Hospital Trust Fined £500k Over Death Of Patient

2 hours ago

Alison HoltSocial affairs editor, The Old Bailey

Family handout A close-up of Alice Figueiredo. She has agelong auburn hairsbreadth and is looking straight astatine nan camera. She is wearing a wintertime overgarment and is leaning against a ceramic wall.

James MelleyThe Old Bailey

A infirmary spot has been fined much than £500,000 and a ward head fixed a six-month suspended condemnation complete nan decease of a 22-year-old female connected a intelligence wellness unit.

Alice Figueiredo was being treated astatine Goodmayes Hospital successful Ilford erstwhile she took her ain life utilizing bin bags from a shared toilet, having antecedently made galore akin attempts.

The North-East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT), which runs nan hospital, and ward head Benjamin Aninakwa, 53, were convicted of wellness and information offences successful June erstwhile an Old Bailey assemblage recovered they did not do capable to forestall Ms Figueiredo's death.

NELFT was fined £565,000 and Aninakwa must besides complete 300 hours of unpaid organization service.

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Figueiredo family Alice Figueiredo, a young female pinch agelong blonde hair, smiles and looks somewhat off-camera

The infirmary had antecedently acknowledged nan consequence to patients of keeping bin bags connected nan ward and they were subsequently taken retired of diligent bedrooms.

However, contempt warnings from Ms Figueiredo's family, they were not removed from nan communal toilet, which was near unlocked.

The Old Bailey judge His Honour, Judge Richard Marks KC, described Ms Figueiredo's decease arsenic a "terrible tragedy", and said location had been superior failings successful nan attraction she received.

The judge told Aninakwa that dealing pinch nan risks posed by nan bin bags should person been a priority.

During nan trial, nan prosecution besides said incidents of self-harm involving Ms Figueiredo while she was successful infirmary were not decently recorded aliases assessed - thing nan judge described arsenic "lamentable."

Mr Marks said: "Whilst you regret Alice's decease you person nary existent penetration into what you did wrong.

"I find nan truth you intelligibly stay successful a authorities of denial very troubling."

Aninakwa, who still useful astatine NELFT, is appealing against his condemnation for nonaccomplishment to return reasonable attraction for nan wellness and information of others affected by acts aliases omissions astatine work.

Jane and Max Figueiredo sitting astatine a array looking astatine nan camera, pinch a framed, smiling photograph of Alice, a female pinch agelong blonde successful nan foreground. Jane is wearing a greenish blazer, glasses and has shoulder-length acheronian hair. Max is balding, wears glasses, and wears a acheronian bluish blazer. There are galore plants successful nan background.

Giving a unfortunate effect connection successful tribunal connected monday, Ms Figueiredo's mother Jane Figueiredo described her girl arsenic articulate, benignant and funny.

Mrs Figueiredo was captious of nan attraction provided astatine Goodmayes Hospital, describing her daughter's decease arsenic "preventable". She besides criticised nan Trust for not "formally apologising" to nan family successful nan 10 years since her death.

"Instead of nan joy, love, affection and laughter Alice brought to my life, I've been near pinch nan silent, quiet void. I person really struggled astatine times pinch my ain overwhelming consciousness of despair astatine having to look life without Alice. We each have."

Ms Figueiredo's stepfather Max Figueiredo told nan tribunal that her struggles pinch bipolar affective upset "never stopped her from surviving life to nan full".