Serious Incidents

Dear FOI team,

I have looked in the annual report and that only categorizes ‘incidents’ – so in theory a single incident could , involve hundreds of patients having their records inappropriately accessed.

Case in points is this case in Taunton from 2023 which was only categorized as one incident.

Hundreds of medical records ‘inappropriately accessed’ by Somerset hospital worker | Somerset Live

So I would be grateful if you could treat this as a new request to include incidents as well as the number of patients affected by each incident.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

FOI Ref: 205-2026 (03 July 2026)

Dear FOI team,

I am applying under the FOI Act for a list of inappropriate access to patient records by staff reported to the ICO – I believe this link shows the personal data breaches for each year individually from 2019-2025. the ICO has all data breaches reported by organisations here, but not the type of breach.

So I would be grateful if you could also supply the type of breach .My application is for each individual year from 2019-2025 . I look forward to hearing back within 20 working days. Please do not hesitate to call me if you need any clarification.

Yours sincerely

Unauthorised Access to Patient Records (2021–Present)

Dear Freedom of Information Team,
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information relating to unauthorised access by members of staff to patient records held by your Trust.
For the period from 1 January 2021 to the date this request is processed, please provide:
1. The date on which the Trust most recently completed an audit, review, or other proactive monitoring exercise intended to identify inappropriate or unauthorised access to patient records by staff (for example, access where there was no legitimate work-related reason).
2. As a result of that most recent audit or monitoring exercise:
o the number of incidents identified where the Trust concluded that a member of staff had accessed patient records without a legitimate work-related reason, or where the access was otherwise found to be inappropriate or unauthorised.
3. During the period 1 January 2021 to the date this request is processed:
o the number of cases involving inappropriate or unauthorised access to patient records that were referred or reported to an external enforcement or regulatory body (for example, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the police, NHS Counter Fraud Authority, or a professional regulator).
4. During the same period, the number of staff who received each of the following outcomes or sanctions in relation to inappropriate or unauthorised access to patient records:
o Informal management action
o Written warning (or equivalent)
o Final written warning (or equivalent)
o Suspension
o Dismissal
o Resignation while under investigation
o Referral to a professional regulator
o Any other disciplinary outcome (please specify the category if recorded)
5. As of the date this request is processed, the number of members of staff who are currently subject to an active investigation concerning alleged inappropriate or unauthorised access to patient records.
This request relates only to aggregated statistical information. I am not requesting any personal data, details capable of identifying individuals, or copies of investigation reports.
If any part of this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, I would be grateful if you could advise me how the request might be refined so that it can be answered within the cost limit, rather than refusing it outright.
Where information is held in an existing report, spreadsheet, or management dashboard, I would be happy to receive extracts of those records.
I would prefer to receive the information electronically by email.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.
Yours faithfully,

Personal Data Breaches

Dear FOI team,

I am applying under the FOI Act for a list of inappropriate access to patient records by staff reported to the ICO.

I believe this link shows the personal data breaches for each year individually from 2019-2025.

The ICO has all data breaches reported by organisations here, but not the type of breach.

So I would be grateful if you could also supply the type of breach .

My application is for each individual year from 2019-2025.

I look forward to hearing back within 20 working days. Please do not hesitate to call me if you need any clarification.

Yours sincerely

Disciplinary action for Inappropriate Record Access

Hello,

I would like to make a Freedom of Information request. Definitions used in this request:

• “Staff” means all individuals with authorised access to the trust’s electronic patient record system(s), including substantive staff, bank staff, agency and locum staff, and students/trainees on placement.
• “Inappropriately accessed patient records” means access to a patient’s record without clinical, administrative, or other business reason, as determined through the trust’s own investigation and/or disciplinary process (regardless of whether the access was also reported as a data breach).

Can I please request the following information under the Freedom of Information act:

1. How many members of staff received a disciplinary sanction for inappropriately accessing patients’ records, in each of the following financial years:
a) 2022-23
b) 2023-24
c) 2024-25
d) 2025-26
e) 2026-27 to date

2. Please list the type of disciplinary sanction(s) – for example informal counselling, training, verbal warning, first written warning, final written warning, dismissal – handed out to staff for inappropriately accessing patients’ records in each of the following financial years.

For each type of sanction, please also list the number of staff served with this type of sanction each year.

a) 2022-23
b) 2023-24
c) 2024-25
d) 2025-26
e) 2026-27 to date

If this aggregate data is not held in a readily reportable format and would exceed the appropriate cost limit under section 12 of FOIA, I would be grateful if you could instead provide, for each year: (i) the total number of dismissals, and (ii) the total number of all other (non-dismissal) sanctions, as a reasonable proxy that should require substantially less staff time to compile.

3. How many staff were found, following investigation, to have inappropriately accessed patients’ records but received no disciplinary sanction in each of the following financial years:

a) 2022-23
b) 2023-24
c) 2024-25
d) 2025-26
e) 2026-27 to date

Please provide all of the above information in tabular/spreadsheet format where possible.

Please let me know if any refinement or clarification is required. Otherwise I look forward to a response within the statutory 20 working days.

Thank you,

Racial Discrimination and Racial Abuse

To whom it may concern,  Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information which relates to nursing staff experiences of racial discrimination and racial abuse. Please include all nursing staff (all Agenda for Change Bands 2-9). 1. The number of racial discrimination or racial abuse incidents reported by nursing staff in your NHS Trust broken down by each full calendar year 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, from: a) patients, b) patient’s relatives c) the public,  d) in total (from patients, relatives and the public) 2. The number of racial discrimination or racial abuse incidents reported by nursing staff from patients, relatives or members of the public in your NHS Trust broken down by each full calendar year 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, by ethnic group of member of nursing staff. Please categorise by the main ethnic groups used by the NHS Staff Survey – White, Mixed/Multiple ethnic background, Asian/Asian British, Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, and Other ethnic group. Please provide your response in Microsoft Excel format where possible. We understand the statutory time for responses is 20 working days, so we anticipate a reply from you by Wednesday 22nd April 2026 at the latest.   Please do not hesitate to contact me at Michael.Okeahialam-Finlayson@rcn.org.uk or on 0207 647 3459 should any aspect of my request require clarification.

Incidents – 2025

Dear FOI Team,

Please can I request the following information for the calendar year 2025 :

Incident Totals (2025)

• Total number of slips, trips and falls incidents
• Total number of physical violence and aggression incidents
• Total number of sharps / needlestick injuries Monthly Averages (2025)

(Please calculate the average per month across the year.)

• Average number of slips, trips and falls incidents per month
• Average number of physical violence and aggression incidents per month
• Average number of sharps / needlestick injuries per month Additional Information
• Total number of staff employed by the Trust
• The size of the population the Trust provides services to

Thank you for your assistance.

Please could you return the FOI response to me

Spiking Cases from October 2021 – September 2025

Good Afternoon,

My name is Emily Youngs, and I am studying BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigative Studies. As part of my studies. I am currently conducting a study on spiking under the supervision of Dr. Lata Gautam, Principal Investigator for Spiking Research at Anglia Ruskin University. This research has received full ethical approval from the Faculty Research Ethics Panel [ETH2526-0983].
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information your organisation may hold regarding incidents of spiking:
1. The number of recorded incidents of suspected spiking cases from October 2021 – September 2025, broken down by month where possible.
2. Where available, provide a breakdown of the information, such as grouped data or percentages:
a. Type of spiking methods – needling, drink spiking, food spiking, vape spiking and any other means
b. Gender – Male, Female, Non-binary, Not disclosed, Other
c. Age group of individuals at the time of alleged spiking –
• Below 18
• 18 to 24
• 25 to 34
• 35 to 44
• 45 and above
d. Setting/location type where spiking took place (bar, nightclub, private residence, university accommodation, others)
3. Copies of or link to any guidance, protocols, or policies your organisation has for responding to suspected spiking incidents.
4. This question is for Sexual Assault Referral Centres — do you accept reports of spiking even if there hasn’t been a sexual assault?

Thank you for your assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Critical Incidents Declaration Records (Nov 2023 – Nov 2025)

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is a freedom of information request regarding critical incidents declared by hospitals within your NHS Trust between 13th November 2023 and 13th November 2025.

Request Details: I am seeking information about the number of critical incidents declared by all hospitals within your NHS trust during two specific one-year periods:

– Period 1: 13th November 2023 – 12th November 2024
– Period 2: 13th November 2024 – 12th November 2025

Please provide this information in a table format as follows:

Hospital Name Number of incidents between 13.11.2023 – 12.11.2024 Number of incidents between 13.11.2024 – 12.11.2025
[Hospital 1]
[Hospital 2]

Clarification:
– By “critical incident,” I am referring to incidents declared under your Trust’s major incident/critical incident procedures, typically involving significant disruption to normal services.
– Please include all hospital sites/locations within your Trust
– If no critical incidents were declared during either period for any hospital, please indicate “0”.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, please provide advice and assistance, under the section 16 obligations of the act, as to how I can refine my request.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me for clarification via this email.

Thank you for your assistance,

Kind regards,

Assaults, Bullying and Harassment

To whom it may concern,

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide me with the following information about assaults, bullying and harassment recorded by the trust.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request, and I look forward to receiving the information within 20 working days.

N.B. If the decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in the Data Protection Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemption/s used.

If you have any advice on how I might revise the request, due to a potential exemption, please contact me asap before the 20 working day deadline under your section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance.

If you do not record any of the categories of data requested please state this in your response.

Similarly, if you require any clarification, please contact me asap before the 20 working day deadline under your Section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance.

N.B. This is my dedicated FOI email address. Please respond to this email rather than my Guardian work account.

Questions

1. How many injuries to staff as a result of physical assaults by patients, visitors and other members of the public were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

2. How many injuries to staff as a result of physical assaults by patients were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

3. How many incidents of physical assault by patients, visitors and other members of the public against staff that involved weapons were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

4. How many incidents of physical assault by patients against staff that involved weapons were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

5. How many incidents of bullying and harassment by staff against other staff were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

6. How many incidents of physical assaults by staff against other staff were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

7. How many injuries to staff as a result of physical assaults by other staff were recorded in the following financial years?

2024-25
2023-24
2022-23

Sexual Safety Incidents

Organisation, Serious Incidents

Dear Sir/Madam,
I hope you are well.

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information:

1.How many sexual safety incidents took place in trust premises since 1 Jan 2020 to date?
Total

2.Please provide a breakdown of the total provided in question 1 by calendar year*
a) 2020 b) 2021 c) 2022 d) 2023 e) 2024 f) 2025 to date

3.Please provide a breakdown of the total provided in question 1 by type of sexual safety incident – e.g. a) rape, b) sexual assault etc
a) Rape b) Sexual assault c) Sexual harassment d) Stalking e) Abusive sexual remarks f) Other

4.Please provide a breakdown of the total provided in question 1 by age of victim in the following categories: a) under 18, b) 18-64 and c) 65 and over**
a)Under 18 b) 18-64 c) 65+

5.Please provide a breakdown of the total provided in question 1 by status of the victim and perpetrator in the following categories:
1. Perpetrator was a staff member and victim was staff member
2. Perpetrator was a member of the public (or patient) and victim was a member of the public (or patient)
3. Perpetrator was a member of the public (or patient) and victim was a staff member
4. Perpetrator was a staff member and victim was a member of the public (or patient)
a)staff against staff b)public/patient against public/patient c)public/patient against staff d)staff against public/patient

6.Please provide a breakdown of the total number of rapes since 1 Jan 2020 (i.e. the answer to 3.a) by the age of the rape victim in the following categories: a) under 18, b) 18-64 and c) 65 plus**
a)Under 18 b) 18-64 c) 65+

7. Does your trust have a dedicated policy to deal with sexual assault and harassment? If so please provide a copy of your trust’s written policy and if possible provide a date that the current policy was put in place.

*If your trust records this information in tax year, please provide the following yearly totals instead: 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 to date.
**If your trust records this information in different age categories, please provide any information on age of victim available.

I would appreciate it if you could acknowledge receipt of this request and CC in my colleagues Jim.Reed@bbc.co.uk and Alex.Fleming-Brown@bbc.co.uk
If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me over email.
Many thanks,
BBC Newsnight and BBC Health

Wrong-site Surgery FOI Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please can you disclose the following information:

1. Since January 1, 2020, how many incidents have been reported to your Trust involving a wrong-site surgery? Please note that this is any incident falling under the following definition: “A medical error where a procedure is performed on the wrong patient, the wrong body part, or the wrong side of the body.” For each incident, please provide the month, year and the type of surgery involved in the procedure. In addition, please confirm the total number of cases reported between January 1, 2020 and November 7, 2025.
2. How many incidents fell under the definition of a serious incident, in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (or, prior to that, the Serious Incident Framework)? Please state which cases met this definition
3. How many incidents led to serious, moderate, or slight harm to the patient?
4. What were the causes of wrong-site surgery incidents?

If possible, can this be presented in PDF format please?

Right Care, Right Person

HR, Safety and Security, Serious Incidents

I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Please state which police force/s serve the area covered by the Trust

2. Any reports, assessments or data – internal or published – where the Trust has monitored the implementation and impact of Right Care, Right Person by the local police force/s

3. Details of any serious incidents or patient safety incidents where Right Care, Right Person was a factor

I would like the information sent by email.

Racism/Racist Abuse towards Staff

1. The number of reported incidents of racism/racist abuse towards staff by patients in 2022, 2023, 2024, and the first nine months of 2025.

– Can the data be categorised in calendar years please.

2. From the figures given in question 1, can you specify how many of the reported incidents were:

a) verbal

b) physical assaults please.

– Can the data be split with a) and b) columns and categorised in calendar years please.

Diabetes as a Risk Factor for the Cause of Death

I would like to know your stats for ‘diabetes is a risk factor for the cause of death’ .

Physician Associate Safety Events

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please can you disclose the following information:

1. The number of patient safety events involving a physician associate or anaesthesia associate in the last five years. (Broken down by calendar years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
1a) Broken down by types of injuries resulting from these safety events. (Broken down by same years as above)
1b) Broken down by injury causes. (Broken down by same years as above)
1c) Broken down by injury severity (no harm, slight, moderate, severe, catastrophic). (Broken down by same years as above)

Restorative Justice in Sexual Safety and Patient Complaints

1. NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter
a) Has your Trust signed up to the NHS England Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter (2023)?
b) If yes:
o Please confirm the date of adoption
o Provide any internal implementation plans, policy updates, or cultural change programmes associated with the Charter
c) Does your Trust interpret the Charter’s emphasis on person-centred and trauma-informed approaches as including or supporting the use of restorative practices?
2. Restorative Practices in Complaint Resolution
a) Does your Trust use dialogue-based or restorative approaches in patient complaints more generally (e.g., apology meetings, mediation, facilitated dialogue)?
b) If yes, please describe the approach and provide any supporting documents.
3. Use of Restorative Justice or Restorative Practice
a) Has your Trust ever used restorative justice or restorative practices in the context of:
o Sexual harassment, assault, or misconduct involving staff or patients?
o Patient complaints involving interpersonal harm or conflict?
b) If yes to either, please provide:
o A brief description of the approach used
o Any relevant policies, procedures, or internal guidance
o Any staff training materials relating to restorative practice
o Any available summary evaluations or outcome reports without any identifying details included.

Coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths Reports

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The request relates to Coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths Reports (PFDs or Reg 28 letters) issued for deaths ruled to have been caused by suicide.

Please provide the following information for the time period between 1st January 2019 (or the date of inception for your trust) and 5th May 2025, inclusive.

1. Please send me a copy of every PFD relating to suicide that the Trust received. Please include PFDs received where the Trust was a listed addressee and/or where the Trust was copied for information as an ‘interested person’.

2. Please also send me a copy of the Trust’s response to each PFD, clearly marking to which PFD the response refers.

3. Please send me a copy of any internal correspondence which relates to each PFD, clearly marking to which PFD the correspondence refers. This should include:

Minutes from meetings
Email conversations between staff and contractors
Details of any staff training undertaken
Memos sent

Bullying and Racism/Racial Discrimination amongst Midwives

Misc, Serious Incidents

I’m writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information about reports of bullying and racism/racial discrimination amongst midwives working at your trust.

From 1 Jan 2020 up to and including 6 May 2025, can you please tell me the following:

1) How many reports of bullying have been made by midwives against other midwives (including student midwives on placement) at your trust? Please provide the outcomes of these.

2) How many reports of racism or racial discrimination have been made by midwives against other midwives (including student midwives on placement) at your trust? Please provide the outcomes of these.

3) Have there been any dismissals in light of bullying reports? If so, when were these? Please provide the year.

4) Have there been any dismissals in light of racism or racial discrimination reports? If so, when were these? Please provide the year.

If this request is at risk of triggering the s12 cost exemption, please advise us on how we can amend the wording of our request to align with the trust’s categorisation and/or filing conventions.

Sexual Incidents

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide me with the following information about incidents of sexual harm and physical violence that have taken place at your trust. Incidents of sexual violence include, but are not limited to, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape. (See after the question for clarification on these definitions.)

In order to assist you, I understand that some, if not all of this information should be recorded in the trust’s safety incident reporting system, or it may be recorded by your HR team.

If possible, please use one of the attached spreadsheets to provide your answers. Please also explain any gaps in your data.

Please ensure that the data you provide is for financial years, not calendar years.

Total sexual safety incidents

1. How many sexual safety incidents did the trust record in the financial year 2024-25? (This includes incidents by all alleged perpetrators against all alleged victims: staff, patients, visitors, members of the public)
1.1 How many of these incidents took place on the trust premises?
1.2 How many sexual safety incidents on the trust premises did the trust record in the financial year 2023-24?*
1.3 How many sexual safety incidents on the trust premises did the trust record in the financial year 2022-23?*

(*My previous FOI asked for total incidents for 2022-23 and 2023-24 but did not specifically ask for only those incidents that occured on the trust premises. If your previous response only covered incidents on the trust premises please answer ‘no change’.)

Sexual safety incidents by staff against patients

2. How many sexual safety incidents allegedly perpetrated by staff against patients did the trust record in the 2024/25 financial year?

Sexual violence and misconduct by patients against other patients

3. How many sexual safety incidents allegedly perpetrated by patients against other patients did the trust record in the 2024-25 financial year?

Sexual safety incidents by patients against staff

4. How many sexual safety incidents allegedly perpetrated by patients against staff did the trust record in the 2024-25 financial year?

Sexual safety incidents by staff against other staff

5. How many sexual safety incidents allegedly perpetrated by staff against other staff did the trust record in the 2024-25 financial year

Age of alleged victims

Please provide figures for the 2024-25 financial year:

6. How many of the sexual safety incidents did the trust record where the victim was a patient:
6.1 Under 18 (this includes under 16 and under 13)
6.2 Under 16 (this includes under 13)
6.3 Under 13

Only include incidents that occured on the trust’s premises.

Physical violence

7. How many incidents of physical violence perpetrated by patients against staff did the trust record in the 2024-25 financial year?
7.1 Do the trust’s records of physical violence by patients distinguish between intentional/deliberate and un/non-intentional violence? (Unintentional violence might be due to lack of capacity, e.g. a symptom of dementia.)
7.2 If the trust does breakdown physical violence into intentional/deliberate and un/non-intentional violence, please provide the following data for the 2024-25 financial year:
• Number of intentional/deliberate incidents of physical violence by patients against staff.
• Number of un/non-intentional violence incidents of physical violence by patients against staff.

Incidents Reviews

Under the FOIA, please could you provide the following reviews mentioned in the ‘quality dashboard’, published in January 2025 board papers:

Please provide copies of these reviews, and detail the full findings of each review, and the resulting actions from the trust/ system.

Please note I’d like to see the specific findings of each review, rather than summaries.

– “The 78 incidents reported by MIIUs related to the pathway from the NHS 111 service and wider IUCS service are subject to a task and finish group review led by the GHC IUCS Governance Lead. All incidents where harm is unknown/suspected are subject to an end-to-end pathway review with input from the IUCS Clinical Lead”.

– “The sustained trend of high use of Rapid Tranquilisation (RT) has seen a rise to 110 incidents in December 2024. The Positive and Safe Group have confirmed this relates to care of specific patients at Wotton Lawn Hospital, for which individualised care plans are in place. Quality Committee received a deep dive into restrictive practices in November 2024 but has sought a further overview of details related to rapid tranquilisation given the sustained levels.”

Risk Management

Health, Serious Incidents

Could you advise the following about your use of Risk Management systems in your trust?

1. What risk, compliance or incident management software do you currently use?

2. Which vendor provides this software?

3. What is your annual license fee for this software?

4. When is the contract renewal date for this software?

Pressure Care Guidance and Incidents

I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request data on bed sore-related death reports and complaints made to this trust.

• Please provide any trust guidance on pressure care (for the care and prevention of pressure sores, pressure ulcers, or bed sores) issued to administrators and/or hospital staff in the past 24 months.
• For the following years, please provide the number of patients within the trust treated for bedsores (classified as ICD-10 code L-89), as filed in Datix, Ulysses or other relevant reporting systems:
o 2022
o 2023
o 2024

293-2024