Integrating prevention and health promotion in a London prison

Abstract

Many people enter prison with poor health from a background of deprivation and with unhealthy lifestyle habits, yet spending time in prisons is often actively detrimental to health. There is therefore a clear value in providing high-quality health promotion services in prisons that are effective at reaching those who need support to improve their lifestyle. The health promotion service at HMP Brixton provides a health trainers clinic to address lifestyle issues but found that it was sometimes challenging to identify appropriate patients and that the service was inefficient as a result. Analysis of our referral sources suggested that taking steps to increase the proportion of referrals made during screening and other clinics might lead to more appropriate and engaged patients. In this study, we set out to use quality improvement methods to increase referral from these sources. This involved improvements to the processes involved in delivering National Health Service Health Checks that were the primary source of referrals for health trainers and by improving links between the health trainer team and other clinicians. The changes were successful in increasing referrals from these sources. This work was completed during a period of exceptional disruption in the prison service and is relevant to secure healthcare sites that aim to ensure prevention activities are efficient and targeted.