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<p>Registering with and access to primary medical care services is the same for all
patients, whether they are gypsies, travellers, homeless or vulnerable migrants. People
do not need to provide proof of address to register with a general practice (GP).
NHS England is working with a range of community groups to redesign the patient registration
leaflet so that people are aware of this when registering. The free NHS 111 service
can assist anyone who has faced difficulty finding a GP or accessing other services
in their local area.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England is aware the challenges some individuals
have faced when trying to register with a GP and is taking steps to address shortcomings
with individual practices, working in partnership with the voluntary sector.</p><p>
</p><p>The majority of people in touch with the criminal justice system are in the
community and therefore their engagement with primary care services will sit within
the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups. For the prison population (approx
86,000) there are primary care services commissioned by NHS England which works to
the principle of equivalence and are mandated to deliver a comprehensive health assessment
and a treatment pathway for the time an individual remains in custody to ensure that
their health needs are identified and met quickly and effectively.</p><p> </p><p>There
is a very real recognition by health commissioners that the point of release from
custody results in the potential for a person to lose any health gains made whilst
in custody due to a change in their health care provider and a failure for a natural
pathway for a continuity of healthcare post release.</p><p> </p><p>To this end and
included in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England Health and Justice commissioners are
developing a RECONNECT provision which would support a care pathway being identified
for people leaving prison so that the engagement with community health providers are
brokered prior to them leaving prison and to support them to access these in the community.
This provision is planned to be rolled out across reception and resettlement establishments
from 2020.</p><p> </p><p>During the last 12 months NHS England has been undertaking
a programme of work into identifying and addressing the health and social care needs
of Gypsy, Romany and Travellers (GRT) in the criminal justice system, incorporating
lived experience. The primary focus of the work is improving the healthcare of GRT
communities who are within the criminal justice system, including access to primary
care, addressing long-term health inequalities and exploring issues of exclusion,
discrimination and harassment. NHS England is currently developing a range of learning
and practice improvement tools for health and other partners and will be followed
by learning and improvement events.</p>
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