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scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

A while ago we were asking people to write letters of complaint on behalf of William Johnston, who was on hunger strike in protest over the neglect of his medical treatment at HMP Glenochil. He is now over 35 days into his second hunger strike and last week he collapsed and is now in need of your urgent complaints on his behalf.

Before William was sent to prison he had an operation on his back and had a steel rod placed in his spine. After this operation he was told that he would be prescribed strong painkillers for the rest of his life. Prior to his imprisonment and for 4 years after the operation William was prescribed Diconal and Valium. Then last year the doctor at HMP Glenochil stopped all his painkillers, which meant that Mr Johnston was in a state of constant agony. After complaining through all the usual prison avenues and being completely ignored he decided the only option he had left to try to get the issue of his medical neglect addressed was to go on a hunger strike. He started this on the 3rd September and only ended it after 60 days because people on the outside of the prison had gotten to hear about his situation and had started writing letters of complaint on his behalf.

After his previous hunger strike William was prescribed Tramodol and high strength Co-codamol by the prison doctor who, about a week after William ended his hunger strike, stopped working at Glenochil prison. Before leaving, he called William to see him. He apologised to William for the victimisation he had suffered at the hands of the medical department there and said he would now get the treatment he needed - which suggests that he had been under pressure from the prison staff at Glenochil prison to not treat William.

The new doctor at HMP Glenochil has since taken William off the Tramodol and reduced him to low strength Co-codomol. William started a new hunger strike in protest over that decision and has now not eaten for over 35 days. On his last hunger strike he went down to 38kg in weight and his body is still weakened from that hunger strike. He is now already back down to 41kg, remains very weak and collapsed at the end of last week. Other prisoners at Glenochil fear that he is close to death and there is not much time left for intervention in a situation where the Prison Governor and the Scottish Prison Service Headquarters are ignoring his condition and letting him starve himself to death, rather than be seen to "give in" and prescribe him appropriate painkillers (the doctor there recently told him that she would not be blackmailed).

We have heard that there is another prisoner in HMP Glenochil that is also on hunger strike about the neglect of his medical condition. A couple of weeks ago there was a third person on hunger strike but this man had been in the army and prescribed pain killers by an MOD doctor. After his Army doctor contacted the prison they resumed his medication. The reason for the poor standard of healthcare at the prison is down to the fact that, unlike the English system, the Scottish prison medical services are run by the Prison Service itself and not the NHS. The Scottish Prison Service has been implementing major cost-cutting measures, leading to prisoners having their treatment and medication stopped.

Please write letters of complaint or phone the prison to ask about William's condition and demand that he gets the proper medical treatment that a prison has a duty of care to provide:

Governor Dan Gunn
HMP Glenochil
King O'Muir Road
Tullibody
Clackmannanshire
FK10 3AD
Tel: (01259) 760471
Fax: (01259) 762003
dan.gunn@sps.gov.uk

Write to Dr Andrew Fraser who is responsible for the prison health care service at the Scottish Prison Service Headquarters:

Dr A. Fraser
Medical Officer
SPS Headquarters
Calton House
5 Redheughs Rigg
Edindurgh
EH12 9HW

Write to the local MP for Glenochil and ask him to conduct an urgent investigation to the healthcare at the prison:

Gordon Banks MP
The Constituency Office
49-51 High Street, Alloa
Clackmannanshire
FK10 1JF

Please send letters and cards of support to:

William Johnston #50541
HMP Glenochil
King O'Muir Road
Tullibody
Clackmannanshire
FK10 3AD

Brighton ABC
www.brightonabc.org.uk

Source for this message:
From: "Genea" <Genea@wildcat.co.uk>

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

Scotkaz

I e-mailed the Governor and his response to say the least shows he is not interested.

He has seriously underestimated the peoples right to question these matters and I will now take the matter up with the health board for that region.

I would really appreciate any infoprmation on this William Johnston like where he is from and who his original doctor is before taking this matter any further.

Governor's Response:

RE: Re William Johnston, Hunger Strike‏
From: Gunn Daniel (Daniel.Gunn@sps.pnn.gov.uk)
Sent: 12 May 2009 07:50:04
To: wullie beck (wulliebeck@hotmail.co.uk)

Dear Mr Beck

Thank you for your email

This is a confidential medical case –however I can advise this is entirely a clinical matter between Doctor and patient

With respect neither you nor I have or indeed should have as lay people the power to intervene in matters of clinical judgment – I trust on reflection you will appreciate this point

I hope this clarifies the issue here and will put your mind to rest

Mr Banks is our MP and he and I are in regular contact

If I can be of any further assistance please advise but as indicated above there are patient confidentiality issues which I have to observe

Yours sincerely

Daniel Gunn

Governor
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kevin donald · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 198

Another prisoner highlighted by MOJUK, who died last month.

Ronnie Easterbrook is dead

(12/04/09)

We've recently asked people to write letters on behalf of Ronnie Easterbrook who is 78 years old and on hunger strike. For more details about his case read: www.indymedia.org.uk

"Supporters of prisoners in struggle have known Ronnie since 1995 when he was in the seg unit at Whitemoor on dirty protest with Irish prisoners who were demanding repatriation. Since then he had been on repeated protests and hunger strikes in an attempt to draw attention to his situation.

Ronnie was sentenced to life for armed robbery and attempted murder in 1988 after a failed robbery on a supermarket wages van. A police informant set the job up and Ronnie and two others were ambushed by PT17, the elite tactical firearms unit. Tony Ash was shot dead, despite surrendering, and Ronnie, Gary Wilson and a police inspector all suffered gunshot wounds. Also lying in wait was a Thames TV crew, who captured the shoot-out on film.

Ronnie maintained he was a victim of a police shoot-to-kill policy, modelled on tactics used in the north of Ireland, but was prevented from putting forward a defence based on this, both by his own barrister’s refusal to co-operate and the judge’s refusal to allow a political defence. Throughout his sentence Ronnie refused to apply for parole because he did not recognise the legality of his sentence, and maintained to the end that unless he got a new trial justice would not have been done.

As Ronnie put it in a letter written from the segregation unit at Frankland to Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! in 2005: ‘They say I am strong-willed, yet being right, even when one can prove it, as I can, is just a state of mind. If one had no principles it would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to carry on, but as I have always had good principles there is no question that I would ever accept the burden a corrupt state and judiciary have placed upon me.’

Those of us in FRFI (Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism), ABC (Anarchist Black Cross) and MOJUK (Miscarriages of Justice Organisation) who knew and corresponded with Ronnie for many years will miss him greatly. He was a great and stubborn fighter and had no truck with any of the Prison Service’s incentive schemes and other divide-and-rule games. He fought his own fight with unswerving determination and showed great solidarity and support for other prisoners in struggle".

Nicki Jameson

Another elderly Gentleman who failed to recieve the proper care while in prison.

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

I would further ask anyone with concerns about medical treatment of prisoners to contact the following:

Jane Todd, is Head Of Scottish Affairs

http://www.gmc-uk.org/about/contacts/edinburgh.asp

There is an Edinburgh Number and E-Mail address for the GMC
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kevin donald · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 198

I would second that, Scotland has many elderly prisoners still in cat A or B prisons who at least should have proper medical care like anybody else, whatever they have or have not done.

The case of William Johnston will be found at.

http://www.casecheck.co.uk/Home/tabid/1164/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

" Sorry the above post on Ronnie Easterbrook should read this month"

scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

david · Joined: 01 Mar 2009 Posts: 52 Location: edinburgh

Been reading with concern the treatment of the above mentioned prisoner who can't get access to pain relievers at a scottish prison.

Speaking from experience, Tramadol and other opiate based painkillers are readily available in Peterhead and Saughton for anyone wishing to take them. Peterhead is a complete joke regarding Tramadol. Half the population are on them and half of them don't even need them. They are not just prescribed to the old population. They are sold on as prison currency.

Its absolutely shameful that the above mentioned prisoner can't get access to pain relievers when infact his condition demands it.

Shame on the SPS.

David

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

I have raised this man's concerns with the GMC and would ask anyone else with concerns to write to Jane Todd at the above e-mail address.

We are all entitled to proper medical attention at all times even as a Guest of her Majesty.

This could be some of our families so please raise these concerns.

I also asked the Governor if Mr Johnston could have a second independent opinion as he has said cost is not the issue, He has yet to answer this question.

Good Luck to Mr Johnston.

It reminds me of the time in Peterhead myself when I was on hunger strike for about 50 days protesting my Innocence.

It did not make the press or any outside agencies.

After collapsing in the yard I decided not to harm my body any further and let these people win.

I hope Mr Johnston can see people on the outside are taking notice and raising concerns on his behalf so get the fingers moving and send that e-mail folks.

FAO:
Jane Todd Head of Scottish Affairs @

gmcscotland@gmc-uk.org
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Angeline · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 148

Note the governor's response - in effect, he's saying, ordinary people have no place questioning experts (gasp, shock, horror).

Are we really supposed to believe that's an acceptable response? Hopefully we'll get something a little more substantial from Jane Todd.
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Angeline · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 148

Response from GMC, signed "Jane Todd":

"Thank you for your enquiry, which we have forwarded to our Fitness to Practice directorate."

This, in spite of my request that she investigate the situation as a matter of extreme urgency.

What does it take to get people to listen? I've responded pointing out the urgency and asking to whom in the direcotrate the message has been forwarded, and what sort of time is involved in the above directorate becoming involved.

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