Select Committee on Health Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 27

Letter from Mr Paul Corry, Press Officer, National Schizophrenia Fellowship, to the Clerk of the Committee (MH 64A)

I understand from our telephone conversation today that the date for written submissions to the Health Committee's inquiry into the provision of NHS mental health services has passed. However, you indicated that, with the focus of the inquiry turning to prison services on May 18, it might be possible to bring to the Committee's attention the findings of a recent inquest into the death of a young man, Keita Craig, in Wandsworth prison.

  Mr Craig had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and died in Wandsworth prison on Tuesday 1 February after being arrested on Sunday 30 January. He was remanded to Wandsworth from Richmond magistrates. Richmond magistrates, the probation service, Mr Craig's social worker and Securicor transport service were aware of his fragile mental state. All warned the prison that he was a suicide risk. Despite these warnings, the prison GP, a 73-year-old locum who would not be allowed to practice within the NHS, did not make any recommendations about Mr Craig's care beyond placing him in the healthcare wing. Mr Craig was one of up to eight inmates who carried suicide warnings who were locked in single cells and subject to intermittent checks by one or two nurses. The nurses did not have resuscitation training and their record keeping did not conform to UKCC standards.

  Westminster coroner Paul Knapman made 14 recommendations at the inquest on 13-14 April. These included a full review of nursing standards and a review of the use of prison GPs. NSF believes that Mr Craig should have been transferred to a secure health setting to await trial. Indeed, he was due to appear before Wimbledon magistrates the day after his death where a Court Diversion scheme operated. Richmond did not have such a scheme.

  NSF has been working closely with Mr Craig's family. We are pressing for:

    —  improved nurse and prison officer training;

    —  new powers for a strengthened inspectorate;

    —  raised awareness about and cover of court diversion schemes;

    —  implementation of the 1991 commitment and the more recent acceptance of World Health Organisation recommendations that health care in prisons should be equal to that in the NHS;

    —  implementation of Standard 7 of the national service framework on suicide reduction.

  I hope you are able to bring this case to the attention of the Committee. If you require more information, please contact me.

2 May 2000


 
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