Alice Figueiredo death: NHS trust and medic guilty of failings

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The tragic death of a young woman in a mental health unit has resulted in a hospital trust and a staff member being convicted of health and safety failings. Alice Figueiredo, 22, ended her own life in July 2015 while receiving treatment at Goodmayes Hospital in east London. The North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT) and ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa were found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey after a seven-month trial concluded that insufficient measures were taken to prevent Alice’s suicide.

Despite the jury’s decision, the trust and Aninakwa were cleared of more severe charges such as corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter. This lengthy trial, lasting 24 days, set a joint record in British legal history according to the Crown Prosecution Service. The trust and Aninakwa were convicted under the Health and Safety at Work Act, marking only the second time an NHS trust has faced a corporate manslaughter charge.

Delivering his verdict, Judge Richard Marks KC expressed his condolences to Alice’s family and acknowledged her exceptional qualities, stating that her loved ones’ deep affection for her was evident. He hoped that the resolution of the case would provide some solace to the grieving family. Jane Figueiredo, Alice’s mother, recalled the immense pain of losing her daughter and emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in cases like hers to drive improvements in mental health care.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed concerns about Aninakwa’s professional skills and the trust’s handling of patient safety. The hospital acknowledged the risks posed by items like bin bags in patient areas, but failed to remove them from communal spaces despite repeated warnings from Alice’s family. Her tragic death prompted a decade-long quest for answers by her family, who pushed for legal action to be taken against those responsible

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More

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