A study exploring how cancer care is being provided in prison
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How is cancer care best provided to patients in English prisons? Assessing the disease burden in the prison population, experiences of diagnosis, treatment and support, and of receiving and providing cancer care
IRAS ID
239094
Contact name
Patricia Joanne Armes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 0 days
Research summary
More than 200,000 people are imprisoned each year in England and Wales and many of these individuals have significant health needs. To date, prison health research has focused on mental health needs, including substance abuse and infectious diseases. Research on non-communicable diseases is neglected despite evidence that people in prison adopt health behaviours that increase their risk of these diseases and that this population is ageing rapidly. There is a paucity of cancer research and a recent Prison Ombudsman reports has highlighted suboptimal service provision. It is of strategic importance to the NHS and the prison service to identify any inequalities in accessing quality cancer care, such as delays in diagnosis, leading to more treatment, admission and a great level of support from staff. This research aims to address this gap in the evidence base
We will explore prisoners’ experiences of being treated for cancer to identify whether care and support differs for this group. We will interview cancer patients in prison about their experiences of being diagnosed and receiving treatment while serving their sentence. Subsequently, we will interview custodial staff on how care and custody work together. Lastly, UK oncology health professionals and prison healthcare staff will be asked to reflect on how patients in prison challenges their work practice.
Qualitative analyses of the experiences and challenges recounted in individual interviews of people diagnosed or receiving treatment and support during a custodial sentence; and of staff and clinicians caring for patients in prison will inform how cancer care can better be provided to cancer patients in prison.REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1073
Date of REC Opinion
23 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion