Maghaberry prison: Ex-inmate Neil Nabney criticises medical care

Neil Nabney from Dundonald claims his pain was not properly managed

A former prisoner says poor medical care in Maghaberry prison led to a serious deterioration in his health.

Neil Nabney has a congenital disorder called Treacher Collins syndrome.

It means his lower jaw did not grow normally and he has had several operations to try and correct the resulting problems.

Mr Nabney from Dundonald was sentenced to three and half years for riotous assembly following the loyalist flag protest. He served 17 months of that sentence in Maghaberry.

While there, he says he often could not eat the meals provided because of the problems he had with his jaw.

"I couldn't get proper dietary needs so I was having to subsidise my own diet from the tuck shop, like melting chocolate and dipping biscuits into tea and drinking fizzy drinks and stuff."

The ex-prisoner claims his pain was not properly managed.

"It just got out of control to the point that I was basically in solitary - I was just lying in my cell 24/7, just too sore," he says.

"The doctors didn't really seem to know how to deal with me. They just kept putting the medication up and up and up 'til the point I was just sleeping 18 hours a day."

Mr Nabney says he was not taken to all his medical appointments and the lack of treatment exacerbated his condition.

"I've been told now the damage is too far gone, there's nothing now that can be done for me so I am going to have to live with this 'til the day I die and I will not be able to function daily without the aid of medication," he said.

"The person I was before I went into prison is not the person I am now and I definitely believe most of it is down to the fact that I wasn't given the proper medical care."

A damning report on an independent inspection of Maghaberry Prison prison found that Mr Nabney was not alone in his experience of healthcare while in the jail.

The report says "there were insufficient numbers of primary care nurses and problems retaining staff. Some areas of heath care including chronic disease management and substance misuse, were considered by inspectors to be unsafe".

The report recommends that the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust in partnership with the Prison Service develop an action plan within one month.

'Inadequate access'

Brendan McGuigan, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, says there were serious concerns about allowing prisoners to manage their own medication.

"Some prisoners were given their medicines to cover a period of time and of course what was happening - especially for vulnerable prisoners - they were being bullied and intimidated to hand over those drugs," he said.

Brendan McGuigan, chief inspector of Criminal Justice NI, said there were serious concerns about allowing prisoners to manage their own medication

"These people are sent to prison for offending, that is their punishment.

"To be in prison and have inadequate access to healthcare is an impingement of their human rights."

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust says it is already working to address recommendations made to improve healthcare services in Maghaberry.

In relation to Mr Nabney, the trust said: "There is significant correspondence between the trust and Mr Nabney's solicitor which confirms that Mr Nabney was facilitated to attend all identified healthcare appointments, including hospital out-patient appointments.

"The trust is of the view that all his healthcare needs were adequately met while he was a prisoner in Maghaberry."