Overview

• Couzens completed a non-emergency lumbar procedure this month at the University Hospital of North Durham under high-security isolation.
• Escorting Couzens involved a bullet-proof Category A van, armed police and a custody manager, with security logistics alone estimated at £10,000.
• The spinal tap normally incurs an 18-week NHS waiting list and costs up to £7,000, raising allegations that he jumped ahead of ordinary patients.
• Labour MP Luke Akehurst and shadow Justice Minister Robert Jenrick condemned the operation as an appalling waste of public money and demanded accountability.
• The Ministry of Justice has declined to comment on the secretive transfer, fueling calls for an independent review of prisoner healthcare priorities.