Healthcare in Police Custody: Users’ Views
This briefing aims to support commissioners and those with strategic and operational responsibility for healthcare service provision in police custody. It presents the insights of detainees with a range of physical or mental health conditions and suggests ways of improving experiences and outcomes.
Commissioning responsibility for the provision of healthcare services within police custody is transferring to the NHS. This is therefore a timely opportunity to listen to the voices of those who have direct experience. This briefing shares their insights to consider how existing screening and assessment procedures, healthcare treatment and pathways into community support services can be developed. Recognising and responding to the physical and mental healthcare needs of detainees is at the centre of safer detention guidelines. However, the experiences of participants in this research highlight the scope for healthcare responses within police custody to link with broader support in the community.
Alongside service users’ experience of healthcare screening and treatment in custody, and of pathways into community support, this report also includes the policy context. The report suggests a number of top priorities for action, relating to:
- Screening, referral and assessment – for example, ensuring custody staff have an awareness of mental health and learning disability conditions
- Healthcare treatment in custody – for example, timely access to prescribed medication
- Strengthening pathways into support in the community – for example, being given information to help navigate local support services.
