Prisoners with diabetes: do they receive appropriate care?

People with diabetes who are sent to prison generally lose their ability to manage their own health care, while health care workers' care of diabetic prisoners may be influenced by security considerations. A survey of 26 prisons in England and Wales revealed considerable variations in the service provided to prisoners with diabetes. Some prisons are attempting to provide an adequate service but few have followed the recommended practice of setting up channels of referral to specialist diabetic care or buying in such care from the National Health Service.