't been met since your arrival?

"None. I can’t fault the care that I receive here. I’ve actually come off my ADHD medication since being in here. I chose to do that because I didn’t like the side effects and for me, I’ve been more focussed without the meds. The healthcare team at the prison helped me to do that and gave me a care plan so that I could come off the medication without it affecting me too much."

Have you been able to access mental health support, like talking therapies, if needed? 

"You can access talking therapies through the chaplaincy, but I haven’t needed to access this. I have a support worker who I used to talk to sometimes and there are also trained ‘listeners’, who are fellow prisoners, but they are trained to listen to you if you need someone to talk to." 

Is substance misuse support available to you? 

"Yes, so my substance misuse was discussed when I first arrived here, but I didn’t need any help with drug or alcohol withdrawal, it was more psychological help. I used to talk to my support worker when I was struggling but that was in the early days of my sentence.

"If a prisoner arrives and they are withdrawing from heroin for example, then they will be given medication to manage the withdrawal symptoms and a care plan to help them come off the drugs safely. If the withdrawal effects are very severe then they will be moved to the healthcare wing and detoxed. Your care plan is put in place to address your needs, and this includes recovery goals and treatment. You can also access Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings here.

"They also do their due diligence. They carry out mandatory drug tests, but I put myself forward for voluntary ones as it’s recorded on the system, so voluntary drug tests work in your favour when it comes to you being eligible for early release."

Do you feel well-informed about your health conditions and available services?

"That’s a difficult question to answer. On the outside, you can get information instantly. You can have the NHS App on your phone, or you Google your symptoms, and the information is instant but inside, it’s not readily available to you. Yes, I do feel well informed about services that are available to me here but not about health conditions."

Are healthcare staff approachable and helpful when you raise a health concern?

"I’ve always found them to be helpful and approachable. Since the start of my sentence, I’ve had three transfers, and this has been the best prison out of the three of them. There is a lot of opportunity here and the healthcare is really good, in my experience. 

"The staff encourage you to take opportunities and to get the most out of your sentence. They more work you do in here, the more it will help you when you get released. When I first arrived, I started studying maths and English, which are classed as essential skills and every prisoner studies these. You can also train and earn further qualifications. So far, I have passed level 2 in bricklaying, level 2 in horticulture and I am about to start the first level of bookkeeping." 

Have you used a digital device to access healthcare and if so, what was your experience?

"No, that’s not available in here. I have a prison phone but it’s similar to a landline. You have a pin to operate the phone and an approved list of contacts. You also have to buy phone credit as well. I wouldn’t be able to call NHS111 for example as it’s not available to me. Any healthcare that I need to access is solely through the prison."