Hospital Trust Fined £500K Over Death of Mental Health Patient

A hospital trust faces a £500,000 fine and a suspended sentence for a ward manager following the death of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford. The case has exposed deep failures in mental health care and safety within the North-East London Foundation NHS Trust, also known as NELFT.

Alice died after taking her own life using bin bags from a shared toilet in the hospital’s Hepworth Ward. She had previously made several similar attempts. Despite repeated warnings from her family, staff left the communal toilet unlocked and failed to remove the bin bags.

Negligence and Legal Outcome

An Old Bailey jury found both NELFT and ward manager Benjamin Aninakwa responsible for failing to protect Alice from foreseeable harm. The trust received a £565,000 fine, and Aninakwa was given a six-month suspended sentence. He must also complete 300 hours of unpaid community service.

Judge Richard Marks KC said the death was a “terrible tragedy” that could have been prevented. He criticised the hospital for not managing the risks of keeping bin bags accessible to patients. The judge also said the ward manager ignored clear warnings from Alice’s mother, which should have raised serious concern.

He told Aninakwa that while he expressed regret, he showed no clear understanding of his mistakes. The judge added that a lack of recorded evidence about earlier self-harm attempts was deeply troubling.

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Family’s Reaction and Court Remarks

In court, Alice’s mother, Jane Figueiredo, said her family’s concerns had been dismissed and minimised. She described her daughter as a creative and loving person whose loss had devastated her family.

Jane said her daughter had been treated with harshness and indifference by some hospital staff. She told the court that such behaviour goes against everything the NHS stands for. She added that her daughter’s death could have been avoided if hospital leadership had taken family warnings seriously.

The judge praised the family’s persistence and acknowledged the immense pain caused by the loss. He said the failure to remove dangerous materials from the ward represented a total breakdown in patient safety.

Failures in Mental Health Care

Alice was admitted to the Hepworth Ward in May 2012 with a diagnosis that included an eating disorder and bipolar affective disorder. She had previously harmed herself using plastic materials from the ward toilets.

Records show she used plastic bags from communal areas on at least ten occasions before her death. The hospital’s internal reviews had already recognised this risk, yet managers failed to act. Eight further incidents occurred before she died.

The investigation into her death began in 2016, but charges were not filed until 2023. The seven-month trial cleared the trust of corporate manslaughter and cleared Aninakwa of gross negligence manslaughter. However, both were convicted of health and safety breaches.

Financial Penalties and Future Steps

The court ordered the North-East London Foundation NHS Trust to pay £565,000 in fines and £200,000 in legal costs. Following sentencing, NELFT said it would review its patient safety measures and mental health ward policies.

Aninakwa, who still works for the trust, announced his intention to appeal his conviction. He maintains that he acted appropriately within his role, though the court disagreed.

The case has renewed national attention on safety within mental health services. Families and campaigners are calling for stronger oversight and greater accountability from NHS trusts to prevent similar tragedies.