The bereaved family of a
prisoner, whose
cancer symptoms were
ignored, have received a personal
apology from the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, during a private meeting.
John Tero was 72 in April 2001 when he began having stomach problems five months after starting his prison sentence at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. The prison doctor prescribed paracetamol and then Ranitidine, an anti-acid drug. Three months later his symptoms had worsened, he had vomited blood and was having difficulty swallowing. Instead of being sent to hospital for investigations, he was prescribed Lansoprazole, another ant-acid often used in the treatment of heartburn, stomach ulcers and acid reflux.
His wife became increasingly worried about his health during this time. He was only able to eat soup and biscuits and on one of her visits to the prison he began vomiting brown liquid. He had also begun to vomit after mealtimes. Mr Tero was transferred to HMP Wymott in Preston where, six months after his initial symptoms, he was finally referred for an
endoscopy investigation. He was unable to attend the appointment due to
lack of a prison escort and was eventually seen in December 2001. At this appointment he was told that he had a tumour and a biopsy confirmed that it was malignant.
Mr Tero was due to go back to hospital, but on the day of his appointment he was released from prison because the appeal against his conviction was successful. He then sought medical advice from his own doctor who referred him for treatment. After chemotherapy and surgery he seemed to make a good recovery but by June 2003 the cancer had spread to his liver and he died in the September.
The failure to adequately treat and care for Mr Tero while he was in prison caused him
unnecessary pain and suffering and that this was inhumane and degrading. The
delay in diagnosis also lessened the chances of the cancer being successfully treated and worsened Mr Tero’s life expectancy.
The Medical Director of Prison Health, Dr Cliff Howells, apologised to Mr Tero’s widow: “I am particularly sorry for the mistakes that were made during your late husband’s care while he was at Woodhill and Wymott and hope that it is of some consolation that both establishments have learnt a great deal and changed local procedures.”
The family also had a private meeting with the then home secretary David Blunkett in which he apologised for Mr Tero’s treatment. The Home Office subsequently agreed to make a substantial offer of compensation. Mrs Tero will be using some of the compensation to pay for a headstone for her husband’s grave.
The Tero family were represented by Leigh Day & Co. partner
Sean Humber. He has special interest in the
human rights of prisoners, including their
right to adequate healthcare. For more information please call 020 7650 1200.
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