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Leaked documents seen by the BBC reveal a disturbing pattern of self-harm attempts at Goodmayes Hospital, just months after the tragic death of 22-year-old patient Alice Figueiredo. Alice had made repeated attempts to harm herself using plastic or bin bags taken from the same shared toilet, ultimately leading to her death in July 2015. Shockingly, only four months later, another young woman on the same ward attempted self-harm using a bin bag, but survived. This series of events has raised concerns among mental health campaigners about the failure to learn from past tragedies.
According to Jane Figueiredo, Alice’s mother, the fact that patients continued to be put at risk through the accessibility of bin bags even after Alice’s death is distressing. The failure to remove these potential tools for self-harm demonstrates a lack of necessary action to ensure patient safety. The North East London Mental Health Trust (NELFT) has stated that all bin bags have now been removed and they are committed to improving the care provided based on continuous learning from incidents.
The internal inquiry into Alice Figueiredo’s death has highlighted other alarming issues within the hospital, including poor management, inadequate record-keeping, and staff shortages over the past decade. Despite this, only a fraction of incidents were properly reported, indicating a significant under-reporting of potentially harmful events. The lack of accurate recording on the ward led to missed opportunities to manage patients safely, as indicated by the inquiry’s findings.
Former patients, families, and ex-staff have voiced concerns about the quality of care provided by NELFT, citing instances of poor communication, record-keeping, and risk assessments. The failure to address these issues promptly and transparently has left both patients and staff in vulnerable positions. Urgent action is called for to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals in mental health hospitals and services across the country, advocating for a culture of openness and transparency to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future
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