Officer who found prisoner dead had to shout for help because he didn’t have a radio
A report into the death of a prisoner at HMP Liverpool has criticised the jail for failing to ensure that its officers carry radios while on duty.
Adrian Usher, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, said that he was once again calling for radios to be used by all staff on wings at the jail.
Brian Holland, 53, was found unresponsive in his cell on 8 July, 2024. Jailed for 21 months in February 2024, he had previously had a heart attack and had a history of substance misuse and opium dependence.
He was seen in his bed through the observation hatch by an officer around 7.45am, when the officer believed Mr Holland to be asleep. Just over an hour later, officers heard shouting from Mr Holland’s cellmate and other prisoners. Officers heard the prisoners calling for the cell door to be unlocked as Mr Holland was not “answering or reacting”.
An officer who opened the door noticed that Mr Holland was discoloured and his head was swollen. The officer had no radio and did not go into the cell, but instead went to find another officer on the landing. He shouted that there was a “code blue”, a medical emergency in which a prisoner is unresponsive or has breathing difficulties, and asked if she had a radio. The second officer went to the cell, looked in and then radioed a code blue at 8.56am. An ambulance was requested at 8.58am.
Other prison officers and several nurses arrived and moved Mr Holland to the floor. As signs of death were evident, they did not attempt resuscitation. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 9.13am.
It was found Mr Holland died of heart disease and pulmonary emphysema, a chronic lung disease. He was the 15th prisoner to die at HMP Liverpool since July 2021. The clinical reviewer found that the care Mr Holland received was equivalent to what he could have expected to receive in the community.
Mr Usher said the lack of radios at HMP Liverpool was unacceptable and potentially could threaten lives, and called on the prison to review its provision. A Prison Service spokesperson said the prison had now “ensured that staff on all wings are provided with sufficient radios at all times”.
In the outside world, much medical effort is now put into the prevention of a second heart attack. There is proven benefit from deep reduction of your non-HDL cholesterol levels, giving beta blockers, and reducing blood pressure. These are advised whether or not there is a past history of substance abuse and opium dependence.