title: The challenge of providing palliative care to terminally ill prison inmates in the UK.
abstract: Terminally ill prison inmates have a right to all aspects of health care including palliative care provision. However, there are numerous difficulties in providing palliative care to high-security prisoners in the UK. Local community hospices may be reluctant to admit terminally ill prisoners and therefore initiatives must be established to provide appropriate palliative care within the prison itself. Dying prisoners need companionship and to be shown respect and compassion to avoid feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. Inmate volunteers can provide an invaluable source of support and friendship for the terminally ill prisoner, helping to improve quality of life.
authors.affiliation: University of Leeds. ugm2fjw@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Felicity Juliette
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D004645:Empathy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D009013:Morale; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D028701:Patient Rights; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom; D014838:Volunteers