Review of the Care Provided to Those Aged 55 and Over in East of England Prisons

Older prisoners are the fastest growing group in the prison population, and it is likely that numbers will continue to increase creating a challenge for the prison system in meeting their healthcare needs. The Regional NHS Health and Justice Commissioning Team (East of England) wanted to ensure that the current and future service delivery is aligned with the ageing prison population’s needs and is oriented towards understanding and supporting the needs of older prisoners. Therefore, NHS England commissioned this review of health services offered to this group in prisons that have a sizeable number of residents aged 55 and over (at least 15%), or those who have a dedicated model or wing to provide healthcare for older residents.