Prison watchdog's findings after man on remand at HMP Leeds died with undiagnosed cancer

The report into the death of Craig McConnell by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman was released this month following his death from lymphoma aged 38 on April 22 this year. The investigation found that Mr McConnell’s “significant weight loss” was not monitored by staff at the prison but found that overall the clinical care was “of a good standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community”.

Mr McConnell was remanded in custody charged with burglary and fraud on March 7, 2022 and a few days later a nurse noted he “appeared emaciated” and was struggling to eat. He became unwell with suspected sepsis a few weeks later and was taken to hospital where it was found he had Covid-19. Doctors also checked him for sepsis and found he had an enlarged spleen and liver, but doctors were unable to determine the underlying cause of Mr McConnell’s illness.

He was taken to hospital again on April 18 when he became unwell. His condition was initially stable but deteriorated very quickly in the early hours of April 22 and he died at around 8.30am. A post-mortem examination found that Mr McConnell died from lymphoma.

The author of the report, Kimberley Bingham recommended that the prison’s healthcare provider, Practice Plus Group, identify and monitor unexplained weight loss in prisoners and refer them for further investigations if the weight loss continues.

Mr McConnell’s mother complained to the ombudsman about the healthcare he received in prison and the communication she received, but the investigation found that the prison “acted within the security guidelines” and so no recommendations were given regarding this.

A spokesperson for Practice Plus Group said: “Our sympathies are with Mr McConnell’s family following his sad death from cancer at 38 years old. We were encouraged to see the independent clinical review recognise the good practice our healthcare team displayed in caring for Mr McConnell’s physical and mental health during the six weeks he was under our care. We are however always keen to learn and improve our services further, and are committed to ensuring any actions recommended by the Prison & Probation Ombudsman’s independent review are taken forward.”