HMP Styal: Three women died on first day at prison within year

The report said: “We are concerned that staff paid insufficient attention to this.”

Ms McAllister also expressed concerns that apart from a nurse dispensing medication, there had been “no healthcare presence” at the centre.

Prison officers staffing the centre had no specialist training in managing drug withdrawal and did not consider Ms McDonald’s risk factors appropriately, she said.

Ms McDonald had also been annoyed because she was unable to pass urine for a sample, which meant that, according to healthcare guidance, she could not be prescribed methadone to ease her drug withdrawal symptoms.

Other prisoners told the PPO they had heard Ms McDonald screaming, making comments about killing herself and expressing concern for her daughter, but said staff had been “dismissive”.