Failings in loyalist's jail care

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8466875.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A loyalist killer who died of a heart attack in prison should have been checked every day for health problems, the Prison Ombudsman has said.

UDA paramilitary Harry Speers, 49, was found motionless in his cell after a prison nurse thought observations could stop as he had improved.

A medical reviewer found that the standard of care at Maghaberry "fell below common and acceptable practice".

Ombudsman Pauline McCabe acknowledged "some good care by medical staff".

She also praised the considerate response of wardens in the hours before his death.

The 57-page report said: "There is no evidence that baseline investigations, which the doctor requested to be carried out on at least a daily basis from 12 February 2008, were undertaken."

Speers, from Newtownabbey, who smoked 30 cigarettes a day, died on 18 February 2008 after complaining of chest pains.

He also had the stomach condition, ulcerative colitis. He had been imprisoned in 2004 for beating Trevor Lowry to death.

There is no evidence that baseline investigations, which the doctor requested to be carried out on at least a daily basis from 12 February 2008, were undertaken Pauline McCabePrison Ombudsman

Mr Lowry, 49, a father of two from Glengormley, died on 31 March 2001, two days after being lured into an alleyway at Harmin Drive in the village where he was attacked and brutally beaten.

Speers, a former Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) councillor, was sentenced to life imprisonment and told he must serve a minimum of 15 years.

Ron Craig, 20, Richmond Avenue, Glengormley, who was a schoolboy at the time of the attack, was also convicted for the murder and told that he would serve at least 11 years.

On the day of his death Speers had an appointment at Belfast City Hospital with a gastroenterologist.

When he returned to prison, he complained of feeling unwell and suffering pains in his chest.

After the nurse examined him, he was diagnosed with a gastric intestinal complaint, which was common and good practice, according to clinical reviewer Dr Neil Lloyd-Jones.

'Unwell'

The report said a nurse was aware of a request from the prison doctor for daily observations.

The healthcare manager told the ombudsman: "Her understanding of the note was that the observations were to be carried out if Mr Speers was unwell and, as he had improved, she felt that the note no longer applied."

In assessing the inmate's treatment in prison, Dr Lloyd-Jones concluded his treatment was mainly consistent with accepted medical practice.

He was offered advice about stopping smoking and treatment for a head injury.

The Ombudsman recommended that a review should be established of arrangements in the healthcare centre for the acting on and recording of responses to doctor requests.

She said the centre should ensure reviews of blood tests took place as soon as possible after results become available and pointed out that Speers's consultation occurred five days after blood tests were received.

Ms McCabe said a dispute over whether an ambulance was called meant there should be a clear statement on the policy on calling for the emergency response where cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was performed.

She said Speers's healthcare was not the responsibility of the prison but was the charge of the South Eastern Health Trust.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: "The trust has considered the recommendations within the report regarding the failings in the healthcare provision for Mr Speers and would confirm that actions are being taken to implement these recommendations."