Paul's Story

Paul was a prisoner in HMP Magilligan. From February 2021 up to when he was released in April 2024, Paul had been waiting to be assessed for Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST). During this time, he told health services that he was self-medicating with illicitly obtained Subutex, which is used to treat opioid dependency, and that he was worried about the risks this posed to him, including accidental overdose. Paul wasn’t always able to get enough Subutex, which he said led him to experience physical pain, depression, and anxiety. During his time in custody, Paul made several applications to be released from prison. The panels who dealt with Paul's applications commented on and criticised the delay in assessing of his suitability for OST.

Paul brought a human rights case against the Health and Social Care Trust responsible for providing medical treatment within prison facilities. The judge decided that the delay in assessing of Paul’s suitability for OST had breached his right to be free from inhuman and degrading treatment (Article 3), his right to private life (Article 8), and his right to be free from discrimination (Article 14).

The judge said the failure to assess Paul’s health and suitability for OST was inappropriate, and both his rights and the wider community’s interests were harmed by this failure. They also said Paul had been unlawfully discriminated against based on his status as a prisoner, stating that he would not have experienced such a delay if he had been seeking treatment for addiction in the community. This underlines that everyone is entitled to healthcare, including people in the justice system.

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