NHS trust fined 565k after woman killed herself on death trap' ward

"A woman whose daughter killed herself on a death trap mental health ward in London has called for urgent change after an NHS trust was fined more than half a million pounds. Alice Figueiredo, 22, took her own life at Goodmayes hospital, Redbridge, after 18 similar attempts. Her death on 7 July 2015 followed a failure to remove plastic items from the communal toilets on Hepworth ward that had been used by her to self-harm, a court was told."

"On Tuesday, North East London NHS foundation trust (NELFT) was fined 565,000 plus 200,000 in costs after being found guilty of breaching health and safety. In setting the amount, Judge Richard Marks KC noted its finances were in an absolutely parlous state and a large fine could impact on services. Benjamin Aninakwa, 54, a ward manager, was convicted of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of patients on the ward that Figueiredo was on."

"Speaking outside the Old Bailey, Jane Figueiredo said her daughter had been confined to a death trap that was a fatality waiting to happen. Rather than being given the compassion, care and support she needed, Alice was failed horribly and experienced a litany of failures which crushed her spirit and ended her life, she said. Figueiredo added that her daughter's pleas for help were not taken seriously and were regularly shut down, silenced."

Alice Figueiredo, 22, died by suicide at Goodmayes Hospital, Redbridge, on 7 July 2015 after 18 previous similar attempts. Her death followed a failure to remove plastic items from communal toilets on Hepworth ward that had been used by her to self-harm. North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) was fined £565,000 plus £200,000 in costs after being found guilty of breaching health and safety. Judge Richard Marks KC noted the trust's parlous finances and warned a large fine could affect services. Ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa, 54, was convicted of failing to take reasonable care and received a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months plus 300 hours unpaid work. Alice's mother described the ward as a death trap and said her daughter's pleas were regularly shut down.

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