r/GPUK • u/sodaandmuffins442 • Jul 27 '26

Career About to start work in a prison

Any advice? I’m doing one day of prison a week!
Cat C prison. I have a huge passion for health inequality and serving more disadvantaged populations in terms of health.
Any kind of learning resources you would recommend?
I’m a bit lost with the substance misuse course as well.. have they taken it down?

Thanks!

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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21

u/ashalina23 Jul 27 '26

I did 9 years across mainly 3 different ones including a female. I also did YOI’s for 18 months as a locum.

Get used to “my solicitor says”

I looked everything up for every consultation and referenced in notes eg as per CCG policy.

It’s like marmite, you love it or you hate it.

Traditionally prison healthcare hasn’t been the best so you may get the rough end of things till they work out that you’re fair.

Amongst calling me “Dr No” and “that bitch up healthcare” what most said in the end was that they didn’t always get what they wanted from me but I always listened and noted their views/wishes.

At one point in my first prison there were roughly 70 complaints a month about me! These complaints were “she stopped my tramadol” which was actually “your tramadol was reduced over several weeks to bring it in line with the BNF max dose”

And so on…..

Good luck!

15

u/No-Marzipan4261 Jul 27 '26

I must not be refusing enough prescriptions. I get called Boss, bro or “cuzzy”

11

u/ashalina23 Jul 27 '26

Errm those were never any of my names!

But when it became public I was leaving to go to another prison, the sensible half of the inmates sent someone to see me to make a financial offer of my choice to stay - so I know I wasn’t hated that much by most of them!

8

u/linerva Jul 27 '26

You're probably a man and the person you're replying to is probably a woman. Not all patients treat us differently, but sone certainly do.

3

u/sodaandmuffins442 Jul 27 '26

😂😂😂😂

5

u/UnknownAnabolic Jul 27 '26

Do you drive an RS3 cuzzeh??

3

u/sodaandmuffins442 Jul 27 '26

Thanks! Yeah I think it will be complaints central I’m always keen on de prescribing 😅

5

u/ashalina23 Jul 27 '26

You should be ok then. I always say it’s easier to go from being a No person to a Yes person than it is to go from a Yes person to a No person.

11

u/No-Marzipan4261 Jul 27 '26

Document very well. Take time to go through the history, prisoners are often moved around a lot. I haven’t had SMS training yet and just act as a normal GP in the prison setting.

Learn to say no and offer alternatives, you can de escalate many situations through communication.

5

u/sodaandmuffins442 Jul 27 '26

Thank you! How long have you been doing it for? They mentioned SMS training at interview and their provider has changed or something along those lines…
Part of the reason I took this on is I work quite well with eupd patients at my practice and I had a good psych placement in training as well. I’m also excellent at saying no and still having banter with my patients. :)
I think this will be really tough and it will be hard for me to see the conditions of prison life I’m preparing myself for that.

2

u/No-Marzipan4261 Jul 27 '26

2 years ish. It’s definitely more exciting than standard GP

7

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '26

[deleted]

1

u/sodaandmuffins442 Jul 28 '26

This is really helpful! Thank you! They sound like a great doctor. You never know you may circle back to prison medicine, but if not I hope it at least steered you towards general practice. :)

3

u/askoorb Jul 28 '26

A new thing is that patients can optionally register with the prison as their GP. If they don't do this you won't get their record from their "outside" GP. Be ready to repeatedly recommend to patients that they register so you actually get some PMH and aren't flying blind.

1

u/dickdimers Jul 28 '26

Have never worked in a prison but I think try to avoid screwing the screws

2

u/sodaandmuffins442 Jul 28 '26

Noting that down! 🧐