A medical fle should be compiled for each patient, containing diagnostic information and all records of the patient’s history, including any special exam‑ inations he/she has undergone. Daily registers should be kept by health‑care teams, mentioning any particular incidents related to the patient. Such registers are useful because they provide an overall view of the health‑care situation in the prison, highlighting specifc problems which may arise. The prisoner should be allowed to consult his medical fle, unless this is contra‑indicated for therapeutic reasons, and should be able to request that the information therein be communicated to his/her family or lawyer. In cases of prisoner transfer, the fle should be sent to the doctors of the receiving establishment.46 Individual medical fle documentation In line with the law on health care of most countries and the principle of equivalence of care, prison health‑care professionals are obliged to establish and keep a medical record fle for each individual inmate. The fle should contain a full medical history, the results of the medical exam‑ ination on admission, all available medical records related to the patient, including all consultations at the patient’s request, with the doctor’s fndings, advice and treatment given. All written entries should be signed. Incomplete or even missing medical records have been identifed and criticised by the CPT in several prison visits.47 Standardised medical fles should be used in all prisons of a country in order to facilitate the transfer of medical information among prison physicians when prisoners are transferred to other prison facil‑ ities. Of particular importance is the careful and detailed documentation of: X examination on admission, X information on any diagnoses implying serious consequences of prognosis, treatment or transmission of diseases, X medical emergencies, X information on examinations or treatments with possible unwanted side‑efects, 46. CPT/Inf (2009)38. 47. CPT/Inf (2004)36; (2006)24; (2007)47; (2009)25; (2009)38; (2012)19 29) CPT/Inf (2004)21; (2004)36; (2010)29; (2010)20. Medical ethics in prison Page 21