UPDATE: |Mystery of woman’s death within 24 hours of remand at Styal prison News

Rebecca Parkinson was 43

Mystery surrounds the death of a woman who was taken to hospital within 24 hours of being remanded to prison. Rebecca Parkinson was remanded to HMP Styal, in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on July 28, 2022, charged with assaulting a police officer.

Before the 43-year-old arrived, the prison had been told she was at risk of self-harming and had a history of mental health problems, including anxiety depression and psychosis.

After she arrived at the jail, self-harm prevention measures were put in place and she was to be observed every hour. During a medical check, Ms Parkinson told staff she was anxious about being in prison for the first time and had self-harmed by banging her head on July 25.

She was placed in a unit for people who need higher levels of care due to her history of self-harm. The following day, shortly before 6pm, an officer saw Ms Parkinson get into bed, thinking she was getting some rest after not eating much throughout the day. When the officer returned at around 6.45pm, she saw her lying face down on a quilt on the floor of her cell.

According to a report now published by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the officer thought she had seen Ms Parkinson breathing, but got no response when she knocked on the door and shouted her name. She then radioed for help.

A healthcare support worker overheard the call and went to assist, adds the report. Looking through the cell door, she said she thought Ms Parkinson wasn’t breathing. She asked colleagues for help, returning to the cell with two nurses. They entered and began CPR at 6.52pm, reports The Echo.

The report said: “Nurses attached a defibrillator which showed Ms Parkinson did not have a shockable heart rhythm. They then inserted an airway and gave her oxygen. A nurse also gave two injections of adrenaline.

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“At 7.09pm, the ambulance arrived at the Valentina Unit and paramedics took over Ms Parkinson’s care. The paramedics continued CPR and gave Ms Parkinson more adrenaline.

“They attached their defibrillator to Ms Parkinson which showed pulseless electrical activity (PEA – a form of cardiac arrest where there is no pulse, but the heart’s electrical activity is present). The paramedics continued CPR and moved her to the ambulance. She was taken to hospital at 7.39pm.”

Ms Parkinson was admitted to intensive care where she remained in a coma until July 31 when doctors advised she was brain stem dead. Treatment was stopped at 5.49pm and Rebecca’s death was confirmed.

The post-mortem examination was unable to conclude a cause of death for the inmate. No natural disease was found to have been the cause for the cardiac arrest, and there was also no compelling evidence Rebecca’s death was the result of her previous head injury.

The report, published by ombudsman Adrian Usher, revealed there was a delay in calling the medical code, which led to a delay in calling an ambulance. This had previously been highlighted in a recommendation to HMP Styal, which is operated by the Ministry of Justice.

It continued: “The clinical reviewer found that the nurse who administered adrenaline during the emergency response used the dose and method for a severe allergic reaction instead of a cardiac arrest. She concluded that Ms Parkinson’s clinical care was partially equivalent to that which she could have expected to receive in the community.”

In a narrative conclusion published following an inquest last month, the coroner said Rebecca’s death was most likely due to drinking excessive water, although there is no way of knowing for certain.

The coroner said: “Rebecca Parkinson died as a result of hypoxic brain injury, caused by cardiac arrest. The cause of the cardiac arrest was hyponatraemia which was most likely caused by drinking excess water. The amount of water or the timing of the ingestion cannot be determined.”

Following Rebecca’s death an action plan was published with two recommendations implemented by the prison – training staff further in the use of adrenaline and medical emergency codes.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with Rebecca Parkinson’s friends and family. We have implemented the Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s recommendations and introduced additional training on medical emergencies for all operational staff.”