Investigation calls for clinical governance framework at prison following prisoner death

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman makes recommendation to Manx Care

Clinical Leads within Manx Care should ensure that healthcare staff at the Isle of Man Prison have the appropriate competencies to the level of care they are providing for acutely ill/deteriorating patients.

That's the conclusion from an independent investigation into the death of a prisoner by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO).

John Edward Corran died in hospital of a gastrointestinal haemorrhage, caused by gastroesophageal erosions, on 12 November 2024, while a prisoner at Isle of Man Prison.

The 77-year-old was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex offences in April 2021.

These included the attempted rape of two girls - who were aged between six and 12 at the time - and a number of indecent assaults.

At an inquest held on 24 April 2025, the Coroner concluded that Mr Corran died of natural causes.

However, following his death, an investigation was launched by the PPO, as is procedure.

The ombudsman investigates the deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, residents of approved premises and detainees in immigration centres, due to any cause.

The final report reveals the PPO’s office wrote to Mr Corran’s next of kin to explain the investigation and to ask if they had any matters they wanted to be consider. The letter was returned by the Post Office as undelivered.

In conclusion, the investigator found there were no non-clinical issues relating to Mr Corran’s care.

They did note that when Mr Corran attended hospital on 8 October 2024, he was 'inappropriately restrained with a single cuff'. 

But this appeared to be a 'one-off administrative error' with staff 'promptly' removing the restraints, and Mr Corran 'was not restrained for subsequent hospital appointments'.

Meanwhile, the clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr Corran received at Isle of Man Prison was 'partially equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community'. 

She found that 'when Mr Corran was acutely unwell, specialist assessments and reviews were completed appropriately and in a timely manner'. 

However, she was concerned that there 'was no clinical governance framework in place to help ensure practice, policies and procedures were evidence-based'. 

As a result, the PPO has recommended that 'clinical Leads within Manx Care should ensure that healthcare staff have the appropriate competencies to the level of care they are providing for acutely ill/deteriorating patients'.

The clinical reviewer also made five other recommendations which were not related to Mr Corran’s death but which 'the Head of Healthcare will want to address' - these were not revealed in the publicly available report.

The independent investigation report can be found HERE.

Manx Radio has contacted the Department of Home Affairs and Manx Care for comment.

UPDATE 4:55PM: The Department of Home Affairs says: "The Department welcomes independent investigation from the PPO into the circumstances surrounding Mr Corran's death from natural causes.

"The report makes no clinical recommendations and suggests no significant non-clinical learnings.

"The small number of clinical findings are being addressed by the Department, working closely with Manx Care.

"The safety and clinical care of prisoners is one of fundamental priorities."