Overview
- Brighton Magistrates’ Court imposed the penalty after University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment.
- Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, left Worthing Hospital’s Bluefin children’s ward on 20 March 2022 while under one-to-one observation and was later found by police after ligaturing in the hospital grounds.
- District judge Tessa Szagun described the circumstances as tragic and said Ellame required constant supervision with a clear instruction to follow her if she left the ward.
- The trust told the court the general ward was not designed for high-risk mental health patients during a shortage of specialist tier 4 beds, and it reports tightening policies, training and ward environments since.
- The family said the system failed their daughter, is pursuing a civil damages claim, and urged the government to direct the fine toward improving children’s mental health services.