A report into the death of James Trewick found his clinical care at HMP Northumberland was “only partly equivalent” to what he could have expected to receive in the community
James Trewick, jailed for sex offences against two young girls(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
An investigation into the death of a North East prisoner uncovered repeated mistakes in healthcare at one of the region’s prisons. A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) into the death of James Trewick found his clinical care at HMP Northumberland was “only partly equivalent” to what he could have expected to receive in the community.
This was due to “deficiencies” in managing Trewick’s long term medical conditions, which included ischaemic heart disease, angina, hypertension, osteoarthritis and chronic back pain. He had also been diagnosed with migraines, depression and anxiety.
In January 2022, Trewick, 67, from Blyth, was jailed for 13-and-a-half years for sexual offences dating back 40 years, including two attempted rapes and indecent assaults. He was sent to HMP Durham but later transferred to Northumberland.
On December 1, 2022, he was admitted to hospital after feeling unwell for several days, where he tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival. He died in hospital on December 17, 2022, after developing viral pneumonitis arising from Covid-19. A coroner accepted that Trewick’s ischaemic heart disease contributed to his death.
A PPO report following his death concluded that since Trewick arrived at the prison on February 11, 2022, there were a number of shortfalls in the clinical care he received. It found that healthcare staff did not refer him to the GP for review when his blood pressure was found to be raised at his reception health screen.
It also found that no action was taken to refer him to the prison’s long-term conditions clinic to manage his heart disease and hypertension. And there were also no care plans in place to monitor him; and an outstanding cardiology appointment was not actioned, the PPO report concluded.
The report said recommendations had been made to the prison previously regarding the management of long-term medical conditions, to which the PPO was informed that protected time had been allocated for long-term conditions and a specialist nurse had been employed.
A spokesperson from Spectrum Community Health CIC said: “Spectrum Community Health CIC acknowledges the publication of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s report and extends its sincere condolences to Mr Trewick’s family and all those affected. We accept the findings of the report and have taken decisive action to strengthen the management of long-term conditions at HMP Northumberland.
“These improvements are now well embedded and were recently recognised during a Care Quality Commission inspection, where the long-term conditions service was highlighted as an area of good practice. Spectrum remains committed to continuous learning and working closely with our staff and partners to ensure people in our care receive safe, effective and equivalent healthcare.”
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