Rodney Savage

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Independent investigation into
the death of Mr Rodney Savage,
a prisoner at HMP Haverigg,
on 14 January 2025
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, 2026
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
Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission
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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 2023, Mr Rodney Savage was sentenced to nine years in prison for sex
offences. He died of metastatic pancreatic cancer (cancer of the pancreas which
had spread to other parts of the body) on 14 January 2025, while a prisoner at HMP
Haverigg. He was 71 years old. We offer our condolences to Mr Savage’s family
and friends.
4. The Ombudsman’s office wrote to Mr Savage’s next of kin, his wife, to explain the
investigation and to ask if she had any matters she wanted us to consider. She
raised concerns about a delay in diagnosing Mr Savage’s cancer in November 2024
and his pain management at Haverigg. These concerns have been addressed in
the clinical review.
5. NHS England commissioned an independent clinical reviewer to review Mr
Savage’s clinical care at Haverigg. The clinical review report is attached as Annex
1.
6. The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr Savage received at
Haverigg was of a good standard and was equivalent to that which he could have
expected to receive in the community. She found that Mr Savage was managed
with compassion and cared for by confident, competent staff at Haverigg. She also
found evidence of good multidisciplinary team working. The clinical reviewer made
no recommendations.
7. The PPO investigator investigated the non-clinical issues relating to Mr Savage’s
care.
8. We did not identify any non-clinical learning, and we make no recommendations.
9. The initial report was shared with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).
HMPPS did not find any factual inaccuracies.
10. Mr Savage’s family received a copy of the draft report. They did not make any
comments.
11. This version of my report, published on my website, has been amended to remove
the names of staff and prisoners involved in my investigation.
12. At an inquest held on 15 January 2026, the Coroner concluded that Mr Savage died
of natural causes.
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman 1
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Adrian Usher August 2025
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
OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE