Overdose kit not issued on prison release - report
BBCA former prisoner who died a day after being released should have been given a drug overdose kit, an investigation has found.
Michael Fox, 43, died of drug poisoning on 15 March 2022, the day after his release from HMP Humber.
A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, who investigate the deaths of prisoners which occur within 14 days of release, said Mr Fox was not issued with a naloxone kit, which can reverse an overdose of heroin or methadone.
The Head of Healthcare for HMP Humber accepted this was a serious oversight and the prison has initiated a review of its policy, according to the report.
Mr Fox was sentenced to 14 months in prison for violent offences and burglary in December 2021.
The report stated that he had a long history of substance misuse, including alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, heroin and crack cocaine, which it said was closely linked to his offending risk.
He was released on 14 March 2022 with an "appropriate supply of his medication" but was not given a naloxone kit as planned.
Mr Fox was found dead in his room the next morning. The post-mortem report concluded that he died of drug poisoning with tests showing the presence of heroin, cocaine and some prescribed medications.
The report stated that since 2019 some prisons, including HMP Humber, had been issuing training and naloxone kits to prisoners who met the relevant criteria when they were released.
It explained that offenders with a history of opioid use have a high risk of drug-related death in the first weeks after prison release.
The report recommended the head of healthcare should ensure that prisoners who are assessed as at risk of opioid overdose are provided with a naloxone kit when they leave prison.
The report stated healthcare providers City Health Care Partnership was investigating the circumstances around its issuing of the drugs kits and were treating it as a "serious incident".
The report said that HMP Humber have undertaken a review of the naloxone policy in response to the lessons learned from Mr Fox's death.
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