NHS Sussex Foundation Trust fined £225,595 over death of teenager on inpatient ward
Ellame Ford-Dunne took her own life on Worthing Hospital Grounds in 2022.
Last updated 26th Nov 2025
University Hospitals NHS Sussex Foundation Trust has been fined £225,595 over the death of a teenager in inpatient care.
Ellame Ford-Dunne took her own life after absconding from a Worthing Hospital ward in 2022.
She ran into the grounds of the hospital and was not immediately followed by a nurse because of "confusion" and a lack of appropriate procedure in place.
Last month, the Trust admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment, which led to avoidable harm to the 16-year-old, who had autism, ADHD and an eating disorder.
In particular, it accepted staff had a lack of guidance on how to deal with a patient leaving the ward - with Ellame able to go missing within the few moments it took staff to chase her on the night of her death.
The trial also heard that Bluefin Ward, where Ellame was staying, was not equipped to deal with her complex needs, which had seen her spend 18 months in mental health wards previously.
She had been accommodated there anyway due to a national shortage in mental health beds.
On Wednesday at Brighton Magistrates' Court, District Judge Tessa Szagun said that "clear instructions to follow Ellame" if she left the ward "should have been incorporated" into the ward's care plan.
Judge Szagun said: "Nothing that the defendant organisation expressed in terms of their heartfelt apology and condolence or regret at the consequences of their accepted omissions, nor any fine I impose, or indeed any sentencing remarks I make, can begin to make any difference to how her family have been impacted by the devastation and shock of this loss."
Family "will never be whole again"
In her victim impact statement, her mum, Nancy Ford-Dunn wept next to a photo of a smiling Ellame, as she told the court her family "will never be whole again":
"Wherever we go, whatever we do, there is an Ellame shaped hole in the world, and her absence screams in our ears every day.
"There are perhaps more obvious impacts – the dark grief, the anger, the constant 'what ifs', the deep, deep pain of knowing we will never hold our beautiful daughter again, and never hear her voice.
"The only way we can care for Ellame now is to tend her grave."
The teenager was the eldest of three children, who loved swimming in the sea with her brother, and dancing with her sister, family added.
Chief Nurse, Dr Maggie Davies, said: “When we appeared at last month’s hearing, we acknowledged the seriousness of what happened and the devastating impact on Ellame’s family and friends. That remains true today.
“The loss of Ellame was a tragedy for her and for those who loved her. Colleagues involved in her care remain devastated by her death and the impact it continues to have on her family and friends.
“We had a responsibility to protect her while she was in our care, and we are sincerely sorry that we were not able to do that. Everyone accepts that people with acute mental illness should not be in general hospital wards or A&E departments, but that does not lessen our duty to keep patients safe whilst efforts are made to provide them with more appropriate care.
“Since Ellame’s death, we have made significant improvements to our policies, training, and ward environments to prevent anything like this happening again. Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of what happened, and we remain committed to working with our NHS partners to learn from this tragedy, and for us all to find better ways of caring for patients who are vulnerable.”