Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2018

Nicola Lawrence

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2018-0318, written 23 Oct 2018. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report23 Oct 2018
Reference2018-0318
DeceasedNicola Lawrence
CoronerJonathan Leach
Coroner areaWest Yorkshire (East)
CategoryState Custody related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

ANNEX A

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

1 | CORONER

‘| REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS ~]
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. Michael Spurr, National Offender Management Service, 102 Petty France,
London, SW1H 9AJ

lam JONATHAN DAVID LEACH, Area Coroner, for the Coroner area of West Yorkshire
(Eastern) district

ny

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

| make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.

_|

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 26" September 2016 | commenced an Investigation into the death of Nicola Jayne
Lawrence, aged 38 years. The Investigation concluded at the end of the Inquest on 17"
May 2018. The conclusion of the Inquest was a Narrative. She died from 1(a)
Methadone Toxicity 2. Multi Drug Administration.

al

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

At the time of her death the deceased was an Inmate at HMP New Hall. She arrived on
the 9" September 2016. She was taking a considerable amount of medication including
methadone. She was seen by a number of Health Care staff. No consideration was
given by them to the anti-respiratory/depressant effects of the medication on her. On
the 24" September 2016 she was found unresponsive. Notwithstanding the efforts of
Prison staff, Health Care staff and ambulance staff she died.

6 | ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

CORONER’S CONCERNS |

During the course of the Inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In
my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. —

(1) Some Prison staff had not received any cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.
Either as part of initial training or any refresher training. Evidence was received that
good quality CPR within the first few minutes of those who stopped breathing or heart
stopped was critical.

—|

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you
[AND/OR your organisation] have the power to take such action. |

{| __

YOUR RESPONSE |

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 18 December 2018. I, the Area Coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

—

{u
COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent_a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Person ee and Care UK Limited.
| am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary
form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.

23" October 2018 Maar Wn

JONATHAN DAVID LEACH
Area Coroner
West Yorkshire (Eastern)

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Hm Prison Probation Service (PDF)
ap

HM Prison &
Probation Service

Michael Spurr

Chief Executive

HM Prison & Probation Service
8" Floor 102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

E-mail: ceohmpps@noms.gsi.gov.uk

Mr Jonathan Leach

Area Coroner, West Yorkshire (Eastern)
Coroner's Office and Court

71 Northgate

Wakefield, WF1 3BS

E-mail:hmcoroner@wakefield.gov.uk

21 November 2018

Dear Mr Leach,
Inquest into the death of Nicola Lawrence

Thank you for your Regulation 28 Report of 23 October addressed to the Governor
of HMP New Hail, following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of Nicola
Lawrence. As Chief Executive Officer | am responding on behalf of Her Majesty's
Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

| know that you will share a copy of this response with Nicola’s mother and | would
first like to express my sincere condolences for her loss. Every death in custody is a
tragedy and the safety of those in our care is my absolute priority.

| am grateful to you for bringing to my attention your concem that some prison staff
at HMP New Hall have not received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training,
either as part of initial training or as refresher training.

You may be aware that our approach is set out in PSI 29/2015 First Aid, which does
not mandate first aid training for alt staff, but requires Governors of public sector
prisons to ensure that there are at all times sufficient suitably trained first aiders
available. The appropriate number must be determined by conducting a first aid risk
assessment, and first aiders must be trained to levels which are appropriate to the
circumstances - to either First Aid at Work (FAW) level or Emergency First Aid at
Work (EFAW) level.

The Governor at HMP New Hall has reviewed the band/grade and number of staff
who need to be trained in first aid, and the number of such staff required on duty at
times throughout the day. The prison currently has 40 staff trained in FAW and 48 in
EFAW, and these numbers are considered to be sufficient to ensure that an
appropriate response can be provided in any emergency situation that may arise at
any time.

In April 2018. a notice was issued by the Govemor to all staff trained in first aid
reminding them of the importance of responding promptly to an emergency.

Thank you again for bringing these matters of concern to my attention. | hope that
this response provides assurance that lessons have been learned from the
circumstances of Nicola Lawrence's tragic death.

Yours sincerely
Hichoe Spur

Michael Spurr

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