Prison medics not given full access to records

Craig Anderson was found dead on 25 November in his prison cell

Prison medics did not have full access to the health records of an inmate who later died while in custody, an inquest has heard.

Craig Anderson, 28, was found dead in his cell at the Isle of Man Prison on the morning of 25 November 2022, the day after he was sentenced to five years in jail.

The court heard Mr Anderson was being seen by both the Drugs and Alcohol Team (Dat) and the prison healthcare team, which use different systems.

Prison medical practitioner Chloe Tansey said Dat had no access to the other team’s systems, and there had been limited access the other way.

The system used by Dat, called Rio, includes details of consultations, mental health records, risk assessment and care plans , but the prison medical practitioners have access to a separate system, called EMIS, used by all GPs on the island.

Ms Tansey told the inquest it would have assisted to have been able to see all of Mr Anderson’s records in one place when considering his vulnerabilities.

Due for review

Mr Anderson had been placed under the prison’s self-harm risk flagging policy, known as a folder five, on a number of occasions, but had gone through a post-closure process seven days before his death on 18 November.

That meant the protective measures, such as frequent observations and restricted access to certain items, had been stopped.

The 28-year-old was due to have a review as to how he was coping a week after the post-closure was commenced, which had been scheduled for the day he was found dead.

Martin Alman, a prison officer working on Mr Anderson’s wing on 24 and 25 November, said that he probably would not have had access to some of the items in his cell had the measures still been in place.

However, Breeshey Cain, who was also on duty at the time, said: “We have to remember this is their home, if we are going to strip everything out of their room, we can’t expect their mental health to improve.”

The court heard Mr Anderson had been locked in his cell for the night at the usual time of 17:15 GMT on 24 November, but was discovered unresponsive in his cell with the television still on during a routine headcount the following morning.

The inquest at Douglas Courthouse continues.

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