Inquest into the death of Sean WAYGOOD

47y · Male·acute renal failure caused by bilateral ureteral obstruction due to metastatic colorectal carcinoma

Sean Waygood, an Extreme High Security prisoner, died from acute renal failure caused by metastatic colorectal cancer. He presented with abdominal pain, constipation, and blood per rectum in March 2011 but received suboptimal assessment. Two visiting medical officers failed to include bowel cancer in their differential diagnosis despite his symptoms and clinical findings. The coroner found this care suboptimal but acknowledged that earlier diagnosis would unlikely have changed the outcome. After hospital admission on 20 March 2011, Mr Waygood received high-standard oncology care including surgery, chemotherapy, and palliative management. Security status did not compromise medical care access. The case highlights diagnostic challenges in custodial settings and the importance of considering serious pathology when patients present with alarm symptoms like rectal bleeding.