Staff slept while patient killed at NHS mental health unit
An inquest into the death of Hugo Flint-Cahan at an NHS mental health unit revealed systemic failures, including staff sleeping and falsifying records. The coroner concluded that neglect contributed to the patient's unlawful killing.
Why it matters
The case highlights critical safety and oversight failures within public mental health services, prompting calls for regulatory and police review.
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Hugo was strangled to death while staying in an NHS mental health unit
Staff falsified records, slept and were on their phones on the night one patient was killed by another on an NHS mental health unit in east London, an inquest has heard.
Hugo Flint-Cahan, 34, was being treated at Newham Mental Health Centre (NMHC), run by the East London NHS Trust (ELFT), when he was fatally attacked by 22-year-old Rolando Torres-Pena.
Hugo's family say they have been shocked by the "dangerous" failures in his care.
The Trust told the coroner they had addressed some of the issues raised in the inquest, and are launching an investigation into the staff whose failings have been identified.
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