Recommendation - Metropolitan Police Service, December 2025
We identified organisational learning following an independent investigation into a man's serious decline in health while detained by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2023.
During the course of this investigation, it was established that after police officers had left the man at hospital, they were unable to obtain updates on his condition and had to return to the hospital to do this.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) review relevant policies and/or procedures to ensure they make clear the need to set up a password with nursing staff when officers have transported a medical emergency to hospital. A password enables officers to easily obtain updates on the individual’s condition over the phone. Any changes that are made to relevant policies and procedures should be communicated to relevant officers.
This follows an independent investigation into a man's serious decline in health whilst detained by the MPS in 2023. During the course of this investigation, it was established that after the police officers had left the man at hospital, they were unable to obtain updates on his condition over the telephone and so it was necessary to return to the hospital to do this.
When the officers returned to the hospital to set up the password, they were told they were unable to do this because the man had significantly deteriorated, so permission was then required from his next of kin. Without that permission nor the password, the officers were unable to get an update on the man's condition (beyond the fact he had deteriorated). The officers' trip to the hospital was effectively a waste of time.
It is important for officers to be kept updated when an individual is in a life threatening and/or life changing condition when they have been in police custody as this needs to be reviewed by the Department of Professional Standards for potential independent investigation by the IOPC.
Accepted
The MPS accepts this IOPC recommendation.
The following wording has been added to the MPS General Investigation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under the heading ‘Victims & Witnesses, and Suspects’:
‘For any suspects, victims or witnesses involved in an investigation who have been transported to hospital for medical reasons, officers should consider setting up a password with nursing staff for communication purposes. A password enables officers to easily obtain updates on the individual’s condition over the phone. This should be recorded on the CAD* in the first instance, and later on CONNECT** if need be’.
The General Investigation SOP of instructions acts as a foundation to all investigations, supporting officers, supervisors, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and police staff tasked with the reporting and investigating of crime.
On 8 January 2026, the SOP, along with the additional wording, was published on the MPS Intranet for officer reference. On 13 January 2026, an Operational Notice (an intranet broadcast highlighting key operational changes to MPS procedures) was issued to announce these policy updates. Given the specificity of the amendment and its origin from an IOPC recommendation, a separate Operational Noice was also published on 13 January 2026 to ensure officers were fully informed of this change.
*CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch): A system used by police control rooms to manage emergency calls and incidents; helps operators record details, track resources, and dispatch officers to where they are needed.
**CONNECT: A secure system used by police to record and manage crime reports, investigations, and related information.