A sex offender died of bladder cancer while serving a prison sentence at a North East jail. John Reay was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for sex offences on February 26, 2024.
The 57-year-old died on October 28, 2025, while he was a prisoner at HMP Northumberland. He died from transitional cell bladder cancer with squamous cell differentiation - the most common form of bladder cancer.
Inquest and investigation
During an inquest into Reay's death, held on March 19 this year, the Coroner concluded that he died of natural causes. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carried out an independent investigation into his death.
They wrote to Reay's next of kin and asked if they had any matters they wanted them to consider. They asked about support Reay received from the healthcare team and they were concerned about the management of his pain.
Care findings
A clinical reviewer concluded that the care he received at the Category C men's prison was of a good standard and was at least equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community. She found that healthcare staff had put in place appropriate care plans to manage Reay's blood pressure and complex needs.
The ombudsman report said that while she found that his weight loss was not managed appropriately at times, this did not directly relate to his death and she made no recommendations.
The PPO investigator investigated the non-clinical issues relating to Reay's care. They said: "We did not find any non-clinical issues of concern and we make no recommendations."
