FAMILY CLAIM THAT 'CATASTROPHIC FAILURES' IN CARE LED TO HER DEATH

THE family of Louise Furlong said she was “abandoned in her darkest moment” at a mental health facility in Nottingham which was supposed to keep her safe.

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

They claim “catastrophic failures in care led to the death” of the 19-year-old, who died at Highbury Hospital in Bulwell in September 2022, where she was being treated.

Last week the healthcare assistant who was supposed to be observing her - Sylvia Quaye-Mensah - pleaded guilty to neglect in relation to the teenager’s death. The 42-year-old, of Ilkeston, will be sentenced in March.

Following her plea and in a statement released through their lawyers, Harkiran Takhar, medical negligence associate at Lime Solicitors, said the admission of guilt “confirms what Louise’s family has known all along - catastrophic failures in care led to her death”.

“Louise was a vulnerable young woman who trusted a mental health facility to keep her safe. Instead, she was abandoned in her darkest moments.