Staff at Forest Bank felt they were working in 'war zone' when prisoner died, inquest hears

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Staff at Forest Bank prison felt caring for prisoners on stretched resources was like working in a 'war zone', with mistakes 'not surprising,' an inquest has heard.

In February 2019, dad-of-one Michael McDonagh was found unresponsive in his cell at the Salford prison. An inquest into the 27-year-old's death previously heard he died from pneumonia after a 'depressant' of his nervous system, which was likely caused by a 'combination' of medications - most of which he was prescribed while at Forest Bank.

Jurors at Bolton Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday (August 30) how medics working at the prison had 'concerns' over the combined 'cardiotoxicity' of the drugs Mr McDonagh was prescribed, as well as the possibility he may use illicit drugs while in custody.

However, psychiatric teams had failed to be notified Mr McDonagh had been given a methadone prescription after confessing to using a different opioid while in prison. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features Dr Simon Plunkett, a consultant forensic psychiatrist working in Greater Manchester's prisons, said in a statement given after Mr McDonagh's death that a lack of resources in the prison's health system meant staff felt they were working in a 'war zone' and it was 'not surprising' mistakes happened. "To do one thing very well and in a way that's best practice means there is something you decide not to do," he added.