A 23-YEAR-old man was found dead in his Portland prison cell after waiting more than five times the standard length of time to see the mental health team, the jury at an inquest has heard.

An inquest into the death of Bradleigh Trevor Barnes, who died at HMP Portland on December 28, 2019, heard he had been triaged as a ‘non-urgent referral’ after referring himself to the team on November 21.

On November 27 an entry was input into the healthcare system, from prison security, raising concerns about him.

Mr Barnes was referred to the mental health team by the prison on December 3, 2019 and Lisa Turner, regional manager for healthcare provider Practice Plus Group, said referrals would have been seen within two to five working days - depending on the urgency.

Mr Barnes died 25 days after the prison referral without having been seen by a member from the mental health team. The delays were described as "a missed opportunity".

Mr Barnes was forcefully removed from his cell on December 23, five days before his death, after barricading himself in.

Later that day an Assessment, Care and Custody Teamwork (ACCT) was opened relating to the risk of self-harm and suicide concerning Mr Barnes. An ACCT is a document that can be opened by any member of staff at a prison which triggers an ‘immediate action plan’ over welfare concerns.

The inquest heard from the current custodial manager at HMP Portland, David Doctor, who completed part of the ACCT.

He said there were "very high" incidents of self harm at HMP Portland at the time, leading to an "average" of 35-40 open ACCTs "at any time". He said: "With those sort of numbers the quality was always going to be poor."

He added that guidance was not 'always followed to the letter of the law' but 'robust measures' have been put in place since.

He described Mr Barnes as "a lovely, polite, courteous individual" and said he did not have, and was not aware of, any concerns regarding Mr Barnes prior to December 23.

After Mr Barnes barricaded himself in his cell, Mr Doctor said he wanted Mr Barnes on hourly observations.

Following the opening of Mr Barnes’ ACCT an assessment interview and case review went ahead without a healthcare representative present.

Mrs Turner said it was ‘imperative’ healthcare was involved within the first 24 hours of an ACCT being opened.

It was put to Mrs Turner that, in November 2019, there were 55 reviews at which healthcare representatives weren’t present.

Mrs Turner said: “I can’t comment on the numbers but there were certainly occasions when we weren’t invited to reviews.”

The jury inquest continues and is expected to last two weeks.

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