Child rapist dies of painful cancer at Leyland's Wymott Prison - as he awaited early release
A child rapist died of painful cancer at Leyland’s Wymott Prison - as he awaited early release on compassionate grounds.
Edward Coysh was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual offences on May 25, 2018. He was initially sent to HMP Liverpool, then transferred on December 13 to HMP Wymott.
Before entering prison, Coysh, who was originally from Wakefield, had been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition in which the oesophagus becomes damaged by acid reflux.
While in prison, he complained repeatedly of back and abdomional pains and was seen by doctors and underwent scans - but not all of the appointments were received or chased up.
On April 18, 2021, he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, having been referred onto the cancer pathway earlier that month. The prison began the process to apply for early release on compassionate grounds on Coysh’s behalf. However, on April 26, he died in hospital aged 74 before the application could be completed.
An investigation has taken place into Coysh’s death by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, who found that the healthcare he received at HMP Wymott “was not equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community.”
Investigation into his death
They said that there were some instances of good care, but the clinical reviewer was concerned that healthcare staff failed to pick up Coysh’s ongoing liver function issues when he arrived at the prison and that he was not referred to the NHS specialist cancer pathway for investigation sooner. In addition, they said his pain management was poor “and healthcare staff failed to seek specialist advice which could have significantly improved Mr Coysh’s quality of life.”
Recommendations
A number of recommendations have been made to management at Wymott, including that the Head of Healthcare should ensure there are systems in place for tracking the progress of routine referrals sent to specialist services; that there are agreed criteria for accessing specialist services to ensure that prisoners receive appropriate, effective pain relief, and that the Governor should ensure that staff notify prisoners’ next of kin immediately when a prisoner becomes seriously ill.