A healthcare assistant denies misconduct. This relates to the death of Louise Furlong, a patient at a mental health hospital.
The 41-year-old, from Ilkeston, pleaded not guilty on Thursday, February 13. The charges are misconduct in public office and ill-treatment or neglect. These relate to observations she allegedly skipped involving nine patients at Highbury Hospital, where she worked via a private company.
Louise Furlong, 19, died September 12, 2022, following a hospital incident. An inquest into her death opened in November 2022. Quaye-Mensah was on duty then, and Nottinghamshire Police charged her.
The defendant, from Monsall Avenue, received bail until her trial. Detective Inspector Craig Hall spoke in August, saying they investigated for a while. Louise’s family knew about the development and remain in the police’s thoughts.
The coroner, Laurinda Bower, adjourned Louise’s inquest in 2022 to allow for further investigations. Louise’s mother identified her at the Queen’s Medical Centre to a police officer.
A review at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS followed the Nottingham attacks on June 13, 2023. The Care Quality Commission rated Highbury Hospital “inadequate” on March 1, the lowest rating.
Ifti Majid, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare, offered condolences to Louise’s family in August. He emphasized that Quaye-Mensah worked there via an agency. He added patient safety is very important, her shifts were cancelled and her agency was informed. He could not comment further due to ongoing legal processes.