Long-term physical health conditions in older adults in prison: a brief report from a nominal group

Prisoners are at increased risk of multiple health conditions relative to the general population. The effective management of long-term conditions amongst prisoners is vital to reducing health inequalities. A nominal group was conducted exploring facilitators and barriers to the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic physical illness amongst older adult prisoners in England and Wales, as well as innovations and suggestions for improvement in this area. The nominal group included 12 prison staff from a range of professions and specialist roles, including nurses, general practitioners, consultants, junior doctors, researchers, and managers. Eight key themes were identified from group discussions, including: 1) primary and secondary care interfaces; 2) quality and outcomes framework (QOF); 3) healthcare during transitions; 4) prison environments and lifestyles; 5) expert patients; 6) service design and healthcare roles; 7) telemedicine; and 8) data availability. The importance of collaboration between prison staff, primary and secondary healthcare professionals, and patients themselves to effectively manage long-term conditions infiltrated several themes. Further research is needed to determine the most effective interventions for managing chronic illness and multimorbidity amongst older prisoners. This research is urgently required given the ageing prisoner population and could help to standardise healthcare across the prison estate.<br/><br/>