About: Samantha Faulder is a long-term anarchist prisoner in England. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, beginning a long journey of medical neglect in the prison system where access to treatment faced significant delays and disruption. One prison cancelled a total of 9 hospital appointments for surgery over a period of 2 years.
After six years of struggle and three major surgeries, her cancer has returned.
She is now at HMP Eastwood Park. Her six monthly check ups did not happen due to the pandemic and prison failings. At her last check up on the 3rd February the doctor said she needs to come back within 2 weeks for an emergency appointment to go to theatre to take biopsies.
It’s now been nearly 2 months. HMP Eastwood Park failed to take Sam for her pre-operative assessment appointment meaning her biopsies are pushed back again to an unknown date in the future. We have no idea how many times this may have already happened (she is not told for security reasons so we do not know if it’s the NHS or the prison causing delays).
Please contact HMP Eastwood Park today demanding:
- Organise the biopsies with urgency
- No more disruption of Samantha’s medical treatment
- Better communication between the admin workers and prison officers – no more missed appointments or pre-op instructions that sabotage her healthcare
Use the template and email tool here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/action-alert-get-samantha-to-hospital-for-her-biopsies-no-more-prison-failings/
Contact:
Governor Zoe Short HMP Eastwood Park, Falfield, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8DB
Call: 01454 382 100
Email: Zoe.Short@justice.gov.uk and/or Zoe.short@hmps.gsi.gov.uk
CC: The Independent Monitoring Board (imb@justice.gov.uk)
CC: Sirona Care & Health (CIC) are commissioned to provide healthcare & social care to HMP Eastwood Park. Siorna Care & Health* (sirona.hello@nhs.net)
Template:
RE: Governor Zoe Short
The neglectful treatment of a prisoner at HMP Eastwood Park has come to my attention. Samantha Faulder A1209CF was informed by a doctor at Southmead hospital that she needed an urgent appointment within two weeks for further biopsies to investigate her anal cancer.
This has not happened because the prison failed to take Samantha to her pre-operative assessment. As you are aware, cancer is a life-threatening illness.
What assurances can HMP Eastwood Park give that Samantha will be taken to hospital as soon as possible and that no more extremely important healthcare appointments will be missed?
What will the prison do differently to ensure no further medical mistreatment of Samantha and other prisoners?
Yours sincerely,
Write to Sam!
She loves pictures of nature, animals, pagan and punk cards. Her address is Samantha Faulder A1209CF, HMP Eastwood Park, Falfield, Wotton-under-Edge GL12 8DB
