Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Patient sexually assaulted by hospital cleaner as she lay drowsy in her bed on morphine wins five-figure payout

  • Woman, 23, had taken strong painkillers when Ahmed Ismail, 44, groped her
  • Incident happened in hospital bed at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester
  • She reported matter to police and Ismail was eventually jailed for 18 months 
  • Woman has now spoken of ordeal after receiving payout following civil claim
Ahmed Ismail, 44, was jailed for 18 months after being convicted of sexual assault
Ahmed Ismail, 44, was jailed for 18 months after being convicted of sexual assault
A woman who was sexually assaulted by a hospital cleaner as she lay helpless in bed on morphine says the ordeal left her scared to leave her own home.
The victim, now 27, was an in-patient at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester when Ahmed Ismail, now 44, groped her as she lay drowsy in bed.
Ismail, who was working as a cleaner at the time, carried out a second sex assault the following day.
The woman, speaking this week after a compensation payout settlement, said she is still scared to leave her home four years after the assaults in 2014.
She said: 'I'm so nervous. I am scared to go out and will only do things like go to the supermarket when somebody can come with me.
'I used to be really bubbly and, as I come from a very large family, I'd always wanted that myself. There's no way I can imagine that happening now.
'I used to be admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital regularly for an ongoing problem. Now I just take oral antibiotics because I'm too scared to go in hospital as an in-patient.'
Ismail was employed at the time by Sodexo as an agency worker.
Law firm Slater and Gordon, which represented the woman in a civil case against both the hospital trust and Sodexo, said she had been 'failed at so many levels'. 
She has now secured a five-figure sum in compensation. The hospital trust have now apologised and say that safety of patients 'is our utmost priority'.

Lawyer Kim Harrison said the victim, from south Manchester, had reported a previous incident involving Ismail to the hospital a month before she was assaulted. 

She cannot be named for legal reasons. Ismail, from Hulme, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault in June 2015.

He denied the offences but was found guilty after a trial at Manchester Magistrates' Court and jailed for 18 months at Manchester Crown Court in April, 2016, after an appeal against his conviction was dismissed, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also issued, banning him from working in any hospital or establishment where in-patients reside.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she decided to speak out about the attacks as a warning.

The victim was an in-patient at Wythenshawe Hospital when Ismail groped her as she lay drowsy in bed.

Solicitor Mrs Harrison said the victim was told the prior incident would be documented. 

Ismail (pictured), who was working as a cleaner, carried out a second sex assault the next day
Ismail (pictured), who was working as a cleaner, carried out a second sex assault the next day
She said: 'My client was failed at so many levels. As well as the man who attacked her, by the people she reported concerns to who failed to take adequate measures to protect her until after she had been assaulted on more than one occasion.

'If her original concerns had been treated more seriously, than perhaps the further assaults could have been prevented.

'It's crucial that lessons are learnt by the trust about how to handle reports of inappropriate behaviour at a much earlier stage.'

A spokesman for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), which runs Wythenshawe Hospital, said; 'We wish to again extend our sincere apologies to the patient involved.

'The safety and care of our patients is our utmost priority and we are deeply sorry that this incident took place on one of our hospital wards.

Ahmed Ismail was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also issued

'Behaviour of this kind is completely unacceptable and is not tolerated. Following this incident, the Trust immediately launched an investigation to learn lessons that would prevent any further incidents of this nature.

'The learning from this investigation has been shared appropriately and we wish to reassure our patients, the public and our staff that any allegations of unlawful or inappropriate conduct are immediately and thoroughly investigated and the necessary action is taken accordingly.' 

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