Oliver Davies
11 Oct 2024 · Coroner David Reid · Worcestershire
The coroner's concerns
1. unnoticed urgent mental health referrals
“1) [the deceased] had been at HMP Hewell since 20.10.22. He was a man with long- standing mental health issues, for whom this was a first experience of custody. After a steady deterioration in his mental state, a mental health referral on 17.11.22 led to a belated mental health examination conducted by a registered learning disability nurse on 6.12.22. In the week leading up to the nurse's assessment: (a) A prison officer had made an urgent TAG mental health referral on 30.11.22, citing concerns that [the deceased]”
Responses
2024-0541-Response-from-Midlands-Partnership-NHS-Foundation-Trust.pdf ↗· Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Stated action
“MPFT has implemented a process for managing referrals and patient- related communications at HMP Hewell, centred around the EDiC (Early Days in Custody) model. MPFT staff working within the prison, have been thoroughly briefed on the EDiC model and are provided with a good practice guide, ensuring consistent and efficient handling of referrals and patient communications across services. This process has been circulated to staff by email, discussed in team business meetings and included in staff”