Irregular staffing at Goodmayes Hospital could also cause patients to feel “anxious”, jurors were told at the Old Bailey today, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Note: This story may be upsetting for some to read
Staff morale was low at a London mental health ward where a patient committed suicide, a court heard today (14th November).
Alice Figueiredo, 22, died while she was an inpatient in Goodmayes Hospital on 7th July 2015.
Benjamin Aninakwa, who managed Hepworth ward at the time, denies charges of gross negligence manslaughter, while North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT), which oversees healthcare in Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, denies corporate manslaughter.
Speaking at the witness stand in the Old Bailey today, Esther Ndungu, who worked as a healthcare assistant during Alice’s five-month stay in the ward, said morale had been low “for a variety of reasons”.
The number of staff on the ward and the use of agency workers both contributed to the mood, jurors in the Old Bailey were told.
Agency workers and ‘bank’ staff – NELFT employees who could fill shifts as needed – worked alongside Hepworth staff on the ward.
She added that the irregular staffing could also cause patients to feel “anxious”.
Mental health nurse Oluwakemi Ajose, who was also called as a witness today, said her job on the word was “very hard work” and it had an impact on staff mentally.
She said that staff levels sometimes fell below what was needed and employees “had to manage”.
John Cooper KC, the defence for NELFT, said the trust “placed a lot of emphasis” on training its employees.
He said staff had undergone “a lot of training” to understand the “dynamics” of an adult female psychiatric ward, including a five-day course on managing patients’ aggression.
Ms Ajose, who joined the ward in 2014, recalled “reflective” meetings being held every fortnight to discuss approaches to patients.
Their access to items was assessed “on a frequent basis,” Mr Cooper said.
Additionally, the communal toilet, where bin bags were located, could only be unlocked by a member of staff.
The court previously heard that, between February and July, Alice attempted to harm herself on 39 occasions. Eighteen of those attempts involved bin liners.
Jurors were also told the 22-year-old was “quite an intelligent young woman,” and that being under close observation made her feel “angry, tearful and frustrated”.
The trial continues and is expected to last a total of nine weeks.
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