East London NHS mental health trust charged with manslaughter following death of young woman in its care.

Local democracy reporter Josh Mellor today writes:

An East London NHS mental health trust appeared in court yesterday, charged with manslaughter following the death of a young woman in its care eight years ago.

NHS mental health provider North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) is accused of corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence for its role in the death of Alice Figueiredo, 22, who was a patient in its care at Goodmayes Hospital in Redbridge in 2015.

According to court documents, the trust is accused of “failing to remove a bin liner” from the acute psychiatric ward Alice was a patient on, despite the item being identified as a risk on 18 previous occasions.

The written charge for corporate manslaughter says this risk had been repeatedly “recorded on hospital notes” and discussed by staff.

It adds that the conduct of the trust’s senior management was a “substantial element” in the failure, which was a “gross breach” of its duty of care.

Former ward manager at Goodmayes Hospital, Benjamin Aninakwa, 52, is also accused of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

Aninakwa, who is now head of NELFT’s patient safety and incident team, is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Friday 6th October.

Alice’s parents Max and Jane Figueiredo also attended the court hearing in person.

Representatives of the trust, including chief executive Paul Calaminus, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court for the first time today but did not enter any plea to the charges ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey on 1st November.

The Met investigated Alice’s death for six years before passing a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2021.

The CPS considered the evidence for a further two years before authorising charges early last month.

NELFT did not enter pleas to the charge of corporate manslaughter or an offence under Section Three of the Health and Safety at Work Act, which covers an employer’s duty to protect people from risk.

Aninakwa, of Grays in Essex, is due to appear in court on 6th October to face charges of gross negligence manslaughter and an offence under section seven of the Health and Safety at Work Act, which covers an employee’s duty to protect people from risk.

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