ABSTRACT
Current public health discourse includes concepts such as fairness, social justice and equity of access to health services. These concepts are examined here within the findings of a small consultation project, conducted in the UK in 2010, concerning health provision to mothers and babies in prison in the UK. The project links directly to the policy objective in the Fair Society, Healthy Lives report (Marmot 2010) to give every child the best start in life by ensuring high quality services are utilised to reduce inequalities in early child development. Further clear links to Marmot’s policy are evident, including the recommendation to give priority to pre- and post-natal interventions that reduce adverse outcomes of pregnancy and infancy. The consultation reported here employed a range of qualitative consultation methods with health and prison staff to capture a realworld view of potential positive outcomes and the challenges of providing services to this population. Including women with experience of this service provision unfortunately proved impossible due to unrealistic project and prison service permission timescales.
