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The tragic death of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo in a mental health unit at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford has resulted in a hospital trust being fined over £500,000 and a ward manager receiving a six-month suspended sentence. The North-East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT), which operates the hospital, and the ward manager, Benjamin Aninakwa, were found guilty of health and safety violations by an Old Bailey jury for not adequately preventing Ms. Figueiredo’s death.
Despite previous self-harm attempts by Ms. Figueiredo, the hospital had acknowledged the risks associated with keeping bin bags in the ward and had removed them from patient bedrooms. However, the communal toilet, where Ms. Figueiredo took her own life, still contained the bags and was left unlocked. The judge described Ms. Figueiredo as a talented young woman and expressed the tragedy of her death at such a young age.
Aninakwa has expressed plans to appeal his conviction of failing to ensure the health and safety of patients. Despite expressing regret over Ms. Figueiredo’s death, he seemed to lack insight into his wrongdoings, according to Judge Richard Marks KC. Ms. Figueiredo’s mother, Jane Figueiredo, voiced concerns over the dismissive treatment her family received and the impact of her daughter’s preventable death on their lives.
The Chief Executive of NELFT, Paul Calaminus, issued a personal apology and expressed deep remorse over Ms. Figueiredo’s untimely death. He noted the significant improvements made in patient care but warned that the hefty fine might affect service delivery. The investigation into Ms. Figueiredo’s death, which began in 2016, resulted in charges being laid in September 2023 following an extensive legal process
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