The number of prisoners in the United Kingdom has been steadily increasing over recent years, primarily because more crimes now attract prison sentences and sentences are longer; the prison population in England and Wales at the end of 2013 was 84,600, compared with 50,000 in the early 1990s. An increasing proportion of prisoners (12% in 2013) are over the age of 50, many of whom are in prison for the first time, and the need for palliative care is increasing correspondingly (Figure 40.1). Since 2004, the responsibility for prison healthcare has been with the NHS, and policies from both the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice emphasise that prisoners should be given the same quality of care as they would receive outside prison. When a prisoner is identified as approaching the end of life there are a number of options for their care: Prisons vary considerably in terms of size, security category and the types of prisoners they house, but all share a common goal: ‘Her Majesty’s Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them lead law-abiding and useful lives in custody and after release’ (HM Prison Service, 2014).
Care for people in prison
An increasing need for palliative care
Dying in prison
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