NHS Trust Fined £200,000 After Teenager’s Death in Hospital Care

An NHS trust in Sussex has been fined £200,000 after the death of a 16-year-old girl under its care. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment, leading to the tragic death. The teenager, Ellame Ford-Dunn, was a mental health patient at Worthing Hospital. Despite being under constant one-to-one […]

An NHS trust in Sussex has been fined £200,000 after the death of a 16-year-old girl under its care. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment, leading to the tragic death.

The teenager, Ellame Ford-Dunn, was a mental health patient at Worthing Hospital. Despite being under constant one-to-one observation by a nurse, she left the ward on 20 March 2022. An hour later, she was found ligatured in the hospital grounds and died.

Court findings showed that Ellame was admitted to a ward that was not suitable for her complex needs, which included trauma, self-harm, autism, ADHD, and an eating disorder. Hospital policy prevented staff from following patients who left the ward, which meant no one could stop her from absconding.

Brighton Magistrates’ Court fined the Trust £200,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £25,405.70, plus a victim surcharge of £190. The judge called the case “tragic” and highlighted that the policies and procedures at the hospital had put Ellame at serious risk.

The case raises concerns about how mental health services care for young people with complex needs. Experts say it shows the need for better resources, safer wards, and clear procedures to protect vulnerable patients.