Latest news with #GoodmayesHospital
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Alice Figueiredo: NHS trust recorded patient ate breakfast three days after he died
An NHS mental health trust, recently found guilty of serious failings in the care of a young patient who took her own life, has had serious concerns raised over the deaths of 20 other patients over the last 10 years, the BBC has have repeatedly highlighted issues about the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), including about the quality of risk assessments and two cases patient notes were found to have been falsified. Including one man who was recorded as eating breakfast three days after he had Old Bailey jury last week found the trust guilty of health and safety breaches in the care of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo who was an inpatient at NELFT's Goodmayes hospital. This article contains distressing material related to suicide. Alice, who died in 2015, had attempted to harm herself on 18 occasions using plastic bags or bin liners, often taken from the same communal toilet. Despite this, the bags were not removed, and the toilet was left unlocked. On the 19th occasion Alice took her own trust was cleared of the more serious charge of corporate the trial, NELFT said it extended its "deepest sympathy for the pain and heartbreak" her family had suffered over the past 10 years, saying that it would "consider the verdict and its implications". It will be sentenced in BBC can now reveal in the decade since Alice's death, NELFT has been repeatedly criticised by coroners for failures in patient care. In the last decade, nearly 30 prevention of future deaths (PFD) reports from coroners have mentioned these, the BBC has analysed 20 which raise the most serious two cases where patients took their own lives inquests concluded records had been altered after their most common criticism found the assessment of the risk patients posed to themselves was poor or incomplete. Cases also highlighted poor record-keeping, a lack of communication between teams, staff shortages and high patients who died of overdoses were said to have been on short-term medication for 18 years and 20 years, with no record of that having been response, NELFT says it is continually improving "safety and treatment for patients, as well as the experience of families and carers". It also says it is improving record-keeping, tackling historical staff shortages and changing the way staff assess and manage risk, with all in-patient staff undergoing Charles, whose husband Winbourne's case is one of the most disturbing, said the Trust needed "to look at everything". Mr Charles was a patient at Goodmayes hospital nearly six years after Alice Figueiredo's describes him as "a beautiful man, a beautiful soul", but during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 58-year-old became increasingly in her kitchen, she is looking at videos and photos of Winbourne. His close childhood friend, Winston Andrews, is sitting alongside her as they laugh and smile at the memories."I had never known a part of my life when he wasn't in it," Winston says. "He was a brother rather than a friend."But at the end of 2020, Winbourne became so unwell he was admitted to Goodmayes says they all felt they had "tried everything", adding: "So maybe it is the right place for him to be, to try and get some help."On 10 April 2021, five months after being admitted to the hospital, Winbourne took his own life. For advice and support, visit BBC Action Line Carole and her children had spoken to him on a video call the day before. She describes her shock at the news, saying she was "absolutely devastated". She had thought "he was going in there to get better and come home".Only at his inquest did Winbourne's family and friends discover the failures in care which contributed to his death. The Prevention of Future Deaths report says a psychologist assessed Winbourne as being at high risk of harming himself. This was on his clinical record, but it was not read or discussed by the team of doctors and other clinicians overseeing his concluded there was "no risk" of him self-harming. The family says it meant the observations or checks on him made by staff were reduced from every 15 minutes to one an then, and against Trust policy, observations were stopped for all patients for an hour on the day he died. Between 16:00 and 17:00, the report says "all patients subject to general observation on the ward were ignored".Winbourne was discovered soon after 17:00, about two hours after he was last checked. Staff 'panicked' The report says "staff agreed they panicked". The alarm bell was not sounded and doctors were not called promptly. A ligature cutter was locked in a box and no one knew the combination to unlock it. It also says: "Staff could not or would not provide a clear and relevant history to paramedics."The report questions the credibility of the Trust staff who gave evidence to the inquest. It says observation records appeared to have been cut and pasted, including three entries that were made after he had died."They'd written observations of Winbourne being in the day room, sitting there eating his breakfast, and this was three days after he'd passed away," says Carole."Key to the observations is that you actually do the observations," says Winston. "You fill in the log. Clearly, they hadn't done it." Carole and Winston also say they were deeply shocked when one of the staff members who gave evidence by video link, tried to do this from his bed."He was actually in bed. My mouth dropped," says Winston. "In a microcosm that showed me what kind of care Winbourne was getting."A second staff member was on the tube heading to catch a flight. In both cases the family says the coroner, Graeme Irvine, intervened Irvine, senior coroner for east London, concluded Mr Charles had died from suicide, contributed to by neglect. He sent his PFD report to the trust and the Department of Health and Social Care to highlight what he had found. NELFT, which provides mental health services for nearly five million people living in north-east London, Essex, Medway and Kent and employs about 6,500 staff, said it "apologised unreservedly" for his added: "We accepted all the findings from the coroner in April 2023, as well as the unacceptable behaviour of staff at the inquest."Those staff were managed in line with human resources policies and disciplinary procedures, it said. The charity, Inquest, has provided support for many families around the country who believe their loved ones have been failed by the mental health system. In Ms Figueiredo's case, her family spent 10 years fighting to get director, Deborah Coles, said: "It should not be down to families to have to fight for cultural and policy change."She said she believed avoidable deaths were happening "far too often" and trusts should "move away from a culture of defensiveness and denial and cover-up" to one that is concerned about learning and improvement and protecting said she hoped plans for a new duty of candour, known as the Hillsborough Law, would change Charles, who has been a care worker for older and disabled people and says she knows what care is needed when people are vulnerable, remains sceptical about whether NELFT will learn from the deaths of patients like her husband and Alice Figueiredo."They keep saying they are going to change and they don't," she says. "These are people's lives which are taken. It leaves families devastated."
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Our ‘kind and funny' Alice, 22, went into an NHS hospital to be kept safe – instead she came out dead
JANE Figueiredo's daughter Alice took her own life in an NHS hospital after more than 10 similar attempts at self-harm. The 22-year-old, who had been diagnosed with bipolar and an eating disorder, died while under care at the Hepworth Ward at Goodmayes Hospital in Redbridge. 3 3 The unit is run by the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), which has only twice faced corporate manslaughter charges. Her family described the former head girl as having a "luminous, kind, thoughtful, generous, warm, humorous and deeply loving presence" and a bright future ahead of her. Despite her mental health challenges, Alice had periods where she lived a full, motivated and enthusiastic life in the community, they said. She was a member of the UK youth parliament, chair of the Havering Youth Council and worked with local police to improve relations between the youth community and police This week, following a seven-month trial at the Old Bailey, NELFT and a ward manager were found guilty of serious safety failings linked to her death. A jury concluded that not enough had been done to prevent Alice from taking her own life. Speaking outside court, her mother said: 'You are not unassailable. You are not above the law. "You need to do far, far better to stop failing those people you have a duty of care to.' She added: 'If you don't make radical changes in your conduct and attitudes towards the people you have a responsibility to care for and keep safe, then people like Alice will continue to come to serious, avoidable harm, or senselessly lose their lives. 'This is happening with impunity, time and again, behind the locked doors of wards and in the community across the country.' Living with Bipolar Disorder The court heard NELFT repeatedly failed to remove plastic bin bags from toilets on the ward, despite Alice using them in at least ten previous self-harm attempts. Ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa, 53, was found guilty of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of patients. He was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter. NELFT was convicted of failing to ensure the safety of a non-employee, but found not guilty of corporate manslaughter. Alice was first admitted to the Hepworth Ward in May 2012 with a diagnosis including non-specific eating disorder and bipolar affective disorder, jurors heard. During her time there, she used plastic bags from the same toilets to self-harm on at least ten occasions - but the court heard they were never properly removed or locked away. 3 The suicide attempts were recorded in ward notes and other hospital records. Between admissions, Alice had long periods when hospital treatment wasn't needed. She had been applying to go to university and was planning a brighter future, according to reports from the BBC. Alice was also admitted to the same ward in February 2015, where she was under close observation. Her death in July 2015 came after eight further incidents involving similar items. Benjamin, who was subject to a performance improvement plan, had failed to remove plastic bags that could be used for self-harm and failed to ensure incidents of self-harm were recorded, considered and addressed, jurors heard. 'Tragic series of inactions' Alice's stepfather Max Figueiredo said: 'We haven't got the highest charges, but we have moved the dial.' Detective Inspector Jonathan Potter, who led the Met Police investigation, said: 'They have had to endure years of heartbreak before sitting through a long and difficult trial where they heard time and time again about the tragic series of inactions that led to their daughter's death.' Priya Singh, lawyer for more than 120 families affected by mental health failings in Essex, said: 'We are of the view that Jane should now be included in the Lampard Inquiry as a Core Participant, irrespective of the verdict.' The jury deliberated for more than 125 hours. Judge Richard Marks KC thanked them for their 'immense hard work' and excused them from further jury service for life.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Alice Figueiredo death: NHS trust and medic guilty of failings
A hospital trust and a staff member have been found guilty of health and safety failings over the death of a young woman in a mental health Figueiredo, 22, was being treated at Goodmayes Hospital, east London, when she took her own life in July 2015, having previously made many similar a seven-month trial at the Old Bailey, a jury found that not enough was done by the North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT) or ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa to prevent Alice from killing trust was cleared of the more serious charge of corporate manslaughter, while Aninakwa, 53, of Grays in Essex, was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter. The jury deliberated for 24 days to reach all the verdicts, setting a joint record in the history of British justice, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. It was only the second time an NHS trust has faced a corporate manslaughter charge. Speaking directly to Alice's mother and stepfather after the verdict, Judge Richard Marks KC said it was clear from the evidence that she was an extremely special young woman and "their immense love for her had been very apparent". He also said he hoped they felt the case had been dealt with fully and that would "provide some consolation". This article contains material that some may find you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line. Alice was admitted to a mental health ward at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford in February was under close observation on the Hepworth Ward, then managed by the five months leading up to her death, she attempted suicide using plastic or bin bags on 18 occasions, mostly taking bin bags from the same shared toilet, the Old Bailey hospital had previously acknowledged the risk to patients of keeping bin bags on the ward and they were subsequently taken out of patient despite warnings from Alice's family, they were not removed from the communal toilet, which was left 7 July 2015, at her 19th attempt, she took her own life using a bin bag taken from the the trial, prosecutors said that not only was Alice repeatedly able to self-harm while she was in hospital, but that these incidents were not properly recorded or assessed. The court also heard there were concerns about Aninakwa's communication, efficiency, clinical and leadership trust had previously placed him on a performance improvement plan for three years, which ended in December addition, there was a high turnover of agency staff on the ward, the court heard. Alice's mother Jane Figueiredo described the "intense pain" of being told about her death, saying it was the moment when "your entire life changes forever".Her family prefer to remember the clever, creative, musical and funny young woman, who they say was full of life."She had the most amazing quick wit and sense of humour," Mrs Figueiredo said."She used to be able to make me laugh more than anybody in the world. And I really miss that."Alice had experienced periods of deep depression since she was a teenager and also developed an eating disorder. She was admitted to hospital on several occasions and her condition had always improved after treatment, her family stepfather Max Figueiredo said it was a question of managing her illness and "trusting the medical profession to make the right decisions". Mrs Figueiredo says she raised concerns about her daughter's care verbally and in writing on a number of occasions to the hospital and to Mr Alice died, she said the family found it very difficult to get answers about what nearly a decade they gathered evidence and pressed both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to take action. NELFT is only the second NHS trust in England to have been charged with corporate manslaughter, with the only previous prosecution collapsing after two weeks. It is particularly hard to bring corporate manslaughter charges against a large, complex organisation, says Dr Victoria Roper – an associate professor at Northumbria University, who studies this area of the is due to their complex organisational structures, says Dr Victoria Roper, a corporate lawyer and associate professor at Northumbria manslaughter charges are "reserved for the very worst management failings leading to death," she larger the organisation, the more difficult it is to show that senior management have had "any hands-on involvement in events".However, she says public bodies, the police and the CPS will be keeping a close eye on this case to see what can be learned from it. 'Justice, truth and accountability' Mental health campaigners believe Alice's case highlights the poor care too many mental health patients Schonegevel, director of policy and practice at the mental health charity Rethink, says it is a "devastating reminder that we don't yet have a mental health system fit for the 21st century" and "people expect to be looked after and kept safe" on an inpatient she says the charity is aware of many cases of patients being family believes any failing in cases such as hers must be transparent if they are to lead to improvements in mental health care, and they say they will keep pressing for that."It's never been about vengeance," Mr Figueiredo says."It's always been about justice and truth and accountability. "That's what has driven us."
Sky News
09-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
NHS trust and ward manager found not guilty of manslaughter after woman took her own life at hospital
Warning: This article contains references to suicide An NHS trust on trial following the death of a young woman at an east London hospital has been cleared of corporate manslaughter. Alice Figueiredo, 22, took her own life while being treated at Goodmayes Hospital in July 2015. The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) had been charged with corporate manslaughter and was found not guilty, following a months-long trial. But it was found guilty of failing to ensure the health and safety of non-employees. A not guilty verdict was also returned for hospital ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa, who was charged with gross negligence manslaughter. Aninakwa also denied a charge of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of patients on the ward. He was found guilty. The decisions were made after the joint-longest jury deliberation in English legal history. Aninakwa was accused of failing to remove items from the ward capable of use for self-harm and failing to ensure incidents of self-harm were recorded, considered and addressed. Ms Figueiredo was described as a bright and gifted young woman, who had been head girl at her school. She struggled with her mental health and had been diagnosed with an eating disorder as well as bipolar affective disorder. In February 2015, Ms Figueiredo was admitted to Hepworth Ward, an acute psychiatric unit at Goodmayes Hospital. During her five months on the ward, the jury at the Old Bailey heard how she had attempted to harm or kill herself on 39 occasions, including 18 times with plastic bags. Despite this, Ms Figueiredo was able to access a bag, and on 7 July she killed herself using a bag taken from a communal toilet on the ward. The trial also heard evidence about the reporting of incidents on the hospital computer system. Last year, Health Secretary Wes Streeting made damning remarks about NELFT at a conference of NHS leaders. "I'm very aware of NELFT not least because NELFT has and continues to appear in the headlines for providing really poor quality care," he said. Ms Figueiredo's family visited her regularly in hospital, and repeatedly raised concerns about her care. The jury heard how her mother, Jane Figueiredo, wrote to managers warning: "It is only a matter of time before there is a fatality on this ward." Campaigners believe Ms Figueiredo's death points to wider problems with mental health care. Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, said: "I hope that irrespective of the verdict, this will send shock waves and ensure that learning and change is an absolute priority."
