Marina Boulton

I am a final year medical student based in Greater Manchester with interest in deprivation medicine and social care and more widely, medical education. I have studied health inequities and conducted research within primary care and the community around high DNA rates and barriers to accessing secondary care in deprived areas. I then presented this research nationally at the Royal Society of Medicine and RCGP Annual Conference.

Whilst working in Crewe, I saw several patients recently out of prison who were in the process of re-integrating back into the community. I observed how difficult it can be to treat these patients due to the disruptions in their care planning and management, and the poor communication of medical needs and records between prison health services and primary care services. This experience developed my interest in the specific barriers facing individuals with convictions transitioning in and out of prison and the difficulties they and their families encounter.

This prompted me to help this vulnerable patient group and their families by investigating how primary care services could help facilitate and support them better during this difficult and distressing time.