A DOCTOR commissioned by an independent UK prisons watchdog was careful in his choice of words. Had those responsible for the welfare of a 64-year-old civil servant in jail for a second drink-drive offence handled things differently, there could have been ‘a more positive’ outcome.

The advocate representing the family of the deceased summarised that evidence by saying that had the case been better handled, the man would probably have survived a heart attack [following repeated chest pains] had he gone on to suffer one.

In turn, the judge heading the inquest hearing highlighted significant failings in the treatment of the individual and went on to explain why, as a matter of law, he could not use words in his judgment like ‘incompetent’ or ‘negligent’.

In these circumstances, can anyone reading the account conclude anything other than that this death was preventable but for a lack of care and attention while at Les Nicolles?

Yet the response of the Home Department to a fatality on its watch has been to refuse to discuss the matter.

Like so many other areas of government, when things get difficult, those with responsibility go silent – and it is simply unacceptable. Serious questions have been raised by this death into the operation of the prison, the manner in which medical assistance was made available and the attitude and/or training of staff when faced with inmates in distress and the minister and his senior team have to be accountable for that.

Instead, however, they hide behind a terse release that the Guernsey Prison accepted the initial findings of the ombudsman and took immediate action to implement amended procedures and practices to reduce the risks of any similar occurrences in future.

But by not disclosing what 16 recommendations put forward by the ombudsman have been followed, the prison is in effect covering up the areas of deficiency which arguably contributed to an individual’s death and for which it should stand account.

So yet again, Guernsey has a situation where something terrible and probably preventable has happened – but no one is to blame.