A prisons watchdog has reiterated concerns about emergency response procedures at HMP Wandsworth following the suicide of a terrorism suspect, highlighting that delays in calling a medical emergency code could prove critical in future incidents.
Aktar Uddin, 35, died at the category B men's prison in South London on December 25, 2021. Investigators found it was unclear when an emergency 'code blue' was called after he was discovered unresponsive in his cell, with no record of the call on the control room log.
Inquest Findings on TPIM Restrictions
An inquest concluded earlier this month that government-imposed anti-terrorism restrictions known as TPIMs (Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures) had a "substantial impact" on Mr Uddin's mental state, according to the BBC. These restrictions included controls on how much money he could withdraw and enforcing the wearing of an electronic tag. It was for breaching these conditions that he was sent to prison.
Mr Uddin, who was convicted of terrorism offences, was sent to HMP Wandsworth in January 2020.
Incident Timeline and Response
An officer noticed Mr Uddin had blocked his observation panel at around 4.20am on December 25. Other staff arrived to help and saw he was unresponsive after unlocking another view into the cell, but they could not enter as he had barricaded the door with furniture.
While officers radioed for help and tried to force entry into the cell, the report said nobody called a code blue. They managed to take off the door and enter the cell around 4.26am, when an ambulance was also called. Officers and healthcare staff tried to resuscitate Mr Uddin, but paramedics confirmed he had died at 5.10am.
The ombudsman found staff could not have reasonably predicted Mr Uddin's actions, as there was no evidence he could have been considered at much higher or imminent risk of suicide before he died.
Watchdog's Concerns and Recommendations
The new Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report said that while the delay in calling a code blue was unlikely to have affected the outcome for Mr Uddin, this might not be the case in other emergencies. The report said: "We cannot say that this affected the outcome for Mr Uddin, but it might be critical in other circumstances. We have made a number of recommendations to Wandsworth about this issue, and it is disappointing to repeat our concerns again."
The report noted that while witness evidence suggested a code blue was called at some point during the incident, it is unclear when it was called and there was no record on the control room log. However, immediately after Mr Uddin's death, the governor published notices to staff reminding them of the need to call medical emergency codes.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have accepted the ombudsman's recommendations and taken action, including strengthening emergency response procedures and staff training. We are also tackling the prisons crisis we inherited while driving reforms to make prisons safer and more secure."
