Marc Walker

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Independent investigation into
the death of Mr Marc Walker,
a prisoner at HMP Nottingham,
on 16 February 2024
A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Third Floor, 10 South Colonnade Email: mail@ppo.gov.uk T l 020 7633 4100
Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU Web: www.ppo.gov.uk
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© Crown copyright, 2025
This report is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence,
visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3
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1. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman aims to make a significant contribution to
safer, fairer custody and community supervision. One of the most important ways in
which we work towards that aim is by carrying out independent investigations into
deaths, due to any cause, of prisoners, young people in detention, residents of
approved premises and detainees in immigration centres.
2. If my office is to best assist His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in
ensuring the standard of care received by those within service remit is appropriate,
our recommendations should be focused, evidenced and viable. This is especially
the case if there is evidence of systemic failure.
3. In January 2024, Mr Marc Walker was sentenced to 34 weeks imprisonment for
theft. Following brain surgery, he died in hospital of a high-grade glioma (a brain
tumour) on 16 February 2024, while a prisoner at HMP Nottingham. He was 38
years old. We offer our condolences to Mr Walker’s family and friends.
4. The Ombudsman office wrote to Mr Walker’s next of kin, his father, to explain the
investigation and to ask if he had any matters he wanted us to consider. While we
note his concern that prison officers were by Mr Walker’s bedside while he was in
hospital, this was in line with national prison policy which requires at least two
members of prison escort staff to be present when prisoners are in hospital. The
evidence also indicates that there were times when the officers appropriately
stepped away for decency purposes. We also note that escort officers did not
remain with Mr Walker when he was taken to a separate room and his life support
was turned off on the day he died.
5. NHS England commissioned an independent clinical reviewer, to review Mr
Walker’s clinical care at HMP Nottingham. The clinical review is attached as Annex
1.
6. The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr Walker received at
Nottingham was, in part, of a good standard and equivalent to that which he could
have expected to receive in the community. For example, she found that a National
Early Warning Score (NEWS2) assessment was appropriately completed, staff
attending the emergency response were appropriately trained in immediate life
support and healthcare staff maintained good communication with the hospital.
However, she found that an internal communication was not sent to the GP
operating at the prison to highlight Mr Walker’s headaches and a reception screen
was not undertaken when he returned to prison from hospital on 8 February. The
clinical reviewer concluded that this did not have an impact on Mr Walker’s death.
7. The clinical reviewer made four recommendations about issues which were not
directly relevant to Mr Walker’s death but which the Head of Healthcare at
Nottingham will want to address.
8. The PPO investigator investigated the non-clinical issues relating to Mr Walker’s
care. We did not identify any significant non-clinical learning related to his death
and we make no recommendations.
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman 1
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Governor to note
9. While we appreciate that the prison provided CCTV footage of the emergency
response and body-worn camera footage of Mr Walker in the ambulance on 9
February, body-worn cameras were not activated for the emergency response when
the code blue was called as we would have expected in line with policy. The
Governor will wish to consider this.
10. The initial report was shared with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).
HMPPS did not find any factual inaccuracies.
11. Mr Walker’s family received a copy of the draft report. They pointed out some
factual inaccuracies. This report has been amended accordingly.
12. At an inquest held on 6 January 2025, the Coroner concluded that Mr Walker died
of natural causes.
Adrian Usher September 2024
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
2 Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
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Third Floor, 10 South Colonnade Email: mail@ppo.gov.uk T l 020 7633 4100
Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU Web: www.ppo.gov.uk
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