Hospital staff watched young woman die on CCTV thinking she was asleep

Hospital staff watched a young woman lie dying on the floor for more than an hour because they thought she was asleep, an inquest has been told.

The Trust further admitted that necessary safety checks were not carried out by nursing staff at the facility, which was also housing another patient at the time, and that CCTV observations by staff were an inadequate form of observation.

Additionally, no staff on shift were compliant with their life support training and of the two oxygen tanks kept at the unit, one was empty and the other missing an essential attachment.

CCTV footage played to jurors from the day of Jade’s death showed members of staff observing the girl on cameras and through ‘peephole’ windows, but not completing observations required under her level of care.

Mark Pritchard, Managing Director at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, began his evidence by apologising to Jade’s family.

‘I want to offer my sincere condolences, on behalf of the Trust, for the shortcomings in Jade’s death,’ he said.

Mr Murphy took the court through the Trust’s policy guidelines for patients under Level Three care, which Jade was under, which states they should be within sight ‘at all times’.

Guidelines also stated that though CCTV observation could be used to support staff, ‘it should not be used in place of observations and engagement’.

They also stated patients should be observed ‘attentively’.

Mr Murphy asked Mr Pritchard: ‘Does it appear to you that, during the footage you saw, that Jade’s observation was conducted by staff attentively?’

He answered: ‘No, I don’t believe it was.’

Jade’s family’s lawyer, Ross Beaton, later questioned Mr Pritchard on whether Jade’s level of care was provided effectively.

Mr Beaton said: ‘Level Three means being within eyesight unless [the patient] is in the bathroom, in which case you will be in verbal contact [with them].

‘Did you see any Level Three observations [in the CCTV footage]?’

Mr Pritchard replied: ‘The bulk of it, I would say no. The overarching answer is no.’

Jane Basemera, Jade’s allocated nurse on the day of her death, told the court the patient would have lived had she been on Level Four observations.

Ms Basemera, who broke down in tears during her evidence, said: ‘If a patient has [tried to use a] ligature, it should be arm’s length [Level Four care].

‘Arms-length observations would have saved Jade.’

Mr Murphy said: ‘It does appear that some very significant events that occurred to Jade during the time in the bathroom were missed.’