Swaleside prison staff 'neglected' patient: Inquest told
Prison staff were found to be guilty of
neglect when treating a heart patient who later died.
Patrick Ewens was 68 when he died in
HMP Swaleside in Sheppey. He was serving a 23-year sentence for
importing Class A drugs - his first offence.
But an inquest in Maidstone saw a jury
return a verdict that he died from natural causes contributed to by
neglect.
The inquest also found evidence of
individual and systemic failures in Mr Ewens' treatment.
The hearing was told Mr Ewens was
already suffering from heart problems when he arrived in prison in
2004, and was on a waiting list for a triple bypass operation.
When he turned down a cancellation
operation his name was removed from the waiting list - but nobody
was told.
But, Coroner Roger Sykes said in his
summing up, a series of issues arose which exacerbated Mr Ewens'
situation.
These included:
* An expert witness's claim that a
change of medication and the bypass operation would have "improved
his prognosis considerably"
* No action taken after an ECG showed
"horrific" and "very worrying" results, according to independent GP
Dr Nick Silk.
* When a letter was sent to St Bart's
Hospital after Mr Ewens complained of chest and armpit pains,
consistent with a heart attack, the letter was not chased up.
Prison GP Dr Rangaswamy said about
that incident: "In the prison system, things get lost."
Mr Ewens had been invited onto the
prison hospital ward on several occasions by the medical staff so
they could monitor his condition - but refused each time,
preferring to stay in his cell. He was seen again on September 19
with a worsening condition, but again refused to come onto the ward
and returned to his cell on B wing with instructions to keep his
legs elevated - but no means of doing so.
He was found collapsed in his cell on October 2, not breathing
and with no pulse. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Medway
Maritime hospital: cause of death ischaemic heart attack.
Speaking after the inquest, lawyers representing the family
said: "This has been a long and painful process for the family and
they are relieved that after four years the failings that
contributed to their father's death have at last been
identified.
Following a unanimous verdict of "death by natural causes
contributed to by neglect", the jury concluded that opportunities
were missed on more then one occasion for his medical care to be
altered and improved sufficiently in line with his deteriorating
health.
"Although their loss can never be replaced, the family is
hopeful that healthcare will now improve at HMP Swaleside."
Monday, November 23 2009