Jury Informed Ward Risks Persisted Post-Patient Death

A former health care assistant from a ward where a young woman died by suicide using a bin bag has testified to a jury that these items continued to be used there following her death. Alice Figueiredo was 22 years old when she passed away at Goodmayes Hospital in Redbridge, north-east London, in July 2015. She had been detained on the unit since February of that year, and during that time, the court was told she had attempted to harm herself 18 times with bin bags found on the ward. The North East London NHS Trust (NELFT) is facing charges of corporate manslaughter. Benjamin Aninakwa, the ward manager on the unit, is accused of gross negligence manslaughter. Both individuals deny the charges against them. This article contains material some may find distressing. Violet Storey informed the jury at the Old Bailey that she had been employed by NELFT in various capacities at different locations since 2002. She commenced work on Hepworth Ward, an acute psychiatric unit at Goodmayes Hospital, as a health care assistant when it opened in 2011. She retired in 2016. She had become well-acquainted with Ms. Figueiredo over the course of several hospital admissions. “We had a very good rapport. It was like having a daughter on the ward. If she needed anything she’d come to me,” she told the court. However, Ms. Figueiredo struggled with suicidal thoughts and engaged in self-harm attempts. The court was informed that she had a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder. Mrs. Storey described multiple incidents where she prevented Ms. Figueiredo from self-harming. In one instance, she recounted how Ms. Figueiredo had been concealing a bin bag under her pillow for two days. Mrs. Storey became emotional as she recalled the events of the night Ms. Figueiredo died. When she arrived at work, Ms. Figueiredo had been in a “celebratory mood” and “bounded over” to hug her. Her observation levels had been lowered, which Mrs. Storey stated indicated she was improving and closer to being able to return home. Later that night, the health care assistant was called away twice to other areas of the hospital to attend to emergencies. Upon her return to Hepworth Ward, she checked on all the patients, including Ms. Figueiredo. She told the court she found Ms. Figueiredo’s room empty. She searched the ward for her, eventually discovering her slumped in a communal toilet. She called for help, located some equipment, then attempted resuscitation. A doctor arrived, followed by paramedics. Ms. Figueiredo was transported to hospital where she later died. Mrs. Storey stated she was still on the ward when the call came in to inform them. She told her colleague she had feared the worst. “You don’t need to tell me,” she recalled saying. Mrs. Storey testified to the court that the toilet where Ms. Figueiredo was found was generally accessible for patients to use and contained a bin with a bin bag. The court had previously heard that the toilet was kept locked, except when patients requested to use it. She informed the court that after Ms. Figueiredo’s death, she took some time off, but upon her return to the ward, bin bags were still being utilized in the communal toilet where Ms. Figueiredo died. The trial continues.