Turned Away: Lack of access to a GP for prison leavers
Nacro have published a new report highlighting the barriers faced by people coming out of prison in registering with a GP and accessing healthcare.
The research examined responses from more than 50 GP surgeries and found that 66% require proof of address and therefore couldn’t register a prison leaver without it, and 41% stated that they require both proof of address and ID to register. People in prison have far higher health needs than the wider population, and the period of prison to community can exacerbate potential gaps in the continuity of care or treatment.
The report outlines 6 recommendations to improving healthcare access including calling on NHS England to take steps to ensure that all GP receptionists and practice managers receive Inclusion Health training so that they are aware of their responsibilities to register patients with no fixed address, no ID, or no proof of immigration status
